Wednesday 26 December 2012

Liverpool’s Sterling commits to England over Jamaica


Liverpool’s teenage winger Raheem Sterling has pledged his international future to England, despite still being eligible for his place of birth, Jamaica.
The 18-year-old, who recently signed a five-year contract extension with Liverpool, won his first senior England cap last month in the 4-2 friendly defeat by Sweden.
England's Raheem Sterling warms up during a training session at the Friends Arena in Stockholm November 13, 2012. REUTERS/Phil Noble
England's Raheem Sterling warms up during a training session at the Friends Arena in Stockholm November 13, 2012. 
"It was a dream come true," Sterling told the British media of playing for England in Stockholm. "As a 15-year-old, I can remember sitting at home and praying to get an under-16 call-up.
"To be getting a senior call-up a few years later was one of the best things that ever happened to me."
After making his full England debut, he could still have opted to play for Jamaica, where he lived until he was six, and the country’s FA have continued to court the player.
"I’ve got Jamaican roots but no-one tried to put any pressure on me," said Sterling, who has represented England at every level from under-16 upwards.
"I couldn’t turn my back on England because I’ve grown up through the English youth system and progressed from there. I want to keep driving on and do a bit more."
Sterling’s decision, though hardly a surprise, will be a blow to Jamaica, whose football chief Horace Burrell held talks with the player in October.

Veteran keeper Friedel extends Tottenham contract


LONDON – Veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel has signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur through to 2014, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old American, Tottenham’s first choice goalkeeper since joining the north London club from Aston Villa in 2010, has found himself edged out by France international Hugo Lloris in recent weeks but remains a popular figure.
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel salutes the fans after their English Premier League soccer match against Reading at Madejski Stadium in Reading September 16, 2012. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel salutes the fans after their English Premier League soccer match against Reading at Madejski Stadium in Reading September 16, 2012. 
Friedel is the only player in Premier League history to make more than 300 consecutive starts, reaching 310 before his incredible run was ended in October when Lloris started the home match against Aston Villa.

Del Piero dismisses Sydney exit talk


Alessandro Del Piero’s uncertain future in Australia could be close to being resolved, with the former Italy striker pledging his support for struggling Sydney FC.
The 38-year-old former World Cup winner arrived at the club to much fanfare this season but has failed to prevent Sydney’s plummet to the foot of the A-League.
Former Juventus soccer player Alessandro Del Piero of Italy participates in his first training session with new club Sydney FC at Sydney Football Stadium September 18, 2012. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne
Former Juventus soccer player Alessandro Del Piero of Italy participates in his first training session with new club Sydney FC at Sydney Football Stadium September 18, 2012. 
But with negotiations to take up the option to extend his lucrative one-year deal dragging on, Del Piero appeared keen to dismiss rumours he would leave at the end of the season.
"Everything is clear for me and the club," the former Juventus forward, who has struggled recently with a hamstring tweak, told local media on Wednesday.
"We can do earlier than we think about the contract. It’s not a stress here for me. I want to put all my knowledge and my heart into games."
Del Piero asserted his management team, including brother Stefano, were working hard on negotiating a second season at the A-League side.

Van Persie missing piece in Fergie’s title jigsaw


LONDON: Alex Ferguson has hailed Robin van Persie as the missing piece in Manchester United’s title jigsaw as the Premier League leaders bid to extend their lead at the top against Newcastle on Wednesday.
Van Persie has made a superb start to his United career after leaving Arsenal in a 24 million move in pre-season and the Dutch forward’s haul of 15 goals has fired Ferguson’s team four points clear of champions Manchester City heading into the hectic Christmas programme.
The 29-year-old’s dynamic displays have added an extra edge to United in the same way that French playmaker Eric Cantona and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo galvanised previous teams in the Ferguson era.
After missing out on the title to City last season, United were in need of a new driving force this term and Ferguson believes van Persie is providing it.
“I am reluctant to subscribe to the cult of an individual. But sometimes you find the last piece of the jigsaw,” Ferguson told United’s official matchday programme.
“We did it when we brought Eric Cantona to Old Trafford and he proved to be the right player at the right club at the right time. He became the catalyst and springboard for our surge to success.
“It doesn’t have to be signing someone for a record fee. Cristiano Ronaldo was not a record buy either but he certainly made a difference as he prospered with us to the extent that he came to be regarded by a lot of people as the world’s best player.”
However, Ferguson’s side will be made to work hard by Newcastle, whose 1-0 win over struggling QPR last Saturday was only their second in eight league games but it was enough to give their manager Alan Pardew reason to be optimistic.
“We have definitely picked up, we look a little bit more resilient,” said Pardew.
“We got a very important clean sheet on Saturday and I think we will be in good heart for what is one of the toughest games of the programme, Manchester United away.”

Owen looks to end Liverpool jinx


LONDON: Michael Owen made his name at English Premier League giants Liverpool but since he left he has never managed to score against them and he is aiming to set that right when his present team Stoke host them on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old former England striking great – who moved on to Real Madrid and then back to England with spells for Newcastle and Manchester United before signing for Stoke – looks set to play after recovering from a hamstring injury which has kept him out of action since the end of October.
“It is a strange feeling really playing against your old club, especially one where you were there for around 15 years,” he told Independent Sports News.
“Liverpool are a big part of my life and career and I had some of the best times of my life at the club.
“So certainly I have happy memories. I have not been so happy playing against them since; I have never scored and not particularly enjoyed it.”
Owen, scorer of 40 goals in his 89 appearances for England, believes that aside from perhaps ending his goal drought against them Stoke can extend their eight match unbeaten run which sees them just one place behind eighth placed Liverpool.

Ukraine pick Fomenko over Eriksson as manager


KIEV – Ukraine have named Mykhailo Fomenko as national team coach, picking him over Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson in a unanimous vote, the country’s football federation said on Wednesday.
Fomenko, 64, played for Dynamo Kiev as defender in the 1970s and has managed a number of Ukrainian clubs including Metalist Kharkiv, as well the Guinea national team in 1994.
Mykhailo Fomenko, Ukraine's new national soccer team coach, speaks during a meeting at Football Federation in Kiev, December 26, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer
Mykhailo Fomenko, Ukraine's new national soccer team coach, speaks during a meeting at Football Federation in Kiev, December 26, 2012. 
Former England manager Eriksson, who visited Kiev last week with his agent and laid out the terms of a potential contract, was not present at the meeting on Wednesday.

UEFA appeals own sanctions against Serbia and England


LONDON – UEFA has appealed against the sanctions that its own control and disciplinary body imposed on Serbia and England for incidents in an Under-21 match in October, European football’s governing body said on Wednesday.
"Having reviewed the motivated decisions for the sanctions imposed in this specific case… the UEFA disciplinary inspector felt it necessary to immediately confirm his intention to appeal on UEFA’s behalf," UEFA said in a statement.
Staff are pictured in the entrance of UEFA in Nyon May 27, 2010. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Staff are pictured in the entrance of UEFA in Nyon May 27, 2010. 
UEFA has the right to appeal against decisions made by its own disciplinary committee and to ask for tougher sanctions if it considers they are too lenient.
The English FA criticised UEFA for not sending a "strong enough message" on racism after the Serbia FA was fined 80,000 euros (64,882 pounds) by UEFA and told it must stage its next Under-21 home match behind closed doors after its players and fans were found guilty of improper conduct.

Lambert urges players to forget Chelsea thrashing



Aston Villa's Scottish manager Paul Lambert (right) gestures during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in London on December 23, 2012.
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom: Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert on Tuesday told his players to put behind them the humiliating 8-0 defeat by Chelsea last Sunday and focus on getting a good result against Spurs on Wednesday.
The former Scotland international midfielder – who moved from Norwich to take over at Villa last summer – said he had experienced such moments in his playing career and the important thing was to move on quickly from them.
“It can happen. I’ve been on the end of it before and I’m pretty sure some of their lads would have been on the end of heavy defeats,” said the 43-year-old, who as a player won the 1997 Champions League with German side Borussia Dortmund.
“But you have to bounce back and it’s about how we react. You can’t dwell on it and start feeling sorry sorry for yourselves.
“As a footballer, if you start feeling sorry for yourselves, there is only one place you are going to go.
“It is important that we try and bounce back very quickly. We just never turned up on Sunday and that is the harsh reality of football.”

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Stomach virus rules Nadal out of Abu Dhabi return


MADRID: Former men's tennis world number one Rafael Nadal's long-awaited return after an agonising six-month knee injury battle has been put off because of a stomach infection he revealed on his Twitter and Facebook sites on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Spaniard - who hasn't played since his shock second round exit to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June - had been due to play in a six player exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of his return to the ATP circuit at Doha from December 31.
He was due to join world number one Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Andy Murray among others at the three day event.
"I am really sorry but I cannot compete this year in Abu Dhabi," wrote the seven-time French Open champion and presently ranked number four in the world.
"Everything was ready and I was really eager to return to competition, but the doctors have forbidden me to participate in Abu Dhabi because of a viral infection of the stomach which has provoked a fever."
Nadal, an 11-time Grand Slam title winner, has been plagued by knee injuries throughout his career, a legacy of his all-action style.

Bryant leads Lakers over Knicks


Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (right) is defended by New York Knicks Jason Kidd (left) and JR Smith (centre) in late action of their basketball game in Los Angeles, California USA, 25 December 2012. -EPALos Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (right) is defended by New York Knicks Jason Kidd (left) and JR Smith (centre) in late action of their basketball game in Los Angeles, California USA, 25 December 2012. 
LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant scored 34 points while Steve Nash and Pau Gasol turned in major performances to spark the Los Angeles Lakers over the New York Knicks 100-94 on Tuesday in an NBA Christmas matchup.
NBA scoring leader Bryant surpassed the 30-point mark for the ninth game in a row as the Lakers stretched their winning streak to five games and improved to 14-14 on the season.
"We held them to 16 points in the fourth quarter and played good defense," Bryant said. "We did it as a group and we did it in stages. It's a process. We just tried to get better."
Canadian point guard Nash, in only his second game back after a leg fracture sidelined him for 24 games, had 16 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, while Dwight Howard added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Spanish forward Gasol added 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Lakers.
Carmelo Anthony, second on the NBA scoring list, led New York with 34 points, while J.R. Smith added 25 points and Raymond Felton contributed 10 points.

Japan's Abe set for second term, to tap allies for cabinet


TOKYO - Shinzo Abe will be voted in as prime minister by parliament's lower house on Wednesday, giving the hawkish lawmaker a second chance at Japan's top job as the country battles deflation and confronts a rising China.
Japan's incoming Prime Minister and the leader of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shinzo Abe attends a news conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo December 25, 2012. Abe reiterated on Tuesday a pledge to revive the economy by correcting the recent trend towards a stronger yen. Abe is set to be selected as prime minister by lawmakers on Wednesday after leading his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a landslide victory in a lower house election earlier this month. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Japan's incoming Prime Minister and the leader of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shinzo Abe attends a news conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo December 25, 2012. Abe reiterated on Tuesday a pledge to revive the economy by correcting the recent trend towards a stronger yen. Abe is set to be selected as prime minister by lawmakers on Wednesday after leading his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a landslide victory in a lower house election earlier this month. 

Abe, 58, has promised aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan and big fiscal spending by the debt-laden government to slay deflation and weaken the yen to make Japanese exports more competitive.
The grandson of a former prime minister, Abe has staged a stunning comeback five years after abruptly resigning as premier in the wake of a one-year term troubled partly by scandals in his cabinet and public outrage over lost pension records.
His Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) surged back to power in this month's election.
"I want to learn from the experience of my previous administration, including the setbacks, and aim for a stable government," Abe told reporters as he entered parliament, where he will be voted in later in the day as Japan's seventh prime minister in six years.
Abe looks set to pick a slate of close allies leavened by some LDP rivals to fend off the criticism of cronyism that dogged his first administration.
Japanese media have said Abe will name former prime minister Taro Aso, 72, as finance minister, ex-trade and industry minister Akira Amari as minister in charge of a new economic revival headquarters and policy veteran Toshimitsu Motegi as trade minister. Motegi will also be tasked with formulating energy policy in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year.
Loyal Abe backer Yoshihide Suga is expected to become chief cabinet secretary, a key post combining the job of top government spokesman with responsibility for coordinating among ministries.

New York gunman left note declaring plan to kill people

NEW YORK - A gunman who killed two volunteer fire-fighters and wounded two others in a Christmas Eve ambush in upstate New York left a typewritten note saying he planned to burn down his neighbourhood and start "killing people," authorities said on Tuesday.
The gunman, William Spengler, 62, opened fire on volunteer fire-fighters who responded to a house fire he deliberately set early on Monday morning in Webster, New York, a suburb of Rochester, authorities said.
A Monroe County Sheriff's Department armored truck drops off residents who were evacuated from the neighborhood where two Webster firefighters were killed and two others were wounded by a gunman in Webster, New York, December 24, 2012. A gunman shot dead two volunteer firefighters and injured two others when he ambushed them at the scene of an early morning housefire in a suburb of Rochester, New York, authorities said on Monday. REUTERS/Democrat and Chronicle/Handout
A Monroe County Sheriff's Department armored truck drops off residents who were evacuated from the neighborhood where two Webster firefighters were killed and two others were wounded by a gunman in Webster, New York, December 24, 2012. A gunman shot dead two volunteer firefighters and injured two others when he ambushed them at the scene of an early morning housefire in a suburb of Rochester, New York, authorities said on Monday. 

Spengler shot and killed himself in an ensuing gunfight with police. He had spent 17 years in prison for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1981, authorities said.
Police said Spengler set the fire, laying a trap for the fire-fighters, and began shooting when they arrived.
He left a typewritten note describing his intent, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said at a televised news conference.
"I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighbourhood I can burn down and do what I like doing best, killing people," Pickering read from the gunman's statement.
Investigators had found human remains in Spengler's burned-out house, where he lived with his sister, Cheryl Spengler, 67, Pickering said. The remains are assumed to be the sister's and a medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

Egypt approves new constitution drafted by Mursi allies

CAIRO - Egyptian voters overwhelmingly approved a constitution drafted by President Mohamed Mursi's allies, results announced on Tuesday showed, proving that liberals, leftists and Christians have been powerless to halt the march of Islamists in power.

Children salute army soldiers standing guard next to tanks outside the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo December 25, 2012. Egypt prepared to announce on Tuesday the result of a vote on a new constitution that Islamist President Mohamed Mursi hails as a step toward stability in a country beset by political and economic crisis. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
Children salute army soldiers standing guard next to tanks outside the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo December 25, 2012. Egypt prepared to announce on Tuesday the result of a vote on a new constitution that Islamist President Mohamed Mursi hails as a step toward stability in a country beset by political and economic crisis. 

Final elections commission figures showed the constitution adopted with 63.8 percent of the vote in the referendum held over two days this month, giving Mursi's Islamists their third straight electoral victory since veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a 2011 revolution.
Opposition groups had taken to the streets to block what they see as a move to ram through a charter that mixes politics and religion dangerously and ignores the rights of minorities.
Mursi says the text - Egypt's first constitution since Mubarak's fall - offers enough protection for minorities, and adopting it quickly is necessary to end two years of turmoil and political uncertainty that has wrecked the economy.
"I hope all national powers will now start working together now to build a new Egypt," Murad Ali, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, told Reuters.
"I see this as the best constitution in Egypt's history."
In a sign that weeks of unrest have taken a further toll on the economy, the government ordered new restrictions on foreign currency apparently designed to prevent capital flight. Leaving or entering with more than $10,000 cash is now banned.
Two years since waves of unrest broke out across the Middle East and North Africa - sweeping away long-entrenched rulers in Tunisia, Libya and Yemen as well as Egypt - well-organised Islamist parties have emerged as the main beneficiaries.
Urban secularists and liberals who were behind the revolts complain that their success has been hijacked.
"We need a better constitution," said Khaled Dawood, an opposition spokesman. "It does not represent all Egyptians."
Mursi's opponents say the new constitution could allow clerics to intervene in lawmaking, while offering scant protections to minorities and women. Mursi dismisses those criticisms, and many Egyptians are fed up with street protest movements that have prevented a return to normality.
Immediately after the announcement, a small group of protesters set tyres on fire and blocked traffic near the central Tahrir square, the cradle of Egypt's uprising, but there were no immediate signs of violence or major demonstrations.
Washington, which provides billions of dollars a year in military and other support for Egypt and regards it as a pillar of security in the Middle East, called on Egyptian politicians to bridge divisions and on all sides to reject violence.
"President Mursi, as the democratically elected leader of Egypt, has a special responsibility to move forward in a way that recognises the urgent need to bridge divisions," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. He noted that many Egyptians had voiced "significant concerns" over the constitutional process.

Pope gives advice as Italians prepare for bitter campaign

ROME - Pope Benedict sent a political Christmas greeting to Italians on Tuesday as they head into an election campaign expected to be brutal and bitter: think, cooperate for the common good and don't discard values when making big choices.
Pope Benedict XVI (C) blesses the crowd as he makes his "Urbi et Orbi" (To the city and the world) address from a balcony in St. Peter's Square in Vatican December 25, 2012. Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world on Tuesday to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Pope Benedict XVI (C) blesses the crowd as he makes his "Urbi et Orbi" (To the city and the world) address from a balcony in St. Peter's Square in Vatican December 25, 2012. Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world on Tuesday to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians. 

The pope, in his Christmas greetings in 65 languages, said in his special message to Italians that he hoped the spirit of the day would "make people reflect, favour the spirit of cooperation for the common good and lead to a reflection on the hierarchy of values when making the most important of choices".
Italy holds national elections on Feb 24-25 to choose a new parliament and a new government.
Given that Italy's Catholic Church has turned its back on former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - who is trying to make a comeback even though his previous terms were mired in sex scandals and judicial woes - Benedict's words could be far less general and casual than they appear at first glance.
"It's not a specific endorsement for (Prime Minister Mario) Monti but it comes pretty close, given the well-known esteem the outgoing prime minister enjoys (at the Vatican)," the Italian news agency Ansa said of the pope's words.
Monti has urged Italians to join a debate on their country's future. He declared his availability to lead a reform-minded centrist alliance to seek a second term to complete the economic reform programme begun when he took office just over a year ago.
He may yet stay on the sidelines, outside elected office, but still exercising substantial influence over a new centrist grouping that could at the very least help shape the agenda of the next government.
The Church has been embarrassed by the scandals surrounding Berlusconi but at the same time fears the unknown of what a leftist government might do on issues such as gay marriage and euthanasia.
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