Fifa Meets To Debate Qatar World Cup Switch

Heat On Fifa Over World Cup Switch

Updated: 3:03am UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

Of all the questions raised by Qatar's World Cup, the one most in need of an answer is the least likely to be addressed when Fifa's executive committee convenes in Zurich this week.

According to the short note in the agenda under the heading "sports politics", discussion will be limited to the timing of Qatar 2022.

If Fifa President Sepp Blatter gets his way, the committee will agree in principle to move the tournament away from its traditional - but in Qatar potentially dangerous - date of June and July, to a more temperate slot in the autumn or winter.

There will then follow a period of consultation in which all the stakeholders affected are talked round or persuaded through compromises that could yet involve financial compensation.

There will be much debate about when the tournament should take place, with everyone from the Premier League to the NFL canvassed and conciliated.

That is Blatter's plan, although he will face resistance from Michel Platini.

The Uefa president is proving just as elusive in a blazer as he was as player.

Having voted for Qatar and then been the first to call for a move to winter, he is now in favour of deferring a decision.

Whatever the outcome, expect far more to be said about when the World Cup should take place, rather than whether it should be held in Qatar at all.

From the moment the tiny Gulf state was chosen, it was as clear as the Zurich mountain air that it would be problematic at best and a catastrophic folly at worst.

It should not have needed experts to explain that playing the world's greatest football tournament in the desert in summer was lunacy, but Fifa commissioned some anyway.

They concluded it was a major challenge and ranked Qatar fourth out of five bidders.

That did not stop 14 of the wise men on the executive committee from voting Doha.

Several of them have since been stripped of their Fifa blazers, ejected for corruption or resigned before they could be pushed.

Those that remain, and their successors, will attempt to prevent the entire deal unravelling.

We can speculate as to why Blatter lacks the stomach to do the obvious and re-run the 2022 race with Qatar transparently bidding for a winter tournament. But it is clear that is not his immediate priority.

Self-preserving instincts to the fore, he is hoping to engineer a grand compromise that keeps legal challenges at bay and allows him to run for a fifth term as president in 2015, something he once promised he would not do.

Europe's professional leagues will complain long and loud but as long as Fifa retains the backing of a rump of national associations, they will have little choice but to follow suit.

A November tournament that avoids a clash with the Winter Olympics remains the likeliest outcome, should Blatter play his hand right.

But there is one joker left in the pack - Michael Garcia, attorney-at-law and independent ethics investigator of Fifa's myriad alleged sins.

After nine months at bay, next week he embarks on a world tour of 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidders, pledging, I am told, to "make waves".

If he turns up something new, or makes any of the many alleged abuses of bidding rules stick, Qatar's World Cup may not happen at all.

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Costa Concordia Divers Find More Remains

Divers have recovered what could be more human remains from the sea off Tuscany where the Costa Concordia cruise liner sank last year.

The latest discovery was announced by Franco Gabrielli, the head of Italy's civil protection agency, the organisation in charge of the wreck.

"Other remains have also been found and are currently undergoing DNA tests," Mr Gabrielli said.

The ship was stuck on rocks off the Italian coast for nearly two years

Mr Gabrielli announced last week that, in what was described as "almost a miracle", human remains had been found following the refloating of the 114,500-ton vessel.

Concordia captain Francesco Schettino insists he is not to blame

Thirty-two people in total died when the ship capsized after striking rocks off close to the island of Giglio, in January last year.

The bodies of 30 victims were recovered but the bodies of an Indian man and an Italian woman were not found.

Experts are planning to go inside the ship to retrieve some of the Concordia's computers, to try to discover why backup generators and other equipment failed to work immediately after the collision.

The ship was hauled upright two weeks ago in a complicated 19-hour salvage operation.

It is due to be towed away from the Mediterranean holiday island, probably by next spring, and eventually broken up for scrap.

The Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for alleged manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning ship during a confused and delayed evacuation.

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Oscar Pistorius' Home Visited By Forensic Team

Forensic experts working on behalf of Oscar Pistorius have revisited the athlete's home in Pretoria where he shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

The investigators examined the height and trajectory of bullet holes in the toilet door through which the fatal shots were fired, suggesting it will be a crucial piece of evidence during the trial.

Ms Steenkamp, 29, died in the early hours of Valentine's Day

Four-time Paralympic champion Pistorius, a double-amputee, said he was not wearing his prosthetic legs when he fired the shots.

He has claimed he thought he was firing at a dangerous intruder in the early hours of February 14.

The prosecution rebut the claim and said the athlete had taken the time to put his legs on.

It is the second time Pistorius' forensic team has arranged with the South African Police Service to be accompanied to the villa.

Pistorius is accused of premeditated murder and, if convicted, faces a possible life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

The trial is set to begin in March 2014.

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Blair To Advise Albania On How To Join EU

Tony Blair has been signed up to advise the Albanian government on its efforts to join the European Union.

The former prime minister will act as a consultant to the new Socialist administration under premier Edi Rama.

Mr Rama was sworn in as prime minister last month and has promised to create 300,000 jobs and reduce poverty.

Albanian premier Edi Rama

He said on Thursday that Mr Blair would be "personally, totally and voluntarily" advising the Albanian government.

Heaping praise on the former leader, he added that he would bring his "extraordinary experience and political geniality" to the post.

Speaking at a briefing in Tirana, Mr Blair said "the big challenge with the government today is getting things done".

A spokesman for the ex-politician has previously said that any work for the new government would not be for profit.

He is also Middle East envoy and an adviser to governments in Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Brazil and Colombia, and has made millions since leaving office in 2007.

Albania is one of Europe's poorest countries with an average salary of 36,482 leks (£223) per month.

A recent survey shows one in seven Albanians live on less than $2 (£1.23) per day.

Tony Blair in Kosovo in 1999

Mr Blair is regarded as a hero in the country because of his role in the Nato campaign in Kosovo in the 1990s which ended Serbian attacks on ethnic Albanians.

Children in the region were called "Tonibler" in recognition of his involvement.

His consultancy comes after his former spin doctor Alastair Campbell helped the Albanian socialists during their electoral campaign.

During the election this summer, Mr Campbell wrote on Twitter: "Looking like a landslide for Edi Rama and the Socialist Party coalition in Albania, I love landslides. Been good working with you guys."

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Iran Probes 'Horrific' Revolutionary Guard Death

Mystery surrounds the death of a member of Iran's powerful military force.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it is investigating a "horrific incident" that led to the death of a member of the force but denies reports that it was an assassination.

A statement on the Guard's website says a probe is under way.

Iran's news website Alborz reported earlier this week that a senior Guard official had been assassinated west of Tehran.

Other reports identified the victim as Mojtaba Ahmadi, a member of the Guard's cyber warfare unit.

The reports brought references to other targeted killings in recent years, including those Iran blames on Israel.

The Guard says the reason for the death is still unclear.

But the headline on its website on Tuesday described the statement as a "denial" of the assassination claims.

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Amazon Facing France Ban On Free Deliveries

France is on course to approve a law that will prevent online book retailers, including Amazon, offering free deliveries of discounted books.

The legislation, designed to support small bookstores struggling in the face of competition from the internet, was backed unanimously in the lower house National Assembly.

It seeks to restrict online and postal-delivery firms from combining free delivery with discounts of up to 5% on books, the maximum allowed under existing French legislation.

In 1981, the government ruled that editors must set a unique selling price for their books in a bid to protect small retailers, but added that stores could apply a discount of up to 5%.

The bill will now move to the upper house Senate for consideration.

While the measure is not specifically aimed at Amazon, Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti has singled out the US firm's practices in the past, blasting both free deliveries and the firm's tax arrangements, which are also under scrutiny in Britain.

The online retailer reports its European sales through a Luxembourg-based holding company, taking advantage of the Duchy's relatively low corporation tax rates for earnings outside its borders.

Amazon insists the arrangement, which has been criticised by politicians across Europe, is legal under the European Union's single market rules.

During the parliamentary debate preceding Thursday's vote, Ms Filippetti accused Amazon of having a "dumping strategy" and selling books at a loss.

She said: "Once they are in a dominant position and will have crushed our network of bookshops, they will bring prices back up."

The French government has recently been at loggerheads with a number of American companies including Google, Yahoo! and Apple.

Just last week, the country's data protection watchdog announced it would take action against Google for failing to comply with national privacy guidelines - a process that could see the company fined.

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Pakistan Taliban Bombing Targets Militia Leader

An attempt to kill the leader of an anti-Taliban militia has killed at least 15 people and injured six more in northwest Pakistan.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a compound belonging to Nabi Hanfi, a former Pakistani Taliban commander, in the village of Balandkhel, near to the border of North Waziristan.

Gunmen opened fire on the pro-government group before a car bomb was detonated. Two further suicide bombers were killed during the gun battle, without exploding their devices.

According to Wajid Khan, a local government administrator, Hanfi was not present during the attack.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying five militants targeted Hanfi because he formed a group to fight them.

"Mullah Nabi had been our target, and he will remain on our target list," he told The AP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Hanfi survived a similar attack in 2012 that left three children among the dead.

Orakzai is one of Pakistan's seven lawless semi-autonomous tribal regions along the Afghan border and is the hometown of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

Thousands of people have been killed during the group's decade-long battle for a strict interpretation of Islamic law in the region.

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Nigeria: Charter Plane Crash-Lands Killing 13

Thirteen people have died after a charter plane suffered engine failure and crash-landed at Lagos airport in Nigeria shortly after take-off.

The plane came down close to an airport fuel depot and burst into flames.

There were 20 people on board - 13 passengers and seven crew.

Officials said six people survived the crash and were taken to hospital with serious injuries. A seventh person was unaccounted for.

Emergency workers examine the wreckage

A spokesman for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency said the Associated Airlines plane had suffered engine failure.

Unofficial reports said pilot tried to make an emergency landing but was unable to control the aircraft.

The plane took off at about 9.30am local time from the domestic terminal at Murtala Mohammed International Airport and was headed for Akure in Ondo state.

The fuel depot close to where it crashed lies between the international and domestic terminal.

It was initially reported the plane had come down on the runway.

The front of the aircraft was completely destroyed, indicating it was the first part to hit the ground.

Local media reported the plane was carrying the remains of ex-Ondo state governor Olusegun Agagu, who was due to be buried this weekend.

The accident came just over a year after a plane belonging to another domestic carrier, Dana Air, crashed following an engine failure as it approached Lagos on a flight from the capital Abuja.

The front of the aircraft was destroyed

All the 153 people on board were killed, along with six others on the ground as the plane plunged into a densely packed residential neighbourhood, destroying a three-story building.

Nigeria vowed to clean up its domestic air industry after the Dana Air crash, promising tougher safety checks and higher standards.

There have been a number of other crashes in the country over the past decade in which more than 100 people have been killed.

Because of poor service and frequent delays on internal flights, charter services are common, especially among wealthy politicians and businessmen.

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Italy Migrant Boat Sinks Killing At Least 94

At least 94 migrants have been killed and scores are missing after a boat caught fire and capsized near a Sicilian island, the coastguard has told Sky News.

More than 150 people have been pulled from the water off Lampedusa, as emergency workers and local fishermen race to rescue more survivors.

There are fears for up to 250 people as the coastguard said it appeared there were between 400 and 500 migrants on the boat when it sank to a depth of around 40 metres (130ft).

A report by the ANSA news agency said divers have found 40 bodies under and inside the wreck of the vessel, which would take the number of dead to 133.

Lampedusa Mayor Giusi Nicolini said some of the survivors told her they lit a small fire on their boat around half a mile from the shore to attract attention after their vessel suffered engine failure.

Survivors were wrapped in thermal blankets

The fire then spread, causing panic on board which led to the 20-metre long (66ft) boat flipping over, she said.

"It's horrific, like a cemetery, they are still bringing them out," Ms Nicolini said, calling the disaster "an immense tragedy".

The passengers were all believed to be Eritreans coming from Libya, the UN said.

But coastguard spokesman Marco Di Milla told reporters the boat left from Tripoli with migrants from Eritrea, Ghana and Somalia.

Three children and two pregnant women were among the dead, said interior minister Angelino Alfano as Italy announced a day of mourning on Friday for the victims of the disaster.

The bodies were being laid out on the waterfront, and officials said there were many more in the water, with about 100 people taking part in the rescue operation.

Lampedusa is an Italian island lying between Tunisia and Sicily

Pietro Bartolo, a doctor at Lampedusa hospital, said: "Unfortunately we don't need ambulances but hearses.

"In terms of its magnitude it's an unprecedented tragedy. In many years of work I've never seen anything quite like this."

Due to the large number, the bodies were being taken to an airport hangar.

A young Tunisian man believed to be one of the crew members has been detained, Ansa reported.

Shaken survivors wrapped in thermal blankets arrived on the dock, as an emergency worker broke down in tears.

Pope Francis visited Lampedusa in July, on his first trip outside Rome, to draw attention to the plight of refugees. 

Bodies were being laid out on the waterfront

"The word disgrace comes to mind. It's a disgrace," he said of Thursday's disaster.

The Pope landed on the island at the same time as nearly 200 immigrants from Africa were being detained.

Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than it is to the Italian mainland, is the main port of entry into Europe for African migrants smuggled by boat from Libya or Tunisia.

Each year, thousands of people make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in often overcrowded vessels.

There has been an increase in the incidents off Italy in recent weeks amid an upsurge in arrivals - mainly from Eritrea, Somalia, Egypt and Syria.

On Monday, 13 Eritrean migrants drowned as they tried to swim ashore when their boat ran aground off Sicily near the city of Ragusa.

In a similar incident near Catania in another part of Sicily in August, six young Egyptian men drowned trying to reach the shore.

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Greenpeace Piracy Charges: Activist Falls Ill

A British environmental activist has been taken to hospital in Murmansk after falling ill before he was taken to court to face piracy charges.

A group of 30 Greenpeace activists and journalists, including six Britons, have been charged with piracy after a protest in the Arctic.

The group was detained last month as their ship circled near the Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the Pechora Sea, where they were protesting at drilling in the region.

Im a statement, Greenpeace said: "One of our British activists was taken ill prior to hearing his charges today.

Greenpeace activists climb up the oil rig

"As a precaution, he was taken to hospital for examination, but was not required to undergo treatment. Contrary to inaccurate reports, he did not have a heart problem.

"We remain in close contact with the activists and expect the Russian authorities to provide any appropriate care where needed."

The Britons onboard the vessel were named as British freelance video journalist Kieron Bryan and activists Philip Ball, Alexandra Harris, Anthony Perrett, Frank Hewetson and Iain Rogers.

Greenpeace said the family of the unnamed activist had been informed.

Armed Russian officers stormed the Arctic Sunrise after two of the activists tried to climb on to the platform and towed it back to Murmansk.

Greenpeace activist Iain Roger in court in Murmansk

Those charged could be sentenced to 15 years in prison if convicted over the protest.

Greenpeace denies any wrongdoing and has described the charges as "completely outrageous".

"The decision to bring charges of piracy against two freelance journalists and 28 Greenpeace activists including five from the UK is completely outrageous," it said in a statement.

"There isn't a shred of evidence to justify holding these activists, let alone charging them with piracy.

"Greenpeace, and the thousands of people who support us, will not stand idly by while these peaceful protesters are locked up on these absurd charges.

"This Saturday a mass protest will be held outside the Russian embassy in London and the consulate in Edinburgh.

The Arctic Sunrise after it was towed to Murmansk

"The Russian authorities should be in no doubt that for as long as they imprison our activists and independent freelance journalists, Greenpeace will campaign to have each and every one released."

The 30 Greenpeace activists are being held in custody in Murmansk. They include activists and crew members from 18 nations as well as a British camera operator and a Russian photographer.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which answers to President Vladimir Putin, said all the accused had denied any guilt and refused to give substantive testimony. It said its investigation was continuing.

The Prirazlomnaya platform is Russia's first offshore Arctic oil rig, giving it an important role in the country's programme to extract resources in the region.

Its owner Gazprom says it is on track to begin oil production this year.

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