UN atom chief urges nuclear stress tests, inspections

The UN nuclear chief called on Monday for national safety tests on all the world's reactors within 18 months, followed by international inspections to help prevent any repeat of Japan's atomic crisis three months ago.

Yukiya Amano, opening a ministerial meeting in Vienna on strengthening safety standards after the Fukushima emergency, said UN experts should be allowed to carry out random safety reviews of nuclear power plants.

His proposals -- aimed at ensuring that nuclear plants can withstand extreme events such as the earthquake and tsunami that crippled Fukushima -- may prove controversial for states which want to keep safety an issue strictly for national authorities.

"Public confidence in the safety of nuclear power has been badly shaken," Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy (IAEA), said in a speech to ministers and regulators from the UN body's 151 member states.

"However, nuclear power will remain important for many countries, so it is imperative that the most stringent safety measures are implemented everywhere."

Amano, a veteran Japanese diplomat, said nuclear safety would remain a national responsibility -- and that governments would have the main task of testing, if only in theory, whether reactor systems could withstand various stresses. But he also made clear he wanted the U.N. agency to play a greater role.

"IAEA review of every one of the world's 440 operating nuclear reactors in just a few years is not a realistic proposition. I therefore propose a system based on random selection," he said.

Japan's crisis has prompted a rethink of energy policy around the world, underlined by Germany's decision to shut down all its reactors by 2022 and an Italian vote to ban nuclear power for decades.

At the June 20-24 meeting, IAEA member nations will begin charting a strategy on boosting global nuclear safety, but differences on how much international action is needed may hamper follow-up efforts, diplomats say.

Russia wants to move towards making the UN agency's safety standards compulsory, but many other countries oppose this.

EXTREME NATURAL HAZARDS

Currently there are no mandatory, international nuclear safety regulations, only IAEA recommendations which national regulators are in charge of enforcing.

Russia's atomic energy chief Sergei Kiriyenko welcomed Amano's proposals, telling the conference that "we are delighted that they are very much in keeping" with Moscow's views.

Japanese officials have come under fire for their handling of the emergency and the authorities have admitted that lax standards and poor oversight contributed to the accident.

Three reactors at the Japanese complex went into meltdown when power and cooling functions failed, causing radiation leakage and forcing the evacuation of some 80,000 people.

"In the light of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, thorough and transparent national risk assessments should be made of all nuclear power plants in the world.

"They should focus on safety margins against extreme natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and floods. This could be done within 12 to 18 months."

He gave no details of how such assessments would be carried out. Typically experts speak of "stress tests" which provide for theoretical and practical simulations of how power plant systems would respond to various "stress" events, such as earthquakes.

Amano said these national assessments should be followed by IAEA expert reviews to check operational safety emergency preparedness, and the effectiveness of regulatory systems.

"I propose that countries with nuclear power should agree to systematic, periodic peer reviews by the IAEA," he said.

"The agency could conduct an international safety review of one nuclear power plant in 10 throughout the world over, say, a three-year period."

Read More

Keith Olbermann’s New Show Makes TV Debut Tonight

Keith Olbermann returns to television Monday night in his new gig at Current TV. The show will air at a familiar time (8:00 p.m.) and with a familiar name, Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

Olbermann left MSNBC, where Countdown had aired since March 2003, in January 2011. Olbermann joins the fledgling Current TV, not only as its marquee host, but also as its chief news officer. His role will extend beyond Countdown and he will be heavily involved with developing news programming across Current TV.
On a recent conference call with members of the media, Olbermann opened up more about the format of the show and some of the frequent contributing guests. It sounds like Countdown will continue much as it did on MSNBC, albeit with a slightly altered cast of regular characters.
Olbermann repeatedly underscored Current’s unique position as an independently owned news network. To wit, the first promo spot for the show is all about combatting the “heavily biased corporate-sponsored spin” that saturates modern media. The underlying message is that as an independent entity, Current TV (and Olbermann, by proxy) can cut through to the truth.
Of course, bias exists with or without corporate backing, and I have little doubt that Olbermann’s own gaze and point of view will carry over not only to Countdown, but to the other news programming on Current TV.

---

Where’s the Digital Focus?

---

One of the more disappointing aspects about the launch of the new Countdown is the lack — at least thus far — of a clear-cut digital strategy. It’s more than a little ironic that Current TV, a network that was originally formed with a focus on online content, is remaking itself to be more of the standard cable network, especially in an age when the established cable networks are trying to be more social.
Olbermann’s former network, MSNBC, has long had as strong digital presence. Not only are clips from its various programs available online (and the network has streaming deals with certain telecoms for mobile TV initiatives) almost instantly, the network has provided video podcasts of its primetime shows — including the former incarnation of Countdown. MSNBC also has a strong presence in the mobile app space.
In contrast, Current has reduced much of its online video presence to clips and promos for certain series. The website for Countdown, while beautiful and well-designed, will bring users exclusive behind-the-scenes video clips and curated clips from the nightly show. In other words, if your cable provider doesn’t carry Current, you won’t be able to watch the full show.
To combat that, Current is actively embarking on a “I Want My MTV”-esque campaign to get users to use social media, email and the phone to petition cable operators to add Current to their lineup.
Here’s a video that Olbermann made addressing cable television provider Cablevision:
It’s a little frustrating that the network is knowledgeable enough to know that Twitter and Facebook are important outlets to get the attention of cable operators, yet aren’t willing to take the next step of offering online access to content.Unlike CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, Current TV isn’t a cable news lineup staple. For that reason, Olbermann is not promising blockbuster traditional ratings. He pointed out that Countdown in the early days on MSNBC was only getting a small fraction of its audience circa 2011.
That’s a fair point and one we will certainly keep in mind when the reports are released. Still, we have to question the reliance on a traditional cable strategy when the industry model as a whole is moving to a more malleable and digital space.
My hope is that Current TV and Olbermann will learn to embrace digital audiences sooner rather than later. Yes, it’s important to target the existing cable market, but the focus should also be on the growing segment of users that consume their content — including news — online.

Read More

FIFA Ethics committee question Blazer after complaint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 FIFA's Ethics Committee has questioned CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer, the whistle-blower in the cash-for-votes scandal, after complaints about his behaviour from Caribbean federations.

The official complaint to FIFA was made in a letter to the committee signed by 11 Caribbean federations.

The complaint is related to Blazer's behaviour at a CONCACAF meeting before the FIFA Congress last month in Zurich, Switzerland and does not refer in any way to the bribery issues currently under investigation by the world soccer body.

The letter said that Blazer made "statements of contempt and slander that served to impugn the integrity, discriminate against and infringe upon the personal rights" of CONCACAF members.

In an email to Reuters, Blazer confirmed he had heard from the Ethics Committee regarding the issue.

"I have received an inquiry from the secretary of the Ethics Committee to respond to a complaint filed by the Jamaica Football Federation," Blazer said.

"I will respond to the committee fully and I am confident of a positive resolution," he added.

The meeting came after Blazer had filed a dossier to the Ethics Committee containing allegations of bribery relating to a meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad, between Caribbean federations and Asian soccer chief Mohammed Bin Hammam.

A Caribbean soccer source told ,the meeting was heated and involved a row over who should take over as acting president after Warner was suspended, during which Blazer told some Caribbean officials they faced investigation.

Bin Hammam and then CONCACAF president Jack Warner were subsequently suspended by the Ethics Committee pending a full investigation.

That probe gets under way in earnest on Wednesday with Caribbean representatives being interviewed by FIFA investigators in the Bahamas.

Read More

Eurogroup chief backs ‘soft’ Greek debt restructure

Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker backed on Saturday a ‘soft restructuring’ of Greece’s debt with a voluntary contribution from private-sector creditors, as Germany wants.


‘There will be no total restructuring,’ he told a German radio station. ‘The governments are agreed on that, ECB support for such an option could not be obtained.’

‘There must be a soft and voluntary restructuring,’ Juncker added.

Read More

34 killed in Pak suicide bombing

Pakistani security officials examine the site of twin bomb blasts in Peshawar early Sunday.

 At least 34 people were killed and 94 injured after twin explosions rocked a market in the Sadar area of Peshawar, Pakistan.
The first blast, relatively small, went off in the restroom of a restaurant in the crowded Khyber Super Market, according to Shafqat Malik, chief of bomb disposal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
People gathered at the scene and many were casualties after a suicide bomber on a motorbike arrived at the restaurant minutes later and set off explosives.senior,
Muhammad Ejaz Khan, a senior police official in Peshawar, said about 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the second blast.

The neighborho
od is a residential area popular with single professionals and students. It features hotels and shops.
Saif Ul Islam Saifi, president of the press club in Peshawar, said one journalist was killed and nine others were hurt. A provincial minister said two journalists died. There are several media offices in the area.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Peshawar and the surrounding region have been swamped by a wave of violence in recent months.

Read More

News World news Libya Gaddafi faces new ICC charges for using rape as weapon in conflict

An injured Libyan rebel fighter mourns for his fallen comrade killed by a Grad rocket belonging to forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi at a hospital in Misrata, Libya. Photograph: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters

The chief prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC) is likely to add rape to the war crimes charges against Muammar Gaddafi on the back of mounting evidence that sexual attacks on women are being used as a weapon in the Libyan conflict.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters at the UN in New York last night there were strong indications that hundreds of women had been raped in the Libyan government clampdown on the popular uprising and that Gaddafi had ordered the violations as a form of punishment.

The prosecutor said there was even evidence that the government had been handing out doses of Viagra to soldiers to encourage sexual attacks. Moreno-Ocampo said rape was a new tactic for the Libyan regime. "That's why we had doubts at the beginning, but now we are more convinced. Apparently, [Gaddafi] decided to punish, using rape."

The move came as Gaddafi's forces responded to Nato's intensified aerial bombardment of Tripoli on Tuesday by launching a heavy attack on rebel positions outside the liberated city of Misrata, unleashing a barrage of Grad rockets and mortars against rebel positions to the east, west and south of Misrata early on Wednesday morning, and followed up with an infantry assault. The Hikma hospital reported at least 10 rebel fighters died and 26 were wounded.

The attack came as Liam Fox, the defence secretary, expressed increasing frustration with the slow progress of the western-led military campaign, forcefully telling fellow Nato ministers at a meeting in Brussels they should contribute more.

Nato said the targets it had struck in and around Tripoli included six command and control centres, two anti-aircraft guns, a radar system and a vehicle storage facility. The worst damage occurred at Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, where several buildings were destroyed, sending giant plumes of smoke into the sky. Bombing continued on Wednesday morning, but with less intensity.

Gaddafi, who is in hiding in the capital and has rarely been seen or heard from in recent weeks, reacted with fury to the attack, insisting he would fight to the end in an audio broadcast on state television.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said 31 people – soldiers, guards, and civilians – had been killed and described Nato as "the forces of evil". The casualty figure could not be independently verified.

In an attempt to show Nato had struck non-military targets, government minders on Wednesday morning took journalists to see a "nature reserve", occasionally used by Gaddafi to entertain guests, which had been hit the previous evening.

The missiles had destroyed two trucks, one of them very large, a golf cart, a large tent and several containers, including one that had computer equipment and a paper shredder inside.
Officials were unable to explain what the vehicles were doing on a nature reserve, or why there were windsocks nearby, which appeared to suggest the presence of an airfield.

The surge in the number of attacks on targets in Tripoli, which follows the incorporation of attack helicopters into Nato's mission on the weekend, is a clear attempt to end the military stalemate on the ground and hasten Gaddafi's exit. Nearly four months into the conflict, rebels control large parts of eastern Libya, a string of towns in the western mountains, near the border with Tunisia, as well as Misrata. Opposition fighters there said they had repelled Wednesday's attack by government forces.

"Our will is stronger than theirs," said Sadik Ibrahim Mohammed, an injured rebel fighter. "The Shebab [rebels] have the heart. The Gaddafi soldiers ran away."

But the various frontlines are all still some way from Tripoli, where the regime still has a tight grip on the population. The Libyan government says that the escalated aerial campaign against Gaddafi had gone far beyond the mandate of protecting civilians, a point some critics of the operation outside Libya agree with.
Fox told a meeting of Nato ministers: "I firmly believe that we must intensify our pressure on the regime and it is imperative our military commanders have the assets and capabilities they need to do the job all of us around this table have asked of them: to defeat those regime elements which continue to threaten civilians. Let me be frank. Nato is not just about military hardware. It is also about values. And those values are not an optional extra."

Read More

Obama Backs Ban Ki-Moon's Bid For Second Term As UN Chief

The U.S. President Barack Obama has extended support to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in his bid for a second term of office, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

"President Obama welcomes United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's announcement that he will run for a second term, and the United States supports his candidacy," it said.

According to the White House, under Ban's stewardship the U.N. performed key role of mediator as well as an arbiter in several vexatious issues all over the globe. A former South Korean Foreign Minister, Ban also broke new ground through steps to recruit more women to the U.N.'s higher echelons. Equally significant was his proposal to slash the U.N. budget by curtailing wasteful expenditure.

The 66-year-old had already won the backing of Britain, China and France. Now with the U.S. too supporting his candidature, his re-election could well become a foregone conclusion.

India had also announced its support to Ban's candidature. Incidentally during the 2007 election, Ban's main rival was the then U.N. diplomat and current Member of India's Parliament Shashi Tharoor.

Ban's current term runs through until December 31.

Read More

Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri planned new death squad to avenge bin Laden

Al-Qaeda's chief military commander was plotting a new terrorist group called Lashkar-e-Osama to launch a wave of revenge suicide attacks when he was reportedly killed in a drone strike last week, Pakistani officials have claimed.

Ilyas Kashmiri Photo: REUTERS

 

 

Ilyas Kashmiri had convened a meeting of militant leaders to discuss hitting foreign embassies and also trying to poison Nato food supplies en route to Afghanistan to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden.

The plans were disclosed as distrust between Washington and Islamabad still surrounded Kashmiri's reported death on June 3.

US officials said their working assumption was that he remained alive despite assurances from Pakistan.

His new squad had plans to target the American, Saudi and Emirati embassies in Pakistan, according to reports.

Kashmiri called Pakistani Taliban commanders, including Asmatullah Maavia, Amjad Farooqui and Badar Mansoor to the meeting in North Waziristan a few days before he was reportedly killed.

They discussed blowing up the American embassy, assassinating visiting Chinese dignitaries and targeting the country's biggest munitions factory in Wah.
Auto rickshaws laden with explosives were suggested as one means of carrying out the attacks.
Large quantities of poison would also be procured to contaminate Nato food supplies passing through Pakistan on their way to troops in Afghanistan, the 
Kashmiri had a $5 million (£3 million) bounty on his head and been leader of Harakat-ul-Jihad al-Islam (HUJI) before forming the feared 313 militant brigade.
He was thought to take his orders directly from bin Laden.
Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister, said he could confirm "100 per cent", that Kashmiri had died when a Predator drone fired three missiles into a house in South Waziristan as he and associates drank tea in the garden.
However, US officials have been unable to confirm the death.
One said: "It wouldn't be the first time that reports of his death have been wrong. We're simply unable at this time to confirm reports of Kashmiri's demise. Our working assumption is that he's still walking around."

 

Ads by Google

• Expatriate Savings Advice

  £25k-£1m Savings? We Show You The Best Performing Savings Accounts
  www.OffshoreInvestmentDesigner.com

• QROPS Benefits Explained

  Free Transfer Analysis On Your UK Pension Valued £70k-£1.8m
  QROPSpensiondesigner.com/Transfer

• 
  Luxury French Property from Home Hunts
  Thousands of properties for sale on the French Riviera, Provence, Alps, Paris and all of Southern France
• 
  Property in the Swiss Alps
  Chalets and apartments for sale, bespoke chalet construction, please click to see our projects.

• 
  Design your own FREE quality T-shirt with Vistaprint
  Upload, create and design your own styles. Order now for your free Premium T-shirt.
• 
  Red Letter Days Adopt an Olive Tree Gift Box
  Hidden away in the Le Marche region of Italy is an idyllic olive grove and part of it can be yours.

Read More

US presses Saleh to hand over power in Yemen as British military assets deployed

 

Anti-government protestors celebrate President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure to Saudi Arabia, in Sana'a. (File photo)

The White House called late Monday for an “immediate transition” of power in Yemen, where the United States fears Al Qaeda could exploit political turmoil and strengthen its presence, as Britain confirmed the deployment of military assets near the embattled nation.

After four months of deadly unrest, Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year-old regime was teetering even before the president was wounded in an attack on his palace and flown late Saturday to neighboring Saudi Arabia for treatment.

“We believe that an immediate transition is in the best interests of the people and the best interest of maintaining stability in obviously a very unstable situation,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United States, speaking alongside French counterpart Alain Juppe at a Washington press conference, made it clear President Saleh should leave power but stopped short of expressly ordering him to do so, according to Agence-France Presse.

“The civilian government remains in power in Yemen. The vice president is currently serving as the acting president,” said Mrs. Clinton, adding that US embassy staff were meeting with “a broad cross-section of Yemeni officials as well as civil society to try to better assess what this means to the country.”

“Obviously, I can’t speculate on what President Saleh is going to do or say, but we do want to emphasize we're calling for a peaceful and orderly transition, a non-violent transition that is consistent with Yemen’s own constitution,” she said.

“We think an immediate transition is in the best interest of the Yemeni people, because the instability and lack of security currently afflicting Yemen cannot be addressed until there is some process that everyone knows is going to lead to the sort of economic and political reforms that they are seeking,” she said.

Washington supports a deal, brokered by the regional Gulf Cooperation Council bloc that would see Mr. Saleh cede power to an interim administration within 30 days, in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Mr. Saleh, a wily operator who since 1978 has bought off tribal loyalties and stitched them together into a governable framework, has refused to sign the accord and warned that his ouster would only serve to boost Al Qaeda.

“Our position is that we support the agreement that President Saleh had talked about signing several times and didn't,” Mr. Carney said.

“We want a peaceful and orderly transition that’s consistent with the Yemeni constitutional process. Our position hasn’t changed.”

A top aide said Monday that 65-year-old Saleh, who was recuperating in a Riyadh military hospital, planned to return within days, a move likely to set off another round of unrest in the violence-plagued nation of 24 million people.
Saudi officials insist they will not interfere with Mr. Saleh’s decision to return to Yemen or stay in the kingdom, but behind the scenes the United States and Europe are likely to be pressing the Saudis to ensure President Saleh’s stay becomes permanent, according to Reuters.

“The Saudis will seize the opportunity ... to extend his medical recovery into a political rest,” said Yemen expert Khaled Fattah. The risk of Yemen descending into Somalia-style anarchy was “a nightmare for Saudi national security.”

In Sana’a, a fragile truce held despite a deadly sniper attack on loyalists of a powerful tribal chief blamed for Friday’s bomb attack which wounded Mr. Saleh as he prayed inside a mosque in his compound, according to AFP.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Yemen’s capital on Sunday to cheer what they said was the end of Saleh’s regime.

There was fresh fighting in the southern city of Taez, and also in the southern province of Abyan, where armed men killed seven soldiers and wounded 12 others in clashes in Zinjibar on Monday, a local official and witnesses said, according to Reuters.

An army force had tried to storm the town of 20,000. Last month, dozens of armed men believed to be from Al Qaeda stormed into Zinjibar, chasing out security forces.

The situation presents US partner Saudi Arabia and Washington with a conundrum as President Saleh has been a key ally in the fight against Al Qaeda’s Yemen-based franchise, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

AQAP has claimed several attacks against the United States and other Western interests.

The group was linked to the “underwear bomber”—a young Nigerian who allegedly tried to blow up a packed transatlantic airliner as it landed in Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.

It was also blamed for the more recent parcel bomb plot, involving sophisticated explosive devices hidden in printer inkjet cartridges and sent via air freight to Jewish addresses in the United States.
Britain on Monday confirmed the deployment of military assets near Yemen but did not verify reports that ships were on standby in the Gulf to evacuate its nationals.

“As part of routine deployment UK military assets are in the region, although we are not prepared to comment further on their exact operational tasking,” a Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesman said.

Around 80 marines were on board naval support ship RFA Fort Victoria, according to the BBC, while Sky News reported that the RFA Argus was also in the area.

The MoD would not confirm whether an evacuation was planned and repeated Foreign Secretary William Hague’s plea for all British nationals to leave Yemen immediately by commercial means.

In a statement delivered on Friday, Mr. Hague said it was “extremely unlikely” the British government would be able to evacuate its nationals given the volatile situation, AFP reported.

Britain first advised nationals to leave on March 12, and a dramatic escalation of hostilities led Mr. Hague to issue Friday’s strongly-worded warning.

In a joint statement on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, and the Prime Ministers of Britain, Spain and Italy, thanked Saudi Arabia for receiving Mr. Saleh for treatment, and called on all parties in Yemen to “find a means of reconciliation on the basis of the GCC initiative,” according to Reuters.

Yemen, which relies on oil for 60 percent of its economy, has been dealt a heavy blow by the closure of an oil pipeline that trade sources said has caused a fuel shortages.

But the future of Yemen, dominated by rivalries among tribal leaders, generals and politicians, remains uncertain.

Read More

Maradona Attacks 'Corrupt' FIFA Chiefs

                                                                                                  

- Football legend Diego Maradona has accused world governing body FIFA of being corrupt and run by greedy officials who have made millions from the sport.The 1986 World Cup winner delivered the broadside at his first press conference as coach of Dubai-based club Al Wasl on Saturday, as he reflected on the recent FIFA presidential elections in which incumbent Sepp Blatter ran unopposed.Blatter's main opponent, Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, was suspended ahead of the vote along with fellow FIFA executive Jack Warner following accusations of bribery."There is a lot of corruption involving FIFA officials and they are all millionaires because of football," the former Argentina player and coach said."I wonder if Blatter has ever kicked a football in his life, and yet we have been under the control of such people who have refused to give up power in FIFA."Why don't they all just relinquish their positions, take the money they have made and leave the running of the sport in the more capable hands of former football players?"Maradona, a controversial figure who was sent home from the 1994 World Cup for using drugs, said he had never liked the FIFA establishment."I don't support corrupt people and I will never be on their side. I have always been asked by them to support the FIFA family. But what family are they talking about? This sport belongs to us and they have never ever asked us to be part of the development process," the 50-year-old said."They have too much power and this has made them so arrogant and proud. This is not what a genuine football lover needs from such officials. After all football, is the biggest sport in the world."We will continue doing what we are doing so that these corrupt people go away. They are too old and since they have made so much money at the cost of football, they should simply take it all and go away. Please leave football alone."Maradona, who turned up more than an hour late for the media briefing, added that FIFA had stifled his attempts to form a players' union."What did FIFA do? They worked against us to ensure the union never saw the light of day," he said.Meanwhile, FIFA is investigating Argentina's 4-1 defeat by Nigeria on Wednesday as part of a wider investigation into match-fixing, according to a report in Britain's Daily Telegraph on Saturday.The paper said there was evidence of irregular patterns as referee Ibrahim Chaibou of Niger allowed three extra minutes of injury-time in addition to the five already awarded before Argentina scored from a penalty."FIFA can confirm that this match between Nigeria and Argentina was one that we had an active interest in, and forms part of a wider ongoing investigation," it said in a statement to the Telegraph.The Nigerian Football Federation released a statement denying the accusation on Saturday."We are concerned at attempts by unscrupulous elements to play down the feat that our national team performed by beating Argentina," general secretary Musa Amadu said."This match was shown on many television stations, including ESPN, and in front of a crowd of 50,000, and we are certain that Nigeria's Super Eagles deservedly won that match, playing to the rules, and clearly outplaying our opponents."

Read More

Blatter will not seek FA revenge

Sepp Blatter insists he will not make England pay for their failed attempt to stop him being re-elected unopposed as Fifa president. FA 'optimistic' of Fifa change Blatter re-elected Fifa president The weird world of Fifa FA chief defends stance on Fifa Fifa alters World Cup vote system KEY INFO: Transfers | Blogs Blatter on 'new period' for Fifa Switzerland will be tough test - Downing Humble Sinclair hails Swans team Murray wants better Hibs next season Miller indignant over penalty claim Moment Barcelona became champions Comment and analysis FA marginalised as Fifa closes ranks The FA will watch reforms from the sidelines, says David Bond Bent belief Villa's target man on winning over Capello and taking centre stage with England Scholes the master will be missed Phil McNulty on the retirement of the 'Ginger Prince' 'Scholes was one of the greats' Nicky Butt on his former Man Utd team-mate Swansea go from rags to riches The club bought for £1 secures a £90m Premier jackpot Messi the perfect combination European education key to success of Argentine star Changing of the Guardiola? Why Barcelona coach's future is still far from certain Latest audio and video Blatter on 'new period' for Fifa Allardyce seeks quick return to top flight Man Utd mark 19th league title with parade Barcelona welcomes champions home Arrests in Italy match-fix probe FOOTBALL Houllier steps down as Villa boss FOOTBALL Nigeria thump weakened Argentina Nigeria defend Argentina squad FOOTBALL West Ham 'bid' baffles owner Gold Carrick out of England qualifier FOOTBALL Owen signs new Man Utd contract FOOTBALL Allardyce named as West Ham boss FOOTBALL Pratley denies Bolton agreement Fowler to return to English game FOOTBALL CSI complete Portsmouth takeover FOOTBALL McArthur aiming for more starts FOOTBALL Tottenham rule out selling stars FOOTBALL Bodde signs new Swansea contract FOOTBALL Posh accept Mackail-Smith offer FOOTBALL Mancienne makes move to Hamburg FOOTBALL Clubs vote to kill a 10-team SPL FOOTBALL Barnsley appoint Hill as manager FOOTBALL Mulumbu withdraws from DRC squad FOOTBALL Cardiff play down link to O'Neill GOSSIP Thursday's gossip column Chelsea bid for £44m-rated Pastore rejected, plus other rumours FOOTBALL BLOG Adel Taarabt - a mercurial talent Amateurs should not miss out on Hampden Adriano struggling to find suitors after Roma departure Ads by Google QROPS Benefits Explained Have You Received Your Free QROPS Transfer Analysis For UK Pensions? your.QROPSpensiondesigner.com Want Monster Drives? This 1 Simple Trick will Add 30 Yards. Watch Free Video Now! www.PerfectConnectionGolfSwing.com

Read More