0 Blatter hints at technology for 2014 World Cup

NEWPORT, Wales (Reuters) – Goal-line technology could be used at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil if a suitable system can be found following further tests, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Saturday.

Blatter, speaking at a news conference following the annual meeting of the law-making International FootballAssociation Board, confirmed that tests would continue for another year.

"On goal-line technology, we will go on with the technical experiments and then bring this item back to the IFAB meeting next year in London when a final decision will be taken.

"If it works definitely, the board will say yes to the technology. And if the board says yes then there should be no problem to have it in 2014 in Brazil."

But he ruled out any system being in place for the 2012 European championship in Poland and Ukraine, although IFAB did sanction UEFA's experiment of a five-man refereeing system to be used at the finals.

At the same meeting, IFAB decided not to allow the continued use of neck-warming snoods after July 1 and also ruled that if players wear tights under their shorts to keep warm, the tights must be the same color as their shorts.

They also ruled that the use of "vanishing spray" used by referees to measure the distance a defensive wall must stand from a free-kick, can continue to be trialed in South America. The referee uses the spray 10 yards from the free-kick to mark out a white line which disappears after about 30 seconds.

ON AND OFF

However, the main issue concerned goal-line technology which has been on and off IFAB's agenda for the last five years, and was brought back to the table after being "finally" dismissed last year.

However, FIFA, and Blatter's attitude, changed after the failure of the officials to award a goal to England when a shot from Frank Lampard clearly crossed the goal-line against Germany at last year's World Cup in South Africa.

Blatter said: "That was a "blatant, immense error and the time came to re-open the discussion on technology again."

He added: "However, I have to restrict my natural optimism and come a little bit back because the tests we have had so far are not conclusive."

FIFA conducted private testing for 10 systems in February but all 10 failed to meet FIFA's exacting requirements. Further tests will continue in match conditions, but not necessarily in any official matches, over the next 12 months.

Blatter had previously expressed his dislike for goal-line technology preaching the "universitality" of the laws of the game so that the same conditions apply at both the highest and lowest standards.

The English FA, one of the eight voting members of the board, was slightly unhappy that the testing was only extended, because they would have preferred the concept to be agreed in principle.

FA Chairman David Bernstein said: "We are encouraged by what we've heard today and the developments on technology are very positive.

"We might have liked to have gone a little further because we would have liked the principle of goal-line technology adopted.

Alex Horne, the FA general secretary, added: "Given where we were last year, when it got thrown out, that was my worst fear that it would happen again."

The IFAB also approved the use of two additional referee's assistants behind each goal at Euro 2012 -- and that system could also be extended to the World Cup, Blatter said.

"It is with a lot of optimism that we will have additional referees for 2014," Blatter said.

But snoods were outlawed.

"There was not even a discussion because this is not part of the equipment and it can be dangerous, you could risk hanging yourself" Blatter said.

IFAB, formed in 1886 is celebrating its 125th anniversary and is the game's ultimate, famously conservative law-making body comprising officials from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, plus four FIFA officials representing the other 204 football nations.

Source : http://news.yahoo.com

0 Firth, Portman, Bale, Leo win Screen Actors prizes

LOS ANGELES – "The King's Speech" won the best-actor trophy Sunday for Colin Firth and a second honor for its overall cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The two prizes capped a weeklong surge of Hollywood honors for the British monarchy saga, which is building momentum for the Feb. 27 Academy Awards, where the Facebook drama "The Social Network" previously had looked like the favorite.

Natalie Portman earned the best-actress award at the Screen Actors ceremony for "Black Swan," while "The Fighter" co-stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo swept the supporting-acting honors, boosting their own prospects come Oscar night.

"The King's Speech" leads Oscar contenders with 12 nominations, among them best picture and actor for Firth, who has been the awards favorite virtually since the film premiered at festivals half a year ago.

"Until today, I would say probably, if ever I felt that I had a trophy which has told me that something's really happening for me, it was my SAG card," said Firth, who plays Queen Elizabeth's dad, George VI, as he takes the throne in the 1930s while struggling to overcome adebilitating stammer.

"Growing up in England, it's not something you expect to see in your wallet, really," Firth continued. "And so it has this glow, and I used to flash it around, hoping it would get me female attention, entry into nightclubs and top-level government departments. It didn't."

Many winners had gushing words for the protection and fellowship their union offers.

"I've been working since I was 11 years old, and SAG has taken care of me," said Portman, who won for her role as a ballerina losing her grip on reality. "They made sure I wasn't working too long and made sure I got an education while I was working."

Bale is a strong favorite for the supporting-actor Oscar as real-life fighter Dicky Eklund, whose career unraveled amid drugs and crime. Eklund briefly joined Bale on stage, the actor telling him he's "a real gentleman."

"I love acting. I love what we do," Bale said. "It's so bloody silly at times, isn't it? It's like playing dress-up, and other times it is so meaningful. I just enjoy that so much — we get to walk in other people's shoes. Life without empathy is no fun at all. "

Leo, who plays the domineering matriarch of Eklund and half brother Micky Ward's boxing family in "The Fighter," was speechless for a long moment after taking the stage.

"I'm much better when I have my words written for me and somebody's costumes to put on," said Leo, 50, an Oscar nominee two years ago for "Frozen River" who had success earlier in her career on TV's "Homicide: Life on the Street" but has caught a second wind at an age when many actresses find roles scarce. "This has been an extraordinary season for me."

Betty White, who is having her own career resurgence in her 80s, won for TV comedy actress for "Hot in Cleveland."

"I must say this is the biggest surprise I've ever had in this business. There wasn't a prayer. I am so lucky to be ... at 89, to be working ...," White said, pausing as the crowd interrupted her with effusive applause. "You didn't applaud when I turned 40."

Alec Baldwin won his fifth-straight guild award for best actor in a comedy series for "30 Rock."

"I don't know what to say. This is ridiculous. I'm so happy," Baldwin said. "We've had a great year with the show."

"Modern Family" won for overall cast performance in a TV comedy.

Steve Buscemi of "Boardwalk Empire" and Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife" won as best actors in a TV drama. "Boardwalk Empire," a Prohibition-era gangster series, also won for overall TV drama cast performance.

Buscemi's thanks included a shout out and congratulations to Martin Scorsese, who won a Directors Guild of America Award prize the night before for directing the pilot episode of "Boardwalk Empire." Scorsese was ill and unable to attend.

"Marty, we love you. We hope you feel better, and we love working with you. Please come back," Buscemi said.

Margulies had warm words for her in-laws "for producing truly the most spectacular human being, who I get to call my husband."

Before the show began, the guild presented its award for film stunt ensemble to the sci-fi blockbuster "Inception" and the TV stunt prize to the vampire drama "True Blood."

"The Social Network," chronicling the rise of Facebook, had been the early Oscar favorite for best-picture, named the year's top drama by key critics groups and the Golden Globes.

But "The King's Speech" has surged forward in the past week, pulling upset wins at the Directors Guild and Producers Guild awards and leading the Oscar field at last Tuesday's nominations. "The Social Network" had two SAG nominations but came away empty-handed.

Last year's individual winners at the guild awards — Bridges for "Crazy Heart," Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side," Mo'nique for "Precious" and Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds" — all went on to win at the Oscars.

The cast prize, considered the guild's equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting the top Oscar winner.

The recipient of the guild's cast award has gone on to claim best-picture at the Oscars only seven of 15 years since SAG added that prize. Last year's guild cast recipient, "Inglourious Basterds," lost out to "The Hurt Locker" in the Oscar best-picture race.

The 17th annual SAG Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, included a life-achievement honor for Ernest Borgnine.

"We are a privileged few who have been chosen to work in this field of entertainment," said the 94-year-old Borgnine, whose award was preceded by a tribute including clips from his Oscar-winning performance in 1955's "Marty" through his role in last fall's action comedy "Red." "I hope that we will never let our dedication to our craft fail, that we will always give the best we possibly can to our profession."

source : http://news.yahoo.com

0 Clinton: Egypt must transition to democracy

WASHINGTON – The U.S. appealed for an orderly transition to lasting democracy in Egypt even as escalating violence in the American ally threatened Mideast stability and put President Barack Obama in a diplomatic bind.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton refused to speculate on the future of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak or his teetering government. But U.S. officials, she said, "obviously want to see people who are truly committed to democracy, not to imposing any ideology on Egyptians."

She warned against a takeover resembling the one in Iran, with a "small group that doesn't represent the full diversity of Egyptian society" seizing control and imposing its ideological beliefs.

Clinton's comments came as the Obama administration tried to get a handle on the fast-moving situation in Egypt, a critical U.S. friend in the long quest for peace in the Middle East. Left largely unsaid is the growing fear that a government hostile to the U.S. could gain control of such a large and important Arab nation.

The U.S. wants to see "real democracy" emerge in Egypt, Clinton said, "not a democracy for six months or a year and then evolving into essentially a military dictatorship or a so-called democracy that then leads to what we saw in Iran."

Clinton, in interviews on the five Sunday morning TV shows, repeatedly stressed that Egypt's future lies in the hands of its people, hewing to the administration line of refusing to take sides publically in the upheaval.

While there have been repeated calls for Egypt to move toward democracy, it was not clear what efforts the administration may be making behind the scenes to influence the situation.

Obama called foreign leaders this weekend to convey his administration's desire for restraint and an orderly transition to a more responsive government in Egypt. The White House said he spoke with leaders from Britain, Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabia, and sought their input. The president also got a briefing Sunday morning from his national security staff, and senior policy officials gathered for a deputies committee meeting to discuss the situation in Egypt.

Clinton made clear there are no discussions at this time about cutting off aid to Egypt, which receives about $1.5 billion in annual foreign assistance from the U.S. to help modernize its armed forces and strengthen regional security and stability. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs had said Friday that military and civilian aid was under review.

Asked if aid should be withheld, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the U.S. should wait and see what happens before making such decisions.

While Clinton did not voice support for a continued Mubarak reign or any other political party, she outlined U.S. expectations from any future government.

"There has to be a commitment by whoever is in the government that they will engage in a national dialogue with the people of Egypt, with the aim at taking actions that will meet the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people for more participation, for respect for human rights, for the universal human rights they are entitled to, for economic reforms that will give more opportunity," she told reporters traveling with her to Haiti on Sunday.

Asked if she thought Mubarak had taken the necessary steps so far to hold on, Clinton said: "It's not a question of who retains power. . It's how are we going to respond to the legitimate needs and grievances expressed by the Egyptian people and chart a new path. Clearly, the path that has been followed has not been one that has created that democratic future, that economic opportunity that people in the peaceful protests are seeking."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., demurred when asked if the U.S. should abandon support of Mubarak. He said the U.S. needs to "be on the right side of history" and do a better job of arguing for human rights.

"It was clear for a long time that the kind of repressive regime . that Mubarak controls, sooner or later there is going to be great difficulties," said McCain.

House Speaker John Boehner praised the administration's handling of the situation and said the U.S. must continue to support Egypt's move to democracy.

"What we don't want are radical ideologies to take control of a very large and important country in the Middle East," he said.

The State Department is recommending that Americans leave Egypt as soon as possible and said it is prepared to evacuate thousands of U.S. citizens on chartered planes beginning Monday. Due to Internet interruptions, however, officials said they must rely largely on friends and families in the U.S. to relay that information to the stranded Americans.

Assistant Secretary of State Janice Jacobs told reporters Sunday that it will take several flights over the coming days to accommodate all American citizens who want to leave the country.

Officials are considering three possible destinations, Athens, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; and Nicosia, Cyprus. Jacobs, who's in charge of consular affairs, said the U.S. may also send planes to other cities in Egypt, such as Luxor, if there are a number of Americans stranded there. Americans taking the charter will be billed for the flight and must make their own travel arrangements home from Europe.

Anyone needing information on the flights should check the State Department and U.S. embassy websites or send an e-mail to egyptemergencyusc(at)state.gov. They can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within the U.S. and Canada. From outside the U.S. and Canada people can call 1-202-501-4444.

Canada announced Sunday it would charter flights as early as Monday that will fly Canadians who wish to leave to London, Paris or Frankfurt.

U.S. military leaders reached out to their counterparts in Egypt and the Middle East. Defense SecretaryRobert Gates spoke to Egypt and Israel's ministers of defense. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called Egyptian Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, expressing his appreciation for the continued professionalism of Egypt's military during the crisis, said Mullen spokesman Capt. John Kirby.

Mubarak appointed a vice president on Saturday for the first time in more than 30 years — the U.S. long has pressed for that and Clinton called it the "bare beginning of what needs to happen" — and has pledged to make reforms.

"We want to see free and fair elections and we expect that this will be one of the outcomes of what is going on," Clinton said, adding that the U.S. is committed to working with the Egyptians who are interested in true democracy.

Clinton appeared on "Fox News Sunday," NBC's "Meet the Press," CBS' "Face the Nation," CNN's "State of the Union" and ABC's "This Week." McConnell was on NBC, Boehner on Fox and McCain on CNN.

source : http://news.yahoo.com