Thursday 19 February 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Karak: Old enmity claimed five lives

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KARAK (Dunya News) – According to details, Mumtaz, resident of Karak was returing home along with his relatives after his release from jail in a car on Thursday. When they reached near village Kach Banda on Indus Highway, their rival group opened fire at the vehicle, killing two people on the spot and injuring four others.The dead and injured were shifted to hospital where three more victims succumbed to their wounds. Police have termed the incident as an act of old enmity. Heirs of the deceased and local residents staged a protest after the incident and raised slogans against police and local administration.

2 real brothers electrocuted as rain lashes Faisalabad

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) – According to details, 18-year-old Falak Sher and 15-year-old Nawazish went to the roof of their house to collect clothes during rain but touched live electric wire due to darkness as a result both of them died on the spot.Residents rushed them to a nearby hospital where doctors confirmed their death.

No panic but Pakistan batting concerns skipper Misbah

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CHRISTCHURCH (AFP) - Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq dismissed talk of panic in the ranks Friday but conceded their batting woes needed to be addressed ahead of their crunch World Cup match against the West Indies.The two sides go into Saturdays match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch desperate to get points on the board after both lost their first matches in Pool B.Pakistan suffered a dramatic batting collapse when they were outclassed by India while the West Indies were upset by Ireland.This is an important game, and both teams need to win. We know that, Misbah said, adding Pakistan knew they had to rectify their problem batting.But he added we are not panicking, when questioned whether there would be changes to the side to face the West Indies.Misbahs 76 against India was the only half century in the Pakistan innings but he said he should not have been responsible for holding the innings together.It doesnt mean that all the time it should be me. It should be two other guys out of six or seven batsmen that are playing, he said.This is how normally cricket is being played. Every time all seven batsmen dont perform and maybe two or three just score runs and you just win the game.The guys who are not at the moment performing, we know that they are good enough players, and they can just come to the party in the next games.Pakistan reached 102-2 against India before the batting imploded with three wickets for one run before they limped through to 224, well short of Indias 300.Misbah said moving him up the order from his number four slot was not the answer.We just collapsed in the middle order, so it wasnt a problem at the top. What we are missing, I think, is that we need to have better partnerships on a regular basis, whether its at the top, whether its in the middle order.Any pair who is batting, they need to just develop a partnership, and thats what we missed in Indias game. After losing the second wicket we just lost three wickets in nine balls and that really cost us the game.Although Pakistan are without proven match-winner Saeed Ajmal -- who pulled out of the Cup because of his disputed spin bowling action -- Misbah felt comfortable with his bowlers.Its a little bit difficult when you are used to somebody (Saeed) for three or four years, but I think now our pacers are really doing well in the last two, three games, he said.They are really coming to the party in the way they are bowling, especially in the death overs, improving, so well have to live with that.He said speedster Mohammad Irfan, whose form against India dropped away after he was twice warned for stepping on the wicket, had been working on his action in practice since then and hell be fine in the next game.

Kerry, Iran FM to hold fresh nuclear talks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and top US diplomat John Kerry will meet in Geneva this weekend for talks on Tehrans nuclear program, Iranian and American officials said Thursday.Iran and world powers are trying to strike a deal that would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb in return for an easing of punishing international economic sanctions.Zarif and Kerry will hold two days of discussions from Sunday after their diplomats begin bilateral talks on Friday, Irans deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said, quoted by the IRNA news agency.State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed the two men would meet on Sunday in Geneva as part of the ongoing nuclear negotiations after top US negotiator Under Secretary Wendy Sherman first meets with the Iranian delegation.Araqchi added there would then be meeting of the so-called P51 -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- which is seeking to thrash out a complex deal with Iran.Psaki said the schedule was still being worked out, but did not rule out other multilateral meetings.Tehran denies seeking atomic weapons, but Western powers remain unconvinced its activities are solely aimed at peaceful civilian energy production.Under an interim deal struck in November 2013, Irans stock of fissile material has been diluted from 20 percent enriched uranium to five percent in exchange for limited sanctions relief.But skepticism is mounting about whether a permanent agreement is possible after two deadlines for a comprehensive deal were missed.Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report Thursday that Iran still had not responded to specific questions on allegations that it had previously carried out nuclear weapons research.Tehran has consistently rejected the claims, and failed to provide an explanation due in August 2014 on two specific points.The world powers are now working toward reaching a political framework for a deal with Iran by March 31, with the final technical details to be laid out in a comprehensive accord by June 30.The problem is that for now, Iran has not yet demonstrated to us that it intends to renounce the bomb, French President Francois Hollande said Thursday.But once that is done, the agreement will be concluded.Amid growing rumors that a deal may be within reach, Psaki refused to be drawn on whether the two sides were close, saying there was still six weeks to go.She also dismissed Israeli claims that their officials knew what was being proposed and said it was a bad deal.There isnt a deal, so its hard for anyone to know, Psaki hit back.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to make a controversial address to the US Congress on March 3, to outline his fears about the US outreach to its foe Iran.But nearly two dozen US House Democrats on Thursday urged the postponement of the speech saying it could torpedo the delicate negotiations.Our relationship with Israel is too important to use as a pawn in political gamesmanship, the lawmakers said.We strongly urge you to postpone this invitation until Israelis have cast their ballots and the deadline for diplomatic negotiations with Iran has passed.

Fresh brawl in Turkish parliament over protest bill

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ANKARA (AFP) - The Turkish parliament descended into fresh chaos Thursday with lawmakers exchanging punches for a second time over a controversial bill to boost police powers against protesters, local media reported.Ruling party and opposition lawmakers engaged in fisticuffs while one MP even fell down the stairs as parliament was about to begin a debate on the so-called homeland security bill, the private Dogan news agency reported.The unruly scenes mirrored those seen in the parliament overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, when five deputies were left injured -- including two who suffered head injuries inflicted by a ceremonial gavel.Opposition parties, strongly opposed to the government-driven bill, earlier this week vowed to stop the draft text from coming to the parliament floor by resorting to delaying tactics such as presenting motions on unrelated subjects.Before speeches on the bill began on Thursday, opposition parties voiced objections for more than three hours, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on its website.Heated verbal exchanges between the warring sides quickly escalated into punches and kicks. Caught in the middle of the brawl, lawmaker Orhan Duzgun from the opposition CHP took a tumble down a few steps.But Duzgun refused to see a doctor and said: I am fine. I will stay here and keep on with the struggle, according to Hurriyet.Turkeys opposition fears the bill, introduced by the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) government, will effectively create a police state under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

England win toss and bat against New Zealand

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and decided to bat in the World Cup Pool A match against New Zealand at Westpac stadium in Wellington on Friday.England resisted the temptation to make changes from the side which lost to Australia in Melbourne by 111 runs in their only game. New Zealand, who beat Sri Lanka and Scotland in their first two matches, kept the same side for the third match in a row.The top four from each of the two seven-team pools will qualify for the quarter-finals.

NASA delays spacewalk to Saturday to analyze spacesuit

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MIAMI (AFP) - The start of a series of spacewalks to carry out major work at the International Space Station will be delayed by a day to Saturday so NASA can investigate a spacesuits problem.Space station managers decided Thursday to move the first two spacewalks by NASAs Expedition 42 commander Barry Butch Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts by one day because of added analysis of spacesuits they will wear, said a NASA statement.Further walks will take place on February 25 and March 1.All spacewalks will begin at 1210 GMT and are expected to last around six hours.Their job aims to prepare the space station for the arrival as early as 2017 of US commercial crew capsules bringing astronauts to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the 2011 end of the space shuttle program.Earlier this week, NASA said engineers are concerned about a recurring issue with a piece of equipment known as the fan pump separator, part of the spacesuits temperature control system.That is the same area of concern we had back in 2013 when we had the issue of the water in the helmet, said Kenneth Todd, International Space Station operations and integration manager, in a briefing with reporters.The 2013 flaw allowed water to build up inside European astronaut Luca Parmitanos helmet while he was doing a spacewalk, and could have drowned him. He was quickly helped back inside the space station and soon recovered.

Drug-resistant malaria parasite spreading: study

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PARIS (AFP) - Parasites resistant to the frontline malaria drug have spread westward from southeast Asia to just short of the Indian border -- a gateway to Africa, researchers warned Friday.A spread into India would pose a serious threat to the global control and eradication of malaria, said a statement that accompanied the study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.If drug resistance spreads from Asia to the African sub-continent, or emerges in Africa independently as weve seen several times before, millions of lives will be at risk.Since the Plasmodium parasite developed resistance to other drug types, artemisinin is the best and safest medicine to treat the estimated 198 million malaria infections that occurred worldwide in 2013.There were about 584,000 deaths, according to the UNs World Health Organization (WHO) -- 90 percent of them in Africa.Artemisinin resistance has not yet been detected in Africa, but is a growing problem in southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, and is suspected, though not proven, to have taken hold in South America.Myanmar, which carries the regions highest malaria burden, is considered the parasites main route from southeast Asia to India and beyond.For the study, researchers collected samples from patients at 55 treatment centres across Myanmar and border regions of Thailand and Bangladesh in 2013 and 2014, and examined them for telltale mutations in the K13 or kelch gene.Thirty-nine percent of 940 malaria samples carried a mutation, they found. The team then used the data to produce a map of estimated regional prevalence, and predicted resistance as far west as Homalin in Myanmar -- 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) from the frontier with India.This study highlights that the pace at which artemisinin resistance is spreading or emerging is alarming, said study co-author Philippe Guerin, director of the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network.We need a more vigorous international effort to address this issue in border regions.The malaria parasite is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. It multiplies in the human liver and infects red blood cells, and can be deadly if untreated.There have been two examples in history of malaria drugs becoming less effective due to the emergence of resistance -- costing millions of lives.From the 1950s to 1970s, chloroquine-resistant parasites spread from Asia to Africa.Chloroquine was replaced by sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), resistance to which emerged in western Cambodia and spread to Africa.SP was then followed by artemisinin, a drug derived by Chinese scientists from a herb called sweet wormwood.The new research shows that history is repeating itself with parasites resistant to artemisinin drugs, the mainstay of modern malaria treatment, now widespread in Myanmar, said Mike Turner of the Wellcome Trust which co-funded the study.We are facing the imminent threat of resistance spreading into India, with thousands of lives at risk.The team stressed there was no evidence that artemisinin resistance has indeed reached India, however, few data are available.The WHO has recommended artemisinin-only treatments be withdrawn from the market in favour of combination therapies to protect against the spread of resistance, but they remain available in many countries.

Oil prices fall after another rise US inventories

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices fell Thursday after the US government reported crude inventories increased again to record highs, adding to concerns about the global supply glut.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in March dropped 98 cents to close at $51.16 a barrel, after shedding nearly $1.40 on Wednesday.In London, Brent North Sea crude for April delivery settled at $60.21 a barrel, down 32 cents from the prior trading session.WTI futures dropped sharply in early trade, sinking below $50, but erased much of the losses after the Department of Energy reported US crude inventories increased by nearly eight million barrels in the week through February 13.We obviously saw this coming as we had a large (price) decline yesterday, so a part of it was already priced in and the market is now trying to find a fair value, said Carl Larry of Frost & Sullivan.Even though crude inventories were at their highest level on record, and the increase was larger than analysts expected, the gain was only half that of the number announced Wednesday by the American Petroleum Institute in its weekly report.The DoE report was delayed a day to Thursday because of Mondays public holiday.Crude prices have lost about 50 percent since June owing to an oversupply in world markets, a weak global economy and a strong dollar.And while prices have risen from their lows in recent weeks on news that the number of US oil rigs in operation has fallen and energy giants are cutting back on investment, market-watchers say volatility is likely to continue for some time.An interesting thing is the US production is at a record high on a week-to-week basis, despite the fact weve laid down a lot of rigs and cut a lot of expenses, Larry said.

Dollar gains as Greek talks weigh on euro

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar gained against the euro Thursday as talks between Greece and the eurozone on bailout terms hit another snag.Germany rejected Athenss request for a six-month extension of its EU loan program without austerity reforms attached.However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras by telephone for nearly an hour on Thursday in a positive climate, a Greek government source said.Finance ministers from the 19-member eurozone will hold a crunch meeting in Brussels on Friday to consider the proposal by Athens to extend its European loan program that expires at the end of the month.Traders began to look past US Federal Reserve minutes released Wednesday that had weighed on the dollar. The minutes of the January 27-28 policy meeting portrayed a central bank more dovish on interest rates than thought.The greenback also rose against the Japanese yen and the British pound.For now, the minutes were not likely cautious enough to meaningfully dampen expectations for a mid-year rate hike by the Fed, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.The dovish Fed minutes clouded the near-term outlook for the dollar, Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.But its longer run prospects remain bullish on account of Americas positive fundamentals which still have the Fed on course to boost interest rates this year.

Pakistan, West Indies in fight for survival

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CHRISTCHURCH (AFP) - The 44-day World Cup is barely a week old and Pakistan and the West Indies are already viewing their second match as crucial to morale and potentially to their survival.Both suffered first game defeats and both are embroiled in off-field controversy, with their Pool B clash in Christchurch on Saturday likely to be decided by the team best able to overcome disharmony in the ranks.Before the tournament, Pakistan and the West Indies, along with South Africa and India, knew that on world rankings they should fill the four Pool B quarter-final slots ahead of Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.But when Ireland reprised their giant-killer role to beat the West Indies in Nelson it became clear to Pakistan that they in turn could not afford to fall to a wounded Caribbean side determined to claw back lost points.Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was aware of the magnitude of the task facing his side even before the Ireland result.I think we need to win the next game. Thats the only way to stay in the tournament, he said when reviewing his sides 76-run opening loss to India.All-rounder and former West Indies captain Darren Sammy was equally blunt in his assessment of his side.If we continue to play like that we wont be here for long for sure, he said after the four-wicket loss to Ireland.Against India, Pakistans batting was miserable with only Misbah getting more than 50 as the team was rolled for 224 in 47 overs when chasing 300.The bowling was no better with Sohail Khan the exception with his five for 55 off his 10 overs.The West Indies at least had a century maker in Lendl Simmons who scored 102 of their 304 against Ireland, but captain Jason Holder was unable to generate any venom in the bowling attack.Ireland reached 273 for two before losing four quick wickets when the result was already beyond doubt.The problems facing both sides are similar.Unpredictable Pakistan are beset by a captaincy tussle involving incumbent Misbah and former leader Shahid Afridi.There are also disciplinary issues with Afridi involved in a curfew breach before the tournament started, along with a number of other players, and he has been linked to a row with fielding coach Grant Luden.On the field, Pakistan are short of leading paceman Umar Gul, ruled out of the World Cup because of injury, and spinner Saeed Ajmal who was withdrawn because of his disputed bowling action.In the West Indies camp, the loss to Ireland has put the spotlight on the selection of 23-year-old Holder as captain, and his need to win the respect of senior players, after a shake up following a player revolt.Sammy was involved in several on-field discussions during the Ireland match although he maintained afterwards Holder had his full support.Chris Gayle, who is capable of changing a game when on form, has been critical of the make up of the World Cup squad.On the bowling front, they are without Sunil Narine who pulled out of the World Cup saying he needs more remedial work on his questionable bowling action.The West Indies may be referred to as a side that has twice won the World Cup but in reality there is no comparison between this unit and the great Caribbean teams of the pastThe last time West Indies reached the semi finals was back in 1996 while Pakistan, the 1992 champions, were semi-finalists at the last Cup in 2011.

Cyclone Marcia threatens Clarke return

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BRISBANE (AFP) - Australias plan to bring back skipper Michael Clarke in their second World Cup match against Bangladesh in Brisbane on Saturday could be blown off course by the tropical cyclone threatening the Queensland coast.Clarke missed Australias 111-run thrashing of old rivals England in Melbourne last weekend as he continued his recovery from a latest bout of hamstring trouble.Tournament co-hosts Australias emphatic victory in the Pool A opener underlined their status as one of the favourites to win the World Cup and the plan had always been to bring Clarke back for the Bangladesh match.But with forecasters predicting the power of Tropical Cyclone Marcia could lead to a 70 percent chance of rain, and even the possibility of thunderstorms, the teams may be kept in the pavilion.Teams are not obliged to confirm their XI until the toss and the uncertainty over the weather has led four-time world champions Australia, whove been forced to train indoors, to ponder the make-up of their team.A minimum of 20 overs per side are needed to constitute a match and Australia, with Bangladesh thought to be particularly vulnerable against high-class fast bowling, may recall Pat Cummins to form a four-man pace attack with Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood on what is usually a lively Gabba pitch.Yeah, there is a possibility, said Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. But its hard to give you a team or what we are thinking because we are so unsure on what is going to happen with the weather and when they pull the covers up.However, Haddin confirmed Clarke would, weather permitting, feature this weekend.This was the plan for Michael all along, for him to be right for this game, he said.George Bailey has long been tipped to make way for Clarke but the stand-in skipper did his best to cloud the issue with a fifty against England and some pundits have suggested the axe should fall on Shane Watson instead after the all-rounder made a duck at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.Australia, provided the rain holds off, will be overwhelming favourites to make it 19 wins from 20 ODIs against Bangladesh.But Clarke and Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza both played when the Tigers turned the tables on the Aussies with a stunning five-wicket win in Cardiff nine years ago -- one of the greatest cricket upsets.Bangladesh launched their World Cup campaign with a 105-run win over newcomers Afghanistan in Canberra in Wednesday.However, the way in which they were reduced to 119 for four by the debutants did not augur well for Bangladeshs chances in Brisbane.Nevertheless, Mushfiqur Rahim -- who top-scored with 71 in Bangladeshs innings of 267 against Afghanistan -- insisted victory this weekend was not beyond his side.Australia are probably the number one team at the moment the way they are playing, so its not going to be easy but it wont be impossible either, Mushfiqur said.In the one-day game anyone can win on the day. Ireland beat the West Indies (at this World Cup). Even with a big chase and they did it with 40 balls remaining, so anyone can win in this game.Obviously, going into the weekends match everyone is expecting Australia will win easily, so hopefully we have something to say about that and all the boys are really geared up for that match.

Karate kid, Bijoy, Tuk-tuk play World Cup name game

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SYDNEY (AFP) - The United Arab Emirates boast the Karate kid, Bangladesh open with Bijoy while Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq would prefer not to be referred to as Tuk-tuk.Theres a strange name game going on at the World Cup and Krishna Chandran caught the eye when he appeared for the UAE in their opener against Zimbabwe in Nelson on Thursday.It wasnt just his solid 34 runs that made an impression, it was the name emblazoned on the back of his shirt -- Karate.It wasnt an indication of a fondness for martial arts on the part of the Kerala-born 24-year-old, now a Dubai airport-worker, but the family name of the former India grade cricketers mother.Bangladesh opening batsman Anamul Haque was 16 when he made his first-class debut and as well as acquiring accolades for his technique, he also collected a new name, Bijoy which adorns the back of his playing jersey.In Bengali, Bijoy means victory and a schoolteacher gave him the name after discovering the player was born on December 16, Bangladeshs Victory Day.Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell dislikes his nickname of The Big Show which he earned in 2013 thanks to a $1 million deal with the Indian Premier League.He says he prefers Maxy although the tamer ID does not reflect his rise to fame which he admits was meteoric.Its been pretty weird -- one minute I was playing for a pub cricket team in England and all of a sudden a month later Im playing for Australia, he once said.As if the weight of captaining Pakistan wasnt enough of a burden, with eight players already fined for breaking a curfew at this World Cup before claims emerged that there had been a bust-up at training over fielding practice, Misbah-ul-Haq also has to cope with impatient supporters.Dubbed Tuk-tuk for his conservative approach to the game, Misbah had the last laugh in November in 2014 when he smashed the fastest Test century of all time off 56 balls.He was also a rock in the opening World Cup loss to India in Adelaide at the weekend when he top-scored with 76.Scotlands Alasdair Evans, a gangling 6ft 5in seamer, revels in the nickname Melman after a character in animated movie hit Madagascar. He even uses it in his bio details on his Twitter account.England, meanwhile, can boast all-rounder Moeen Ali, The Beard thats Feared, and off-spinner James Tredwell, or Ronseal for his uncomplicated approach to his craft and named after a DIY product which is sold under the slogan, Does exactly what is says on the tin.I grow my own fruit and veg so I make some chutneys and jams if I have a bit of a glut, Tredwell once said in proud understatement of his interests.England captain Eoin Morgan, meanwhile, this week found himself with a new name courtesy of a gaffe by the mayor of Wellington, who introduced him as Eoin Rogers.Ive been called a lot worse. She got the hardest part right, he said.

Iraqi man charged with lying about links to Islamic State

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DETROIT: (AP) - An Iraqi man living in Michigan is charged with lying to federal officials about plans to train and fight with the Islamic State group in the Middle East.A federal complaint says Al-Hamzah Mohammad Jawad was detained Tuesday by agents at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, where he was scheduled to fly to Jordan. Officials became concerned when he couldnt explain why he had bought a one-way ticket a day earlier.The complaint says Jawad told FBI agents he was connected with violent extremists in Iraq, but later said he made it up.Jawad is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in Detroits federal court. A U.S. Attorneys Office spokeswoman says hell likely be represented by an attorney.The 29-year-old Jawad came to the U.S. in 2013 and lives in East Lansing.

Figo proposes expanded World Cup, spreading more FIFA cash

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LONDON: (AP) - Out of his comfort zone, and being quizzed on football politics at Wembley Stadium rather than playing there, Luis Figo made his pitch to run the world game on Thursday.Despite little experience of FIFA, beyond playing in World Cups and winning its 2001 player of the year award, Figo believes he is equipped to clean up soccers scandal-scarred governing body.FIFA deserves something different, Figo said in an interview with The Associated Press. Something has to change with the image right now of the organization.Press the former Portugal winger, though, to go beyond generalizations to explain why Sepp Blatters 17-year reign should end and he is more guarded. In the four-candidate vote in May, the 78-year-old Blatter is seeking a fifth four-year term after reversing his previous decision to step aside in May.Mr. Blatter has done in all these years very positive things to football, Figo said in an executive box overlooking the pitch at Englands national stadium. But right now I think the organization needs a change, needs a new era and ... this is why I am presenting for the presidency of FIFA with my manifesto.The headline from the manifesto: a potentially radical overhaul of the World Cup. The current 32-team tournament could be increased to 40 teams or even two 24-team competitions simultaneously on two continents followed by a knockout phase in one nation.That would ensure participation of 48 of the 209 members, making a President Figo more appealing to nations who do not qualify regularly for the quadrennial extravaganza.Of course I will need votes to make my proposal effective, Figo said. I want to open a debate in the congress because ... each confederation wants more spots in the World Cup.Increasing the number of finalists would also spread FIFAs wealth. Figo is proposing draining FIFAs bank balance, by redistributing $1 billion of $1.5 billion reserves retained by Blatter in case a World Cup is canceled to national federations. On top of that, Figo would spread half of FIFAs $2.5 billion revenue over four years to associations to fund grassroots football.Offering legitimate financial incentives in return for votes is Figos strategy to outdo Blatter and convince FIFAs 209 members to back him in the vote in Zurich in May. Another is offering a seat on the executive committee for every country that has won the World Cup.Blatter, though, has already secured the backing of confederation heads of Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania without even producing a campaign manifesto.There are obstacles that will have to be overcome, acknowledged Figo, who played for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, before posing for the cameras with his manifesto.Europe is split, with Blatters three rivals all linked to Nyon-based UEFA. Michael van Praag is head of the Dutch federation, while both Figo and FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan employ a London-based consultancy firm which also works for UEFA.Is Figo just a puppet for UEFA President Michel Platini? If you follow my career in football you see that I am an independent person.Figo is the only former player in the contest and is dipping into wealth accumulated while winning titles in Spain and Italy to fund the push for power.Fortunately I had a successful career, Figo said. I have the (cash) balance to have the chance to be here right now and support my campaign.In the cut and thrust of FIFA campaigns, the game itself can often be overlooked. Figo is proposing several changes to the rules. He wants trials for sin bins removing players temporarily instead of dismissing them for unsporting behavior to referees, and to revert to the old rule where a player is offside regardless of whether they are directly involved in play.
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