the us central bank may shed some light on how the central bank will unwind its
unconventional monetary policy that helped jolt the world largest economy from
prolonged recession
fed chief ben bernanke is scheduled to speak to the american economic
association forum in atlanta on sunday while the minutes of the december
fed policy making body meeting will be released on wednesday
they could provide more detailed clues on the fed updated outlook for the
economy and evolving plans for an eventual exit strategy from virtually zero
interest rates with the market flush with liquidity
we still expect the fed to stick to its guns on the current low interest policy
through at least the first half of said ihs global insight us economists
brian bethune and nigel gault in joint report
they cited both inflation and output which were running below the fed
target as well as tight credit conditions and constrained demand for credit
wall street stocks slumped at the close of turbulent year thursday after
positive jobs data sparked concerns that interest rates may rise sooner than
anticipated
but shares settled only slightly below their week highs with strong gains for
the year
for the holiday shortened week the blue chip dow jones industrial average lost
percent to but gained percent over the course of the year
the technology rich nasdaq composite shed percent for the week to
and the broad market standard amp poor index retreated percent to
the nasdaq index racked up the largest percentage gain for the year wrapping up
with percent jump while the amp index jumped percent
analysts are confident the market will continue its ascent considering the
percent us economic growth chalked up in the july september period the first
quarter of recovery after year of contraction as well as rising existing
home sales and durable goods orders
the important trends remain positive said al goldman chief market strategist
for wells fargo advisors
employment trends are improving and we still look for the labor market to
start turning up by the spring the trend of corporate earnings in is
probably one of the most positive things going for stocks he said
frederic dickson chief market strategist for da davidson amp co said the
outlook for the stock market in was positive but subdued
we are looking for the stock market to rise between and percent in
we expect most of the gains will be realized early in the year he said
goldman sachs economist jan hatzius expects sluggish gdp growth in and
employment gains that are too slow to prevent further modest increase in the
unemployment rate now hovering at percent
key questions on the economy include whether house prices have bottomed we
think not whether banks will become more willing to lend only very
gradually whether firms will hire vigorously probably not and whether the
saving rate will rise further we think so hatzius said
for the week bonds were mixed the yield on the year treasury bond rose to
percent from percent week earlier while that on the year bond
dipped to percent from percent bond yields and prices move in
opposite directions
judge dismisses charges against blackwater defendants
washington dec afp
in rebuke to government prosecutors federal judge on thursday dismissed
criminal charges against five blackwater security guards accused of fatally
shooting people in baghdad in september
judge ricardo urbina said prosecutors violated the defendants rights by using
incriminating statements they had made under immunity during state department
probe to build their case
the government used the defendants compelled statements to guide its charging
decisions to formulate its theory of the case to develop investigatory leads
and ultimately to obtain the indictment in the case urbina ruled
in short the government had utterly failed to prove that it made no
impermissible use of the defendants statements or that such use was harmless
beyond reasonable doubt
the security guards had been compelled to provide the incriminating evidence
during justice department probe the court said but the us constitution bars
the prosecutors from using statements compelled under threat of job loss in
any subsequent criminal prosecution
the case was among the most sensational that sought to hold blackwater employees
accountable for what was seen as culture of lawlessness and lack of
accountability as it carried out its duties in iraq
the five guards who had been part of convoy of armored vehicles had been
charged with killing unarmed iraqi civilians and wounding others during an
unprovoked attack at busy baghdad traffic circle using gunfire and grenades
the men had faced firearms charges and up to years in jail on each of
manslaughter counts
us prosecutors had alleged that the guards specifically intended to kill or
seriously injure iraqi civilians and according to court documents alleged that
one of the guards told another that he wanted to kill iraqis as payback for
bragging about the number of iraqis he had shot
urbina explained in his opinion that federal prosecutors were offered an
opportunity during three week hearing that began in mid october to prove
that they had not made use of the defendants statements in building its case
and were unable to do so
the explanations offered by the prosecutors and investigators in an attempt to
justify their actions were all too often contradictory unbelievable and
lacking in credibility urbina wrote
he added the court must dismiss the indictments against all of the
defendants
the five defendants were security guards employed by blackwater worldwide which
since has been renamed xe corporation
attorneys for the guards have said they did not fire their weapons with criminal
intent but thought they were under attack
but critics repeatedly have accused the company of rambo style shoot first
ask questions later approach when carrying out security duties in iraq
state department review panel in concluded that there had been
insufficient us government oversight of private security firms hired in iraq to
protect diplomats and to guard facilities
the panel found that as result there was an undermined confidence in those
contractors both among iraqis and us military commanders
football carrick eager for revival of leeds rivalry
manchester england jan afp
michael carrick is relishing manchester united fa cup clash with bitter rivals
leeds here on sunday and feels sir alex ferguson side are on the verge of
fine burst of form
united go into the new year two points off the premier league leaders chelsea
safely through to the knock out phase of the champions league and with the first
leg of their league cup semi final against manchester city to come next week
even so england midfielder carrick accepts united have not hit top gear yet
during the campaign
the old trafford club have lost five matches in the premier league and have been
beset by defensive injuries
those problems at the back are starting to clear up with wes brown and nemanja
vidic forming what looks like solid central defensive partnership
ferguson intends to use his youngsters in the league cup against city but has
said he will opt for strong selection against league one leaders leeds
the yorkshire club who pipped ferguson men to the domestic title in
have been in the third division of english football for three years but as
recently as decade ago were significant top flight contenders
the teams first meeting since leeds were relegated in is eagerly awaited
and the visitors are set to bring supporters to old trafford
but carrick is looking forward to his first taste of this most intense of
fixtures
experiencing those types of feisty atmospheres are why you play football
carrick said
rivalries like that add extra spice it is great for the fans and good for the
players
no matter where you play or whether the atmosphere is for or against you it
is great feeling to play
besiktas were very hostile when we went there earlier this season in the
champions league but it was still terrific to play in
leeds are bringing lot of fans and we are looking forward to it it should be
cracking game
united have lost two of their last five matches at home but beat wigan last
time out and carrick is desperate for them to continue their improvement at old
trafford against leeds
we have not hit top form all season especially at home carrick conceded we
have just been doing enough to get through we know we are better than that and
now is the time to do it
it is busy time until the end of the season we need to get run going and
start playing some good football
we are in good position in the league we have the fa cup coming up we are
through to the champions league last and reached the league cup semi finals
we have done as much as we can so far now is the time to really drive on and
achieve things again that is why we are here
ferguson has hinted that gary neville will play against leeds and he will use
similar side to the one that thrashed wigan in midweek
leeds have not won at old trafford since and they go into sunday match as
huge underdogs
but midfielder jonny howson insists they have nothing to fear having narrowly
lost to liverpool in the league cup earlier this season
they have big players but we want to test ourselves and impress against these
players howson said
we have players who can hurt and you saw that against liverpool in the league
cup we caused them problems
saw an interview with jamie carragher where he said we were their toughest
game up to that point so don see why we can cause them united problems
on sunday
football fa cup out to prove its worth again
london jan afp
how much the fa cup still matters is much discussed topic of conversation
among english football fans
it is subject brought into even sharper focus at this time of year when the
world oldest senior knockout football tournament reaches the third round
stage the point when teams from england top two divisions enter the event
conventional wisdom has it that the fa cup has now lost much of its lustre
the advent of the champions league concentrates the minds of sides at the top of
the english premier league whose domestic focus is on winning the league title
or at least finishing in the top four to guarantee themselves place in
european club football elite competition
meanwhile teams near the bottom of the premier league are so concerned about
being relegated from the lucrative top flight they will often rest their best
players from cup ties in bid to keep them fit for league matches instead
and yet despite these changes in attitude the so called big four of manchester
united chelsea arsenal and liverpool have with the exception of portsmouth
triumph monopolised the fa cup between them since
sunday tie between record times winners manchester united and leeds united
at old trafford promises to be good guide to the fa cup current standing
united manager sir alex ferguson has often fielded under strength teams in the
fa cup in recent years
following their thrashing of wigan on wednesday the english champions are
now just two points behind premier league leaders chelsea as they chase an
unprecedented fourth successive title
there is also the matter of their upcoming champions league tie against italian
giants ac milan
last season ferguson fielded near reserve side in the fa cup semi finals and
paid the price when united were beaten by everton
but the intriguing or depressing depending on your point of view is that leeds
who beat united in gruelling fa cup semi final that featured two goalless
draws before solitary goal from late scotland great billy bremner settled the
tie might not be at full strength either
fallen giants leeds are eight points clear at the top of league one english
football third tier and manager simon grayson speaking after the draw said
it the league that counts promotion is the priority here and everybody
knows that
current holders chelsea face watford in repeat of the other semi final
arsenal face west ham on sunday reviving memories of the final when the
hammers became the last team from outside the top flight to win the fa cup
the gunners make the trip across london with arsenal manager arsene wenger
insisting he is ready to sacrifice the club fa cup hopes to keep their premier
league title challenge on course
wenger whose side are just four points off top spot has won the fa cup four
times in his years with arsenal
but the frenchman said the premier league is always more important than the fa
cup the premier league is so hard that you want to take care of your position
but for liverpool away to second division championship side reading on
saturday the fa cup offers last chance to salvage some silverware from what
has already been disappointing season that has seen the merseysiders fail to
qualify for the knockout stages of the champions league
it always been important but you know that when you re out of the champions
league the people think about silverware and the fa cup is very very important
for us said liverpool manager rafael benitez
meanwhile neutral fans seeking cup upset could do worse than turn their
attention towards the south coast where cash strapped portsmouth are at home to
championship team coventry the fa cup winners
portsmouth are four points adrift at the foot of the premier league table and on
friday the south coast club announced they would be late paying their players
wages for the third time this season
football english fa cup fixtures
london jan afp
fixtures to be played this weekend in the third round of the english fa cup
fa cup third round
fixtures gmt unless stated
saturday accrington gillingham aston villa blackburn blackpool ipswich
bolton lincoln brentford doncaster bristol city cardiff gmt
everton carlisle fulham swindon huddersfield west brom leicester
swansea middlesbrough manchester city millwall derby mk dons burnley
nottingham forest birmingham plymouth newcastle portsmouth coventry
preston colchester reading liverpool gmt scunthorpe barnsley
sheffield wednesday crystal palace southampton luton stoke york
sunderland barrow torquay brighton tottenham peterborough wigan hull
sunday chelsea watford manchester united leeds gmt notts county
forest green sheffield united qpr tranmere wolves gmt west ham
arsenal gmt
football benitez values fa cup like never before
liverpool england jan afp
rafa benitez insists the fa cup is more important than ever to liverpool as they
battle to avoid fourth successive season without major trophy
having fallen way off the pace in the race for the premier league as well as
being eliminated from the champions league the fa cup represents one of
liverpool last hopes of bringing silverware to anfield this term
they face tricky third round date away to reading who are struggling in the
second tier of english football on saturday
benitez who has often used the competition to give fringe players chance to
stake claim insists he does not intend to make wholesale changes for the tie
it always been important but you know that when you re out of the champions
league the people think about silverware and the fa cup is very very important
for us said benitez
we want to progress we want to go as far as we can the spaniard added
we ll have to analyse and consider what to do and we still have another
training session we ll see how the players are but maybe we won change too
many
we know we re playing against tottenham eight days later so we ll have time
we can put strong team out
always in the fa cup it really important to do things right everyone wants
to win and it massive competition so we have to be ready
although liverpool beat chelsea in the community shield in august the
merseyside club has not won major piece of silverware since benitez steered it
to its seventh and last fa cup triumph in may
liverpool will definitely be without right back glen johnson this weekend
having torn ligament in his right knee during tuesday league win at
aston villa johnson will be out for at least month
the england international will see another specialist before timescale is put
on his recovery
johnson has problem so he ll see specialist and then we ll talk but we
know he ll be out for at least one month added benitez
but we are waiting for another opinion and then we ll know how long
meanwhile benitez is not ruling out the possibility of players both entering
and exiting anfield during the january transfer window
we are looking in the market but it not easy to find good players available
because the majority of them are playing in top sides he said
but we are trying to find solutions if we can
we have some good players who people are interested in because they re not
playing too many games but we have to manage carefully
the visit of liverpool provides reading with the opportunity to draw line
under miserable year that ends with the club sitting just two points above the
championship relegation zone
brian mcdermott was placed in temporary charge following the dismissal of former
manager brendan rodgers in mid december after just six months in charge and
season that began with high hopes of promotion has turned into desperate
survival battle
monday loss at plymouth marked new low point for the royals although
mcdermott who harbours hopes of taking the reading job on full time basis
is undaunted at the prospect of facing liverpool
the main thing we have to do as club is to restore the pride said the
caretaker manager we really let the fans down in the plymouth game and it
important that we get some pride back for the supporters
we re playing one of the biggest clubs in the world and it great game for
us to be playing at our own stadium in front of our fans
reading midfielder brian howard certainly has no reason to feel intimidated by
the visit of liverpool after scoring the last minute winner for barnsley at
anfield in
he will play after recovering from broken jaw that required the insertion of
two metal plates
football high flying barcelona hope for more joy in
madrid jan afp
after memorable in which they won record six trophies league leaders
barcelona hope for more success in and aim to start on the right note with
home win over villareal on saturday
champions barca lead the table by two points from real madrid after going the
first league games unbeaten and should be full of confidence after winning
the world club championship before the christmas break
we don know how things will go in but with the coach pep guardiola
we got there is no way we are going to relax said brazilian defender dani
alves
we are hoping to start the year well like we finished this one
in barca won league kings cup and champions league treble before lifting
the european super cup spanish super cup and world club championship so
topping that in will take some doing
villarreal made the worst start in their history but have recovered to climb to
ninth under ernesto valverde
the club away form has been their main problem with just one away win all
season and the odds are stacked against them at camp nou where barca have not
dropped single point in the league
real didn collect single trophy last year and the pressure is on for coach
manuel pellegrini to change that in
pellegrini has kept real within striking distance of barca and his side begin
with trip to osasuna on sunday
real must do without key portuguese defender pepe until the end of the season
due to injury although the club have resisted the temptation to bring in
replacement
defender alvaro arbeloa believes real alacticos are starting to gel
and are capable of league and champions league double come may
we have stepped up our game we are scoring lot and our defence is strong
said arbeloa winning la liga and the champions league is difficult but we have
the potential
sevilla may have beaten real this season but they have fallen out of the title
race and lie seven points behind real going into saturday match at atletico
madrid
sevilla can afford to lose further ground while atletico are in much worse
shape lying just two points above the relegation zone
the christmas break was good for us to forget about the past few months which
weren good at all said atletico midfielder raul garcia
it was good for us to regain our strength and begin to think positively
valencia lie point behind sevilla in fourth and begin with home match
against espanyol at the mestalla stadium
over the christmas break there was renewed talk of valencia striker david
villa future but for now he continues in valencia colours and leads the
goal scoring charts with goals
real mallorca have been the surprise package of the season with their perfect
home record of seven wins firing them up to fifth two points behind valencia
athletic bilbao are the next visitors to mallorca fortress ono stadium on
sunday
down at the bottom xerez prop up the table as they have done for most of the
season and will hope to start their survival bid with win at almeria on
sunday
almeria axed mexican coach hugo sanchez after the club slumped into the
relegation battle and new boss juan manuel lillo has the task of keeping almeria
in the top flight
real zaragoza are another side in trouble languishing second from bottom and
have tough game at home to sixth placed deportivo la coruna on sunday
zaragoza lost patience with coach marcelino but replacement jose aurelio gay has
also found the going tough and they were routed by real madrid in their last
league outing
fixtures
saturday
valencia espanyol gmt barcelona villarreal gmt atletico
madrid sevilla gmt
sunday all gmt unless stated
sporting gijon malaga getafe valladolid racing santander tenerife
almeria xerez real zaragoza deportivo la coruna real mallorca athletic
bilbao gmt osasuna real madrid gmt
football mancini aims to translate cup success
manchester england jan afp
manchester city manager roberto mancini is hoping the cup glory he enjoyed in
italy can be transferred to his new club ahead of their fa cup third round tie
with middlesbrough on saturday
mancini who has won both of his first two premier league games in charge at
eastlands after replacing mark hughes as manager fortnight ago is under no
illusions as to how tough this weekend encounter at the riverside will be
however mancini has an impressive record when it comes to cup competitions in
his homeland winning the coppa italia six times as player as well as winning
the trophy when manager of lazio and fiorentina and twice when in charge of
inter milan
he was the winning manager for three consecutive years between the and
seasons and hopes he can bring the experience he learnt in italy with
him to big spenders city bankrolled by abu dhabi based billionaire sheikh
mansour who have not won major trophy since
we are excited by the fa cup said mancini know that in england it is
very important competition
in italy the cup is perhaps not taken so seriously until teams reach the semi
final stages but here it is different
won the coppa italia six times as player and four times as manager with
three different clubs and it would be great to think could do that at city
too
but to have chance to achieve that we have to win at middlesbrough
city have some serious injury issues at present and will be missing the likes of
joleon lescott wayne bridge nedum onouha roque santa cruz and stephen ireland
when they travel to the riverside
meanwhile kolo toure ivory coast and emmanuel adebayor togo will also be
absent as they are representing their countries at the african nations cup
it is far from ideal introduction to the fa cup for mancini but he is refusing
to be daunted by the length of his injury list
we do not have very big squad but we do have some young players who have been
training with the first team and one or two might have to play he said
we will play our strongest side possible insisted mancini even though top
four finish in the premier league would appear to be the club main goal this
season
middlesbrough manager gordon strachan admits his biggest concern is being able
to find fit players as his side bids to bridge the huge financial gap between
themselves and their cash rich visitors
city have won just once in their last trips to teesside spanning years
which includes an humiliation at the riverside little over months ago
but the clubs have been on opposite trajectories since with middlesbrough
languishing in mid table in the second tier championship after losing their
year status as premier league club following relegation in may demotion
that left million pounds hole in their budget
middlesbrough have won just two of the year old strachan games in charge
and are well off the pace in their bid to go straight back up
an injury crisis among his forwards leaves strachan unable to call on
recognised striker against city unless he is able to persuade marcus bent to
return for second loan spell from birmingham city in time for saturday tie
this is huge game which we want to win because winning makes you feel
better strachan said
my priority now is to find fit players who can look like team because at
this moment in time we officially have no strikers at the club
teenage forward jonathan franks is likely to start his first home game for
middlesbrough with leroy lita suspended jeremie aliadiere injured and dave
kitson having returned to stoke city following loan period
afp sports schedule for friday january
paris jan afp
afp sports schedule for friday january
ski jumping
second leg of the four hills tournament which counts towards the world cup at
garmisch partenkirchen with austria olympic silver medalist andreas kofler
having won the first leg in oberstdorf however much interest will focus on
five time competition winner janne ahonen who has returned after months
retirement
slug ski jump fourhills
rallying
the dakar rally begins in argentina with the first stage kilometres
drive ride from buenos aires to colon
slug auto moto rally dakar
world rings in new decade with fireworks and parties
london jan afp
revellers rang in the new year across the globe with spectacular fireworks
displays and massive parties hosted by world capitals against backdrop of
tightened security
more than people lined the banks of the river thames in london to watch
fireworks explode out of the london eye the giant ferris wheel across from the
houses of parliament and big ben the world most famous clock
up to people also turned out in edinburgh for the annual hogmanay outdoor
street party some sporting furry horned tartan helmets against the bitter cold
as they gathered to watch fireworks by edinburgh castle
earlier more than russians crowded onto moscow red square to toast
as president dmitry medvedev thanked his nation for bearing with the
economic crisis
the past year was not very easy one for our country and want to thank you
all for bearing up together he said in his traditional new year address
party goers in the south pacific were the first to raise their glasses to
leading the world into new decade after one scarred by war terror attacks
natural disaster and financial turmoil
in australia about million people crowded the sydney harbour foreshore to
watch vast array of fireworks burst into the night sky at midnight launched
from the iconic sydney harbour bridge and four barges on the water
thousands of people also crammed into hong kong harbour where fireworks
were unleashed from the city tallest skyscraper as well as other buildings in
display that lasted nearly five minutes
such spectacles were banned in thailand after fireworks caused new year eve
blaze at bangkok nightclub year ago killing people
in paris about people gathered near the eiffel tower for multicoloured
light show while more than police were deployed across the city and
suburbs where cars were burned last new year eve
the filling of portable containers at petrol pumps was banned as were glass
bottles and fireworks on the champs elysees the parisian avenue where about
another people gathered to see in the new year
pope benedict xvi in traditional prayers in st peter basilica on the last day
of the year called on christians across the world to help families affected by
the economic downturn and unemployment
in berlin more than one million revellers were expected on the boulevard
leading to the brandenburg gate the symbol of german unity with live bands and
djs to crank up the party
in spain which took over the rotating presidency of the eu at midnight
thousands of people attended light and sound show at the central puerta del
sol square where giant image of the eu flag was projected onto building
this is the best street party in the world now am going to work on my first
hangover of said gerry shalloe year old english teacher from
ireland who lives in madrid and who attended the countdown with friends
in new york downpour of confetti was to mark midnight at traditional mass
celebration in times square in the heart of manhattan
but after security jitters rekindled by christmas day bomb plot against
passenger jet claimed by al qaeda undercover police surveillance cameras and
radiation and biological detection equipment were to monitor the crowds
it will be full fledged deployment of resources city police commissioner
raymond kelly said we assume here that new york is the number one terrorist
target in america
the us embassy in indonesia said meanwhile it had received warning of
possible attack on the resort island of bali the scene of multiple bombings
targeting westerners but local authorities denied knowledge of any alert
in pakistan where the taliban bloody campaign rebounded in spirits were
dampened in the city of karachi by deadly suicide attack during holy shiite
muslim ceremony on monday that killed people
it is hard to celebrate when our city and country is passing through such deep
trouble said zohaib memon business management graduate
in neighbouring afghanistan soldiers maintained their alert after two deadly
militant attacks claimed the lives of eight americans and five canadians while
two french journalists were reported kidnapped by taliban
for cyprus new year eve was the last chance to smoke in pubs clubs and cafes
with new anti smoking law in force from january
and in south africa president jacob zuma used his new year message to rally for
unity for the football world cup the first ever to be held in africa
