Russia to spend $10 bln on 2018 World Cup — Putin

Russia is planning to spend about $10 billion on the preparation for the World Cup in 2018, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a news conference in Zurich.

Putin arrived at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Thursday shortly after Russia had won the bid to host the major event in the soccer world for the first time in history after a tight race against England, Portugal and Spain (jointly), and Belgium and the Netherlands (jointly).

"According to our estimates, construction of stadiums and surrounding infrastructure will cost us about 300 billion rubles or $10 bln, which is comparable with expenditures on the preparation of the World Cup in South Africa," Putin said.

The Russian prime minister said FIFA had made the right choice because Russia is stable politically, has a healthy economy and a favorable social situation, unlike many European countries, which were affected by the recent economic crisis.

Putin also said that many projects related to the preparation for the World Cup would be implemented with the participation of large state-run companies and private sector.

He even urged Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who owns the Chelsea football club, to contribute to the preparation.

"We are planning to use the help of business circles to minimize state expenses on hosting the World Cup and I do not rule out the possibility that Mr. Abramovich could contribute to one of the projects," Putin said.

Russia secured 22 votes in two rounds of voting by members of the FIFA Executive Committee on Thursday. Spain and Portugal came in second place with 14 votes, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium and then England.

Putin announced on Wednesday that he would not join the Russian delegation for the announcement ceremony as he did not want to put pressure on the FIFA executives making the decision. However, he promised to hold a news conference and talks with FIFA officials in Zurich if Russia won the bid. RIA Novosti

News Corp offers remedy to EU to secure BSkyB bid

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation submitted a potential remedy to the European Commission in an effort to smooth over concerns raised by its proposed £12bn takeover of BSkyB, it emerged today.

Company sources said that the media giant offered to be bound by "quite specific" restrictions relating to the future operations of the enlarged group. The nature of the remedy was not confirmed.

However, the undertaking is understood not to involve an offer to sell off any assets, such as the Times or Sky News, to satisfy any media competition concerns. News Corp believes that no asset sales are necessary to get the deal through.

News Corp proposed to buy the 61% of BSkyB it does not already own at a price of 700p a share back in June. News Corp has to get the deal approved by both European and British competition authorities, before agreeing terms with BSkyB – but the deal has already triggered concerns from competing media groups including the BBC, Daily Mail and General Trust and Guardian Media Group, publisher of MediaGuardian.co.uk.

A major area of concern raised by rivals is that a combined News Corp/BSkyB would have the ability to offer bundled newspaper and TV products at discounts competitors could not hope to match. It is possible that News Corporation has proposed that it would not do this – but there is no confirmation from the company that that is the case.

News Corp has previously said it is "confident" that it will clear the European Commission probe and today's submission will give more time for discussion around the merger proposal.

The Commission had been due to report back on 8 December, that deadline will now be extended by 10 working days to 22 December. If the commission decides a more in-depth "phase II" investigation is necessary this could then take up to a further 125 working days.

At the behest of the business secretary, Vince Cable, Ofcom has also launched a consultation into the threat to media plurality of the proposed merger. Ofcom is understood to have received about 50 submissions and will report back to Cable by 31 December. The Guardian

Qatar makes history

ZURICH/JEDDAH/DOHA: There was jubilation and celebration in Saudi Arabia and the whole of Middle East as Qatar created history by putting the Gulf and the Middle East on the soccer world map after being picked to host the 2022 World Cup finals.

Earlier, FIFA, the soccer world governing body, had named Russia as host of the 2018 finals, another first-time hosts.

Though many applauded the choice of Russia, it was the second announcement — Qatar to host the 2022 event — that brought raptures to the whole of Middle East.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said soon after the vote: "We go to new lands. Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football".

His sentiments were echoed by Qatar bid chief Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani, who said in Zurich: "Thank you for backing us and expanding the game. You will be proud of us and you will be proud of the Middle East"

The Russian delegation head and Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said: "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I just can promise, we all can promise, you will never regret it. Let us make history together".

Russia has vowed to waive visas and provide free ground transport for all ticket holders.

Real joy and celebration broke out in the Arab streets soon after Qatar's name was flashed on the screen as the winner of the right to organize the 2022 finals. And there were quick reaction from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Prince Sultan bin Fahd, head of the Youth Welfare Presidency and president of Saudi Football Federation, and Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd, deputy president of the Youth Welfare Presidency, congratulated Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on the success of the bid. Arab News

China's gold imports surge fivefold

The surge, which comes as Chinese investors look for insurance against rising inflation and currency appreciation, puts Beijing on track to overtake India as the world's largest consumer of gold and a significant force in global gold prices.

The size of the imports -- more than 209 tonnes of gold during the first 10 months of the year, a fivefold increase from an estimate of 45 tonnes last year -- was revealed on Thursday. In the past, China has kept the volume secret.

"Investment is really driving demand for gold," said Cai Minggang, at the Beijing Precious Metals Exchange. "People don't have any better investment options. Look at the stock market, or the property market -- you could make huge losses there".

Beijing has encouraged retail consumption, with an announcement in August of measures to promote and regulate the local gold market, including expanding the number of banks allowed to import bullion.

Shen Xiangrong, chairman of the Shanghai Gold Exchange, who disclosed the import numbers, said uncertainties about the Chinese and global economies, and inflationary expectations, had "made gold, as a hedging tool, very popular".

The rise in Chinese demand could further inflate gold prices. Bullion hit a nominal all-time high of $1,424.10 a troy ounce last month. But adjusted for inflation, prices are far from the 1980 peak of $2,300.

"The trend is undeniable -- gold demand in China is rising rapidly," said Walter de Wet, of Standard Bank in London. China surpassed South Africa three years ago as the world's largest producer. CNN

In Iran, arrests made in attacks on scientists

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Police have arrested several suspects allegedly connected to three spy agencies who were behind "recent terrorist attacks" targeting Iranian nuclear scientists, Iranian media reported Thursday.

"The three spy agencies of Mossad, CIA and M-I6 played a role in these attacks," the Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said Thursday in interviews, referring to the Israeli, U.S., and British intelligence agencies.

Professor Majid Shahriari was killed but Professor Fereydoun Abbasi escaped with only minor wounds in two attacks Monday. Both were on the faculty of Shahid Beheshti University. Assailants on motorcycles attached bombs to cars carrying the professors at separate locations.

"With the arrest of these people, we have found new clues to arrest other elements," Moslehi said.

He said the people who worked with these agencies "were part an extensive organization and were planning more attacks but were stopped". CNN

San Franciscans resist park revenue plan

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- San Franciscans are complaining about a city effort to alleviate its $12.4 million deficit by putting commercial operations in the city's public parks.

City officials had hoped to raise revenue by installing moneymaking ventures like coffee kiosks, skating rinks and open-air markets in San Francisco's parks and public plazas, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday.

Strong resistance has come from businesses unhappy with the possibility of having to compete with the city and from residents uneasy at the prospect of commercial enterprises in their public spaces, the newspaper said.

"In its fundamental form, we're talking about change, and there are always going to be some people who don't like it," Mark Buell, president of the Recreation and Park Commission, said. "The alternative, an erosion of services, is worse".

Buell acknowledged opponents' concerns but showed no sign of backing down from plans to turn the parks into potential moneymakers as the traditional tax-based funding stream continues to have a shortfall.

City Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said he finds the prospect of commercial activity in the parks troubling.

"The cumulative effect of so much commercial activity in our parks fuels mistrust about pay-to-play practices and subtle privatization efforts," Mirkarimi said. "Despite Recreation and Park Department assertions, there is a serious lack of community dialogue about plans to reverse budget troubles, thus feeding resistance". UPI

Time running out for stem cell funding

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A return to the Bush-era policy limiting embryonic stem cell research looms as Congress is running out of time to pass funding legislation, observers say.

If no action is taken by year's end, federal funding for the controversial research could return to being highly restricted as it was under former President George W. Bush, The Hill reported Thursday.

The Bush policy was reversed by President Obama shortly after he took office.

"We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research, and we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield," the president said as he ordered federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

A federal judge struck down Obama's order in August, but an appeals court allowed the current policy to remain in place temporarily until it rules on the issue.

The decision could be moot if Congress passes legislation intended to clarify a 1996 law regarding the use of taxpayer money for research where human embryos are destroyed.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., who introduced the House bill, said she's confident the bill could pass in both chambers but said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has been reluctant to take time from the House's busy schedule unless the Senate commits to taking it up.

"I've talked to my leadership about it and they say it's still not off the table," DeGette said. "The concern is ... an issue of time".

Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., a co-sponsor of the legislation, says it's imperative to pass the legislation now since he's worried about the reception the bill will get in the next session.

"It's evident that absolutely nothing will pass in the next Congress," Castle said, "so if we're going to do it, we have to do it during this lame duck". UPI

Christmas bells silenced at shopping malls

TORONTO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Two shopping malls in Canada say they've asked the Salvation Army's Christmas kettle volunteers not to ring their bells because of noise complaints.

The ringing of Salvation Army bells has been the accompaniment to the holiday season for more than 100 years in North America, but two of Toronto's largest shopping malls -- the Eaton Center and Fairview -- have muzzled them because of noise complaints, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Thursday.

Volunteer Riley Blake spends many hours with his red kettle inside the downtown Eaton Center collecting, but says some people don't even know he's there.

"A lot of people ask us questions, 'Why don't we use the bells,' because they're so used to it," he said.

"[We tell them it's] because of rules and regulations we're not allowed to. There's not much you can do about it -- just stand here quietly and smile," he said.

An Eaton Center spokesman said the mall is an indoor environment with no overhead music or competing noises.

A few years back, Brian O'Hoski said, management asked the Salvation Army to stop ringing the bells because of noise complaints from some of the mall's 230 tenants.

Shoppers were surprised that complaints could shut down the Salvation Army bells at the Eaton Center.

"It's Christmas," Iman Mahdi said. "It makes no sense".

The bells were never very loud, Bonnie Vivier said -- "it was just a little tinkle".

Salvation Army Capt. John Murray, who deals with bell-ringing complaints on a case-by-case basis, says he's just happy volunteers can hang their kettles where the public can see them and donate. UPI

FBI agent: Russian was mega-spammer

MILWAUKEE, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. investigators say a 23-year-old Russian, arrested when he visited Las Vegas for a car show, was responsible for one-third of worldwide spam.

Oleg Nikolaenko of Moscow is scheduled to appear in federal court in Milwaukee Friday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Thursday. He was arrested Nov. 4 and indicted Nov. 16 on charges of violating the CAN-SPAM Act.

FBI Special Agent Brett Banner, in an affidavit filed with the court, said Nikolaenko used malicious software to take over computers, merging them into a "botnet" so large one expert called it Mega-D. 

Those computers allegedly sent out 10 billion pieces of spam a day.

Nikolaenko became a target with the arrest of a man selling counterfeit Rolodex watches online, Banner said. The man, who said he had paid $2 million for spam e-mails advertising his wares, provided information that eventually led to Nikolaenko.

At one point, Nikolaenko was responsible for about one-third of the spam e-mail being sent globally, Banner said, although work by Internet security firms subsequently cut that down to 12 percent. UPI

Judge blocks Asian carp lock closure

CHICAGO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A federal judge has blocked a third attempt to close shipping locks in the Chicago area to keep invasive Asian carp out of Lake Michigan, officials said.

U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow in Chicago said the carp do not appear to be an imminent threat and closing the locks might be ineffective at keeping the voracious fish at bay in any case, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Five Great Lakes states sued the federal government in July to force temporary closure of locks on the Calumet-Sag Channel and the Chicago River. Attorneys from Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania said lock closure was the most effective and immediate way to keep Asian carp out, as the Great Lakes were approaching a "biological tipping point" in a decades-long fight against the carp, a native of China with no known predators in North America.

If the fish reach the Great Lakes they could jeopardize the region's $7-billion-a-year commercial and recreational fishing industry, supporters of the lock closures said.

"They are amazingly fecund, they reproduce rapidly, they are very mobile, they can disrupt the aquatic food chain," Michigan Assistant Attorney General Robert Reichel told Dow during the trial. "The concern is that we are at a critical juncture in the migration of these species".

Opponents of the lock-closure plan called it a "politically motivated" attack and said that sealing the locks, even temporarily, would deal a crippling blow to the regional economy. UPI

Palestinians killed at Gaza-Israeli border

KIBBUTZ KFAR AZA, Israel, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Israeli ground and air forces killed two alleged Palestinian terrorists Thursday at a border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, Israel's military said.

The unidentified gunmen were spotted approaching the border fence near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in northern Gaza around 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST Wednesday), officials said. The men allegedly began laying explosives at the fence, the officials said.

The men appeared to have planned to take advantage of the morning twilight to infiltrate Israel and carry out a terrorist attack, army officials indicated. Weapons found on the men's bodies were examined by the military, Ynetnews.com reported.

No soldiers were injured in the shootings.

There has been a recent rise in alleged attempts by Palestinian militants to bomb targets along the border and fire rockets at Israel, Haaretz reported.

Israel's air force carried out several strikes on the Gaza Strip last month after a barrage of mortar shells, a truck-mounted 122mm Grad rocket and a phosphorous bomb were fired at the western Negev desert and semi-desert region of southern Israel. UPI

NYC homicide victims most likely black

NEW YORK, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Black men ages 25-40, with a history of drugs and hanging around with an armed friend are the most likely to be killed in New York, crime statistics indicate.

The latest New York Police Department statistics show drugs are involved in at least half of the city's homicides, and two-thirds of the victims are black, the New York Daily News reported Thursday.

The most likely homicide-victim profile is that of a black man, 25 to 40 years old, with a record of drug crimes, roaming the streets with an associate in possession of a gun, the Daily News said.

Forty-nine percent of all murder victims are connected with drug sales and-or use, while 67 percent of the victims are black, 25 percent are Hispanic and 4 percent are white, the Daily News reported.

The city's homicide total through Tuesday is 476, compared with 470 for all of last year.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called the findings unacceptable, but not surprising. UPI

House votes to censure Rangel

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives Thursday voted to censure longtime member Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., for 11 ethics violations.

The House voted 333-79 to censure Rangel after turning aside a resolution calling for a reprimand. It was only the 23rd time in the 180-year history of the House a member had been censured, and the first time in 27 years.

Rangel was forced to stand in the well of the House and listen to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read the ethics charges and committee findings.

Rangel's allies argued the former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee should not be subjected to the humiliation of a formal censure.

"I implore you to pause for a moment and step back," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., urged colleagues, saying the same "standard of justice" should be applied to Rangel as had been applied to others.

"If expulsion is the equivalent of the death sentence, then censure is life imprisonment," King said.

Rangel said little in his own defense but told a lengthy story about the stint he served in the military during the Korean War, saying after that he could find little in his life about which to complain.

The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct recommended censure after its adjudicatory panel found Rangel guilty of ethics violations including improperly soliciting donations for an educational center bearing his name, failing to pay taxes on a villa and filing mistake-riddled financial disclosure forms.

Those supporting Rangel say the punishment is disproportionate to the violations.

"It's like getting a year in jail for a parking ticket," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., a black caucus member, told The Hill Wednesday. UPI

Arsonist in Canada sets himself on fire

MONTREAL, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The suspect in an arson fire at a Montreal pharmacy accidentally set his clothing on fire during the crime, police said.

Police said a man smashed the front window of a small, independently owned pharmacy on Park Avenue in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood around 4 a.m. Thursday, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. News reported.

Witnesses say they saw the man throw gasoline into the store and ignite it, setting his coat alight in the process and fleeing with it on fire.

A sprinkler system in the pharmacy brought the fire under control before firefighters arrived, and damage was minimal, police said.

Police say the suspect, described as male and wearing dark clothing, who was seen running away northbound on Park Avenue.

The arson follows more than two dozen suspicious fires in Montreal this year, authorities said.

Montreal police have formed a special task force to investigate links between some of the arson attacks and organized crime, CBC News reported. UPI

Thai PM seeks PAD meeting before big rally

BANGKOK, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Thailand's leader said Thursday he hoped to meet with People's Alliance for Democracy leaders to talk about constitutional reforms before a planned mass rally.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva said he would like to meet with PAD coordinator Tul Sitthisamanwong ahead of the group's planned rally at Bangkok's Makkawan Rangsan Bridge Dec. 11.

"I cannot say yet when the meeting will take place, but hopefully before Dec 11," the Bangkok Post quoted Abhisit as saying.

The group -- a chief player in Thailand's 2005-2006 political crisis, its 2008 crisis and the Cambodian-Thai border standoff -- wants to stop Thailand's Parliament from endorsing three reports emerging from meetings of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission.

The reports may result in loss of Thai territory adjacent to the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple located on land jointly claimed by Thailand and Cambodia.

PAD co-leader retired Maj. Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, a former mayor of Bangkok and leader of an ascetic Buddhist sect, said the protest would continue until his group's demands are met.

Abhisit gave protesters permission to rally, provided the demonstration remains peaceful and lawful.

The border standoff between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into violence in October 2008 and April 2009 as troops from both nations exchanged fire over ownership of the temple and surrounding land.

Forces exchanged fire most recently for about 15 minutes April 16, with no reports of casualties. UPI

Kilpatrick to testify about lost computer

DETROIT, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was ordered by a judge to testify about whether the city is responsible for losing or destroying his computer.

U.S. Magistrate R. Steven Whalen said Wednesday, "Mr. Kilpatrick's testimony is necessary" to determine whether the city destroyed e-mails relevant to lawsuits by destroying or losing their only known location, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.

Kilpatrick is expected to be asked at 9 a.m. Monday about an affidavit he filed last month claiming he did not know how to store or archive e-mails while serving as mayor and he turned his computer over to his successor, Ken Cockrel Jr., when he resigned in 2008.

Cockrel said he "never saw" the computer and city officials said they do not know where it is located.

Attorney Norman Yatooma said he believes the city intentionally destroyed the machine. He is representing the family of Tamara Greene, an exotic dancer who is rumored to have performed at a party at a mayoral mansion six months before she was killed in a drive-by shooting in April 2003. The lawsuit claims Kilpatrick and  other city officials intentionally stymied the investigation to keep the killer from being identified.

Kilpatrick resigned in 2008 after being charged with felony counts including obstruction of justice and perjury. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges and served 99 days in jail, but was again jailed on a sentence of 18 months to 5 years in May for a probation violation. He is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan. UPI

Arrests lead to alleged counterfeit probe

BANGKOK, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Thailand and Spain Thursday investigated an alleged counterfeiting ring a day after arrests were made for alleged terrorists' fake passports, officials said.

Ten people were arrested in Barcelona and Thailand on suspicion of giving stolen, falsified European passports to terrorists entering Western nations, The New York Times reported.

An 18-month international probe revealed the network allegedly had London and Brussels branches, and was overseen by Muhammad Athar Butt, 42, of Pakistan, who was arrested in Bangkok, Spanish officials said.

The officials said the ring is "an important passport operation for al-Qaida" and the arrests affected "its international counterfeiting apparatus, and therefore, its capacity to operate".

Spanish police said the network was connected to Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Pakistan-based terrorist group that perpetrated attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, killing at least 163 people.

Police said the ring also provided fraudulent passports and other documents to the Tamil Tigers, the rebel Sri Lankan group defeated last year by the government.

A Thai police official said there are suspicions the network provided documents for those involved in the 2004 Madrid bombings. UPI

Gates, Mullen urge end to 'don't ask'

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged the U.S. Senate Thursday to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military.

Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Armed Services Committee, The Washington Post reported. A report released Tuesday suggested a majority of military service members say allowing gays to serve openly would present no problems.

"There are some for whom this debate is all about gray areas," Mullen said. "There is no gray area here. We treat each other with respect, or we find another place to work. Period. That's why I also believe leadership will prove vital". 

A poll of thousands of service members had some anomalies. On the one hand, combat troops, especially Marines, were far more likely to see problems with a policy change, but soldiers who said they had served with someone they believed to be homosexual were much more likely to favor a policy change.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., once again urged that any change be postponed. He said the committee has not had time to study the report and that the thousands of men and women polled for the report represent only 6 percent of the armed forces. UPI

Canada: Arrests up on Quebec border

OTTAWA, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The number of illegal border-crossers arrested near the Quebec-Vermont border in October and November is four times the number last year, Canadian police say.

Canadian officials said the increase suggests human traffickers have become aware the region includes a network of rural roads and abandoned logging trails, the National Post reported.

"There's no doubt that some of these illegal crossings are being facilitated by smugglers who are acting as coyotes to bring people across the border in a fashion that's not dissimilar to what happens across the Mexican-U.S. border," Jason Kenney, the federal citizenship and immigration minister, told the newspaper Wednesday. "These are not all spontaneous individual crossings".

Officials say illegal immigrants who have been denied asylum in the United States may be trying to get into Canada to exploit a quirk in the country's immigration law. They would be turned away if they tried to enter at an official border post. But if they cross illegally, they can apply for refugee status in Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported that 60 arrests were made in the past two months, quadruple the apprehensions in October and November 2009. UPI

Toronto crossbow attack kills man outside library

A man has been killed after being hit with a bolt from a crossbow in Toronto, Canadian officials say.

The victim, estimated to be in his 30s or 40s, was shot in the back outside a library in the city's east end. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later arrested a man who was reportedly seen running with a crossbow and trying to escape in a van.

The motive for the attack - which happened at about 1630 local time (2130 GMT) - was not immediately clear.

Officials say there were many witnesses who could help in the ongoing investigation. BBC News