FIFA monitoring Ebola, Club World Cup goes ahead FIFA says monitoring Ebola, Club World Cup in Morocco goes ahead

Preparations for the Club World Cup in Morocco in December are continuing and there is currently no Ebola threat to cause it to be canceled or postponed, FIFA said Tuesday.
"Should the situation change we will be in touch with the participating clubs accordingly," FIFA said.
The world soccer body said it is in contact with Moroccan authorities and is "constantly updating its position" with regard to Ebola on the advice of the World Health Organization.
Morocco has no reported cases of the deadly virus that has killed nearly 5,000 people in West Africa, almost all in the three worst-affected countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The Club World Cup, which will feature Champions League winner Real Madrid and South American champion San Lorenzo of Argentina, is scheduled for Dec. 10-20.
FIFA also said it agrees with the Confederation of African Football's decision to move games out of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, but it didn't comment on Morocco's request for the African Cup of Nations in January and February to be postponed because of Ebola.
Morocco has asked organizer CAF if the tournament can be delayed, fearing fans traveling in numbers from West Africa for the 16-nation, three-week tournament.
CAF insists the African Cup must go ahead on the planned dates — Jan. 17-Feb. 8 — and will meet with Moroccan authorities early next month. Possible stand-in countries South Africa, Egypt and Sudan have all declined to host the tournament in Morocco's place.

Last chance to avoid seven-month ban, FIFA warns Nigeria

Nigeria have been given until Friday to sort out a legal quagmire involving the country's football federation (NFF) in what FIFA described as a "last opportunity to avoid a lengthy suspension".
FIFA said that if a federal court order, which has declared recent NFF elections to be null and void, is not withdrawn by then, Nigeria will be suspended from international football at least until the end of May.
This in turn would mean that African champions Nigeria, who reached the last-16 stage of this year's World Cup, would not be able to defend their title at the Nations Cup in Morocco in January and February.
The Jos High Court ruled last Thursday that September’s NFF vote, which elected Amaju Pinnick as president, be declared null and void, throwing the country’s football authorities back into crisis.
"We can confirm that FIFA has been informed by the NFF about the order granted by the Federal High Court nullifying the NFF elections... and that some persons claiming to have been legitimately elected previously went to occupy the offices of the NFF," said FIFA in a statement.
"We also have been informed that security forces prevented the NFF president from travelling to Namibia where he was supposed to represent the NFF at the final match of the African Women’s Championship."
FIFA said that "in order to give Nigerian football a last opportunity to avoid a lengthy suspension", it would allow them until Friday to prove that the court order had been withdrawn and "that the board elected on Sept. 30 is able to carry out its activities without any hindrance".

At least 10 people were killed and 31 injured when a bus carrying students on a hiking trip crashed in Brazil, police said Tuesday.

 

 

Ten dead, 20 injured in Brazil student bus crash

Authorities said 16 of the injured were in serious condition.
The bus was traveling late Monday from Sao Paulo to Borborema when it collided with an oncoming freight truck, killing 10 people instantly, according to Brazil's G1 news site.
The truck was carrying vegetable oil and a fire erupted after the crash, which took firefighters two hours to control, G1 reported.
The news site said an 11th body, badly charred, had been found Tuesday morning, but police were unable to confirm the report.
Police could not confirm the identities of the dead.
G1 reported six students between the ages of 15 and 17, three teachers and a school director may have been among those killed.
There were three buses traveling for the school trip and the buses were returning to Sao Paulo at the time of the crash, Borborema's education secretary Maria Angela Martins told G1.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals in Borborema, where three days of mourning was declared.
"The city is providing assistance, it is a very difficult time," Martins said.
The bus, carrying 42 passengers, had its side torn off in the violent crash. The other two buses on the trip were not involved in the crash.

Messi and Ronaldo top FIFA World Player of the Year 2014 list

Who should win it this year? World Football governing body, FIFA today October 28th released its Ballon D'or list for the 2013/2014 season aand usual nominees Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi top the list. Only one African made the list, Yaya Toure from Ivory Coast. See the full list after the cut and tell us who think should win this year...



2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist:
Gareth Bale (Wales)
Karim Benzema (France)
Diego Costa (Spain)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Mario Gotze (Germany)
Eden Hazard (Belgium)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Andres Iniesta (Spain)
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Philipp Lahm (Germany)
Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Neymar (Brazil)
Paul Pogba (France)
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

PDP reacts to Tambawal’s defection, asks him to resign

Aminu Tambuwal became Speaker of the House of Reps on the platform of the PDP but now that he has dumped the party for APC (he officially announced his defection today), the PDP is now asking him to resign. In a statement released today, the party asked Tambuwal to do the needful...

"After a thorough consideration of the matter, the NWC (National Working Committee) came to a conclusion that the Hon. Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority. We are not unmindful of the fact that Hon. Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed”. the PDP said...

Coke Gets A New Color. Basically, Pop Purists Should Not Read This Story.

In its multi-pronged effort to curb obesity and save the environment, Coca-Cola introduced its new soda product last month: Coca-Cola Life, an all-natural blend sweetened with sugar and stevia that boasts less than half the calories of a classic Coke (one 600-ml bottle contains 108 calories, versus 250), and comes in a recyclable bottle made with 30-percent plant-based materials. Perhaps what will catch your eye before noticing what's inside the bottles and cans is the new color emblazoned on the outside: Coke's gone green.
Conceived by Seattle-based design firm Platform, the new green labeling is meant to conjure up the usual: eco-friendly, recyclable, healthy, verdant, and so on. While the color choice itself may not be such a shock, any kind of alteration to a Coke design is a striking one. The company has been using its classic curved script since 1887, and its signature red color for its classic cola formula since the 1920s. Considering the beverage is currently only available in Argentina (with plans to launch in other countries these next few months), Coke purists will have time to adapt.

+ ENLARGE

New edition: The Coca-Cola family lineup, with its newly debuted Life.

 

Boxer Oscar De La Hoya returns to rehab

 

Boxer Oscar De La Hoya (pictured in August) has battled with drug and alcohol abuse.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Oscar De La Hoya announces he's in rehab
• "I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility," he says
• The boxer has previously admitted problems with drug and alcohol abuse

(CNN) -- Boxing great Oscar De La Hoya says he's back in rehab.

It's not the first stint in rehab for De La Hoya, 40, who has previously spoken about problems with drug and alcohol abuse.

The world-champion boxer announced he had entered treatment just days before Canelo Alvarez, who De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions represents, is set to square off against Floyd Mayweather.

"Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend. His is in the ring and mine in treatment," De La Hoya said in a written statement Tuesday.

"I will not be at the fight to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility."

He said he had explained the situation to Alvarez.

"He understood that my health and longterm recovery from my disease must come first," De La Hoya said. "Thank you for your understanding. I ask for your support and privacy during this difficult time for me and my family."