Slim, broadcasters take fight to soccer field

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim speaks during news conference at the Soumaya museum in Mexico City. Slim recently bought part of two of Mexico's first division soccer teams, setting up another showdown with television giants Televisa and TV Azteca, major players in the soccer field that are in turn trying to push their way into Slim?s telecommunications and Internet markets. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim speaks during news conference at the Soumaya museum in Mexico City. Slim recently bought part of two of Mexico's first division soccer teams, setting up another showdown with television giants Televisa and TV Azteca, major players in the soccer field that are in turn trying to push their way into Slim?s telecommunications and Internet markets. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? Mexicans often feel that billionaire Carlos Slim owns everything in their country, from telephone and Internet companies to banks and chain stores, but his latest acquisitive foray is meeting resistance after touching a national passion: soccer.

Slim recently bought part of two of Mexico's first division soccer teams, setting up another showdown with television giants Televisa and TV Azteca, major players in the soccer field that are in turn trying to push their way into Slim's telecommunications and Internet markets.

The owners of the 18 Mexican first division clubs are scheduled to meet Monday to decide whether one person or one company can own more than one first-division soccer team, and many see Slim as the target.

Each team has one vote in decisions by the Mexican Football Federation, so purchasing more teams would give Slim more power in the federation. Recently, there have been rumors in sporting circles and on social networks that Slim also plans to buy or acquire the broadcast rights for Chivas, one of Mexico's two most popular teams, along with Televisa's America. The billionaire's spokesmen have denied that.

"What is evident in their business decisions is that Televisa is interested in entering Slim's mobile and broadband fields and Slim is interested in entering the soccer field, which has been under the monopoly of the two television networks," said telecommunications analyst Gabriel Sosa Plata, referring to the fact that the networks long had exclusive broadcast rights to the games of all 18 teams.

Slim ventured into soccer in September, when he bought 30 percent of the shares in the Leon and Pachuca teams through his telecommunications company America Movil. In December, he bought all the shares of the second division team Estudiantes Tecos.

Following the acquisitions, team owners in February decided to discuss the issue of multi-ownership.

The decision raised some eyebrows since TV Azteca currently owns two teams, the Jaguares and Morelia, and Televisa once owned three first division teams, America, Necaxa and San Luis, without notable complaints within the federation about the issue of multi-team ownership. The world football authority, FIFA, however, has expressed concern about conflict of interest questions raised by the issue.

Pachuca's owner, Jesus Martinez, said he was shocked that the subject of multi-ownership has come up since Slim ventured into soccer.

"It's laughable because that (multi-ownership) has been going on for more than 25 years," Martinez said.

But Televisa currently owns just one team, America, and TV Azteca is reportedly thinking of selling the Jaguares to a business group that would relocate it from Chiapas state to Queretaro. A Jaguares' spokesman wouldn't comment on the report but if the purchase takes place, Slim would be the only businessman with multiple teams in the first division.

Neither Televisa, the world's largest producer of Spanish-language TV programs, nor TV Azteca immediately responded to interview requests by The Associated Press.

Decio de Maria, president of the Mexican Soccer League, said that if there is a vote against a single person or company owning several teams, Slim wouldn't be obligated to sell one of his teams but he would be prevented from buying more first division teams.

"In the next owners assembly, they will discuss whether there are differences between multi-ownership now and what has been happening in the past and if there are then we will take the necessary measures," said Slim's spokesman Arturo Elias Ayub.

So the upcoming vote on the subject seems geared to preventing Slim from buying more teams, not forcing him to shed one he already has.

Slim's foray into the world of soccer is also threatening the two TV networks in an area they hold dear: broadcast rights to games.

Slim's America Movil is a leading provider of cable and satellite television in Latin America but he has not been able to launch a network of his own in Mexico, something that could change after a recent approval of a reform that allows for more competition in the telecommunications sector.

Lacking his own station, after acquiring part of Leon, Slim began marketing the rights to broadcast its games, ending the duopoly held by Televisa and TV Azteca.

"Soccer is important for non-paid television because it is part of Mexico's most watched programming and for Televisa and TV Azteca it was an area they completely dominated," Sosa Plata said. "Slim's entry into soccer is reorganizing the field and giving a new perspective to a business that seemed stagnant."

The billionaire sold the broadcast rights for the Leon games to Telemundo in the United States, and the cable channel Fox Sports in Mexico and the rest of Latin America and to the website mediotiempo.com, which belongs to CNN/Expansion. The games are also sown on the Internet through UNO TV owned by Slim's business group.

Pachuca's broadcast rights belong to TV Azteca but that contract expires in December and Martinez has said he will negotiate with the highest bidder, which suggests that his partner Slim won't be excluded from the possibility of buying the rights.

Slim "is a very important partner in our group, he's helping soccer to grow, which is what really matters," Martinez said.

Slim is also moving into broadcasting sports outside Mexico.

In March, America Movil trumped its rivals by announcing it had acquired the broadcast rights across all media platforms for the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 and Brazil 2016 for Latin America, except Brazil.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-05-19-Mexico-Slim-Soccer/id-110336dd190a4b8ab3de59cc71f3b4ec

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Iran's Guard warns against post-election turmoil

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Several Iranian newspapers are citing a senior Revolutionary Guard commander as warning his forces will be on watch for possible unrest after the June 14 presidential election.

Col. Rasool Sanaeirad says a "possible riot in Tehran could spread" to other regions. He claims chances for turmoil are heightened because Iran is for the first time holding both presidential and municipal balloting at the same time.

The remarks appear to be a warning to the opposition against staging protests. They were published Sunday in several papers, including the pro-reform Bahar daily.

All key policies in Iran are made by the clerics and their inner circle, including the powerful Guard.

The Guardian Council, the clerical watchdog that runs the elections, is expected Tuesday to announce a handful of candidates for the ballot.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-guard-warns-against-post-election-turmoil-082436418.html

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Obama agenda seems to be weathering controversies

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in Congress and lack of evidence to date of wrongdoing close to the Oval Office.

"Absolutely not," Steven Miller, the recently resigned acting head of the Internal Revenue Service, responded Friday when asked if he had any contact with the White House about targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status for special treatment.

The president's re-election campaign?" persisted Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

"No," said Miller.

The hearing took place at the end of a week in which Republicans repeatedly assailed Obama and were attacked by Democrats in turn ? yet sweeping immigration legislation advanced methodically toward bipartisan approval in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure "has strong support of its own in the Senate," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a member of the panel.

Across the Capitol, a bipartisan House group reported agreement in principle toward a compromise on the issue, which looms as Obama's best chance for a signature second-term domestic achievement. "I continue to believe that the House needs to deal with this," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who is not directly involved in the talks.

The president's nominee to become energy secretary, Ernest Moniz, won Senate confirmation, 97-0. And there were signs that Republicans might allow confirmation of Sri Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, sometimes a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.

Separately, a House committee approved legislation to prevent a spike in interest rates on student loans on July 1. It moves in the direction of a White House-backed proposal for future rate changes to be based on private markets.

Even so, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said, "It's been a bad week for the administration."

Several Democratic lawmakers and aides agreed, and expressed concern about the impact on Obama's agenda ? even though much of it has been stymied by Republicans for months already.

At the same time, Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., voiced optimism that the IRS controversy would boost the push for an overhaul of the tax code, rather than derail it. "It may make a case for a simpler tax code, where the IRS has less discretion," he said.

Long-term budget issues, the main flash point of divided government since 2011, have receded as projected deficits fall in the wake of an improving economy and recently enacted spending cuts and tax increases.

Even before Obama began grappling with the IRS, the fallout from last year's deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, and from the Justice Department's secret seizure of Associated Press phone records, the two parties were at odds over steps to replace $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts. In particular, Obama's call for higher taxes is a nonstarter with Republicans.

Other high-profile legislation and presidential appointees face difficulties that predate the current controversies.

Months ago, Obama scaled back requested gun safety legislation to center on expanded background checks for firearms purchasers. That was derailed in the Senate, has even less chance in the House and is unlikely to reach the president's desk.

Republicans oppose other recommendations from the president's State of the Union address, including automatic increases in the minimum wage, a pre-kindergarten program funded by higher cigarette taxes and more federal money for highways and bridge repair.

In a clash that long predates the IRS controversy, Senate Republicans seem intent on blocking Obama's nomination of Tom Perez as labor secretary. Gina McCarthy's nomination to head the Environmental Protection Agency is also on hold, at least temporarily, and Democrats expect Republican opposition awaits Penny Pritzger, Obama's choice for commerce secretary.

Rhetorically, the two parties fell into two camps when it came to the White House troubles. Democrats tended to describe them as controversies, Republicans often used less flattering terms.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., accused the administration of fostering a "culture of intimidation." He referred to the IRS, the handling of the Benghazi attack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' "fundraising among the industry people she regulates on behalf of the president's health care law."

Two days later, Camp, a 23-year veteran lawmaker, opened the IRS hearing by calling the agency's actions part of a "culture of cover-ups and intimidation in this administration." He offered no other examples.

Rep. Trey Radel, a first-term Florida Republican, said in an interview, "What we're looking at now is a breach of trust" from the White House.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California offered a scathing response when asked if the controversies would hamper Obama's ability to win legislation from the Republican-controlled House. "Well, the last two years there was nothing that went through this Congress, and it was no AP, IRS or any other (thing) that we were dealing with."

"They just want to do nothing. And their timetable is never," she said of GOP lawmakers.

Similarly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave no ground on Benghazi, a dispute that increasingly centered on talking points written for administration officials to use on television after the attack last September in which U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

"It's obvious it's an attempt to embarrass President Obama and embarrass Hillary Clinton," he said of Republican criticism that first flared during last year's election campaign.

On a third front, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., resurrected legislation that would requiring a judge to approve subpoenas for news media communications records when investigating news leaks said to threaten the national security. It was a response to the FBI's secret, successful pursuit of Associated Press phone records in a current probe.

While Democrats counterattacked on Benghazi and parried on leaks, they bashed the IRS' treatment of conservative groups as improper if not illegal ? and warned Republicans not to overplay their hand.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-agenda-seems-weathering-controversies-072617076.html

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Sanchez German and Garcia Ivan secure Men's 10m Synchro ...

Sanchez German and Garcia Ivan secure Men?s 10m Synchro Platform gold ? Swimming news

Sanchez German and Garcia Ivan of Mexico secured gold medal of the Men?s 10m Synchronised Platform on day one of the FINA/MIDEA Diving World Series 2013 in Guadalajara, Mexico on Friday, May 17.

The Mexican pair devastated hopes of their challengers in the final of the 10m event as they remained comfortably ahead of them and grabbed the title. With their unrelenting efforts, the duo earned a prominent lead in the first round and reached the podium for the title.

With their exceptional efforts, Sanchez and Garcia gained a lead of two points from their toughest challenger in the first round as they secured 52.80 points while Minibaev Victor and Chesakov Artem of Russia managed to get only 50.40 points.

Similarly, the Mexican pair extended their lead by 0.60 points in the second round as they secured a total of 54.60 against Russia?s 54.00 points.

Following that, Garcia and Sanchez continued their nerve-wrecking efforts in the third and fourth rounds as they accomplished 89.91 ad 88.11 points respectively. In contrast, Minibaev and Chesakov were only able to get 86.40 and 83.25 points respectively.

The same continued in last two rounds, where the German pair achieved 92.07 and 90.06 points as compared to the 74.52 and 79.92 points of Minibaev and Chesakov.

The Mexican pair was able to secure gold medal of the event with a score of 467.55 points. The gold medallists were followed by Russian duo that gained silver medal of the event with 428.49 points.

Third spot of the event was obtained by Guerra Jose Antonio and Aguirre Jeinkler of Cuba, who were able to reach the podium for bronze medal with a score of 409.11.

Subsequently, the crowd witnessed gruelling efforts of Rios Lopera Juan and Ortega Victor of Colombia, who were able to overwhelm any of their challengers. The duo remained nearly six points away from the Colombian pair as they secured 403.65 points.

In addition, the Mexican pair expressed happiness over their victory in the 10m synchronised event while the position holders were invited on the medal rostrum for awards and accolades after the session.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Sanchez-German-and-Garcia-Ivan-secure-Mens-10m-Synchro-Platform-gold-Swimming-news-a215485

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Woman describes Berlusconi's 'bunga bunga' parties

MILAN (AP) ? Silvio Berlusconi's private disco featured not only aspiring showgirls performing striptease acts as sexy nuns and nurses, but one woman dressed up as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor whom the billionaire media mogul has accused of persecuting him, according to the first public sworn testimony by the Moroccan woman at the center of the scandal.

Karima el-Mahroug's testimony Friday at the trial of three former Berlusconi aides accused with procuring her and other women for prostitution confirms a sexually charged atmosphere at the "bunga bunga" parties of the then-sitting premier. The trial is separate from the one in which Berlusconi is charged with paying for sex with a minor ? el-Mahroug when she was 17 ? and trying to cover it up.

El-Mahroug, now 20, said she attended about a half-dozen parties, using her nickname Ruby, and that after each, Berlusconi handed her an envelope with up to 3,000 euros ($3,900) in denominations of 500. She said she later received 30,000 euros cash from the then-premier paid through an intermediary ? money that she told Berlusconi she wanted to use to open a beautician salon despite having no formal training.

But she denied that Berlusconi had ever given her 5 million euros ($6.43 million). She said she told acquaintances and even her father that she was going to receive such a large sum "as a boast," but that it was a lie to make her seem more important.

The three Berlusconi aides ? Emilio Fede, an executive in Berlusconi's media empire; Nicole Minetti, a former dental hygienist, showgirl and local politician, and talent agent Dario "Lele" Mora ? are accused of recruiting women for prostitution at the parties and abetting prostitution, including of a minor. They deny the charges.

El-Mahroug has made carefully orchestrated statements to the media since the scandal broke, but has never publicly given sworn testimony. Both she and Berlusconi deny having had sex.

Dressed soberly with her hair pulled back, El-Mahroug said she first made contact with Berlusconi's inner circle when she participated in a beauty contest organized by Fede in Sicily when she was 16.

After that she made her way to Milan, hoping to find work. She said she tried to get work through another defendant's talent agency but didn't have proper identity documents, and wound up landing a job as a hostess in nightclubs, earning around 100 euros ($130) a night.

She frequently changed accommodation during that time, staying for periods of days with people whose names she no longer recalls.

Eventually, she ran into Fede at a restaurant, where she reminded him of his promise in Sicily to help her. Shortly thereafter, she was invited to a dinner party, at Berlusconi's villa outside of Milan.

She testified that she met the premier that night ? on Valentine's Day in 2010 ? and that he gave her an envelope of 2,000 to 3,000 euros ($2,600 to $3,900) as she was leaving, saying it was "a little help" and asking for her telephone number, which she gave him.

At that party, she said, she introduced herself as Ruby and told other guests a fake tale that she was Egyptian, that her mother was a famous Arab singer and that she was related to then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. She was 17 at the time but had passed herself off as being 23 or 24.

El-Mahroug confirmed Friday what other witnesses have testified previously: that at some of the soirees, young female party guests had dressed up like nuns and danced for Berlusconi and then stripped down to their underwear.

The parties took place in a disco in Berlusconi's villa equipped with a lap dance pole. El-Mahroug told the court that there was sometimes a singer who is close to Berlusconi at the parties, but most of the guests were young women. While she went home in a taxi alone the first night, other times, she testified, she slept in a guest room by herself. Since she only had the dress she was wearing, she was given a track suit in the morning to have breakfast, and sometimes stayed for lunch, leaving in the late afternoon.

El-Mahroug said Minetti, one of the defendants, had dressed up like a nun at that Feb. 14 party and lifted her costume to show off her legs as she danced in Berlusconi's in-house disco. El-Mahroug demonstrated from her seat how Minetti had raised her hemline. She said Minetti eventually took off her costume and was in just her lingerie.

She said another young woman dressed up alternately as Obama or a Milan magistrate who is leading the prosecution against Berlusconi in the sex scandal, donning a red wig and the black robes worn by magistrates in Italy.

"The girls who were dressed in costumes approached him in a sensual way as they danced. They raised their skirts," El-Mahroug testified. She added: "I never saw contact."

On the stand, El-Mahroug denied ever having acted as a prostitute, and repeated her denials that she ever had sex with Berlusconi.

However, when the presiding judge pressed her on wiretaps in which she appears to be referring to acts of prostitution, she said that her statements then were just "stupid things." It was the same phrase she used to explain away her statements that she was about to receive 5 million euros from the then-premier.

At one point, the judge admonished her that she was testifying at a trial aimed at ascertaining the facts, not appearing on a televised interview, when she appeared to criticize prosecutors, then backed down.

Prosecutors in Berlusconi's separate trial have said El-Mahroug's testimony is unreliable and are relying on her sworn statements. The defense had initially called her as a witness, but then changed its strategy and didn't call her. That trial is nearing a verdict and will reconvene May 24.

___

AP writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/woman-describes-berlusconis-bunga-bunga-parties-155231413.html

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