Lampard to decide Chelsea future after World Cup

The veteran midfielder hopes to do as well as possible with England in Brazil before committing to his next step, his latest deal at Stamford Bridge due to expire in the summer

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard plans to leave any decisions on his future until after England's World Cup campaign.

The 35-year-old will lead his country against Chile on Friday in the absence of regular skipper Steven Gerrard, collecting his 103rd cap in the process.

Lampard has featured in every Premier League game for Chelsea this season, having signed a one-year contract extension in May, but for now is focusing on retaining his England place ahead of the tournament.

Asked about his future, the Blues star told The Sun: "Right now, I'm not sure in my own head. At my age I understand it's not a four-year contract, it's a one-year extension. I'm more than happy with that.

"I'll make a decision after the World Cup ... when we've won it and can all retire happy!"

Lampard, who has made 414 Premier League appearances for Chelsea since joining the club in 2001, is well aware that he is in a "dogfight" to keep hold of his place on the plane to Brazil.

Curfew imposed in Rawalpindi after clashes leave seven dead

RAWALPINDI: Curfew has been imposed in Rawalpindi after violent clashes between two groups left at least seven people dead and over 40 injured on Friday as worshippers massed to mourn the seventh century martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA).

The clashes erupted when a mourners’ procession was on its way through Fawara Chowk in the garrison city.

According to a Punjab government spokesperson, the curfew has been slapped to bring the situation under control following the deadly clashes and the subsequent unrest, which is feared to spark off more untoward incidents to the peril of local residents.

The curfew, which was enforced at 12:00 AM, will remain imposed for 24 hours, sources told Geo News.

As the troops took control of the city some of roads in the garrison city were also blocked with shipping containers and mobile phone services were suspended as a security measure.

The district administration has warned the citizens to stay at homes as violation of curfew will not be tolerated. It further added that areas like Rawal Town, Potohar Town, and Cantonment were also under curfew.

Taking a notice of the incident, Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif had tasked the officials with a detailed report into the clashes.

Earlier, a doctor at Rawalpindi's district hospital, said death toll from the clashes had reached to seven people whereas 35 more are under treatment for injuries.

"Among 35 wounded people brought to our hospital, 13 had gunshot wounds," Khan said.

He said five wounded people were shifted to another hospital.

Police said private properties were also set on fire during the clashes.

Media reports said large contingents of troops were deployed in the city following the clashes and forces used tear gas to disperse the rival groups.

According to sources, violent youths attacked rival groups and also broke the cameras of reporters who arrived on scene.

Video footage also showed participants of the procession beating policemen.

An eyewitness saw crowds from the rival groups gathering in the hospital and chanting slogans against each other.

Pakistan had deployed heavy security all across the country during Muharram to avert any terrorist attack and jammed mobile phone services, which hampered communication following the clashes

5-year-old California boy a smash hit as ‘Batkid’

SAN FRANCISCO: Dressed in a black Batman costume, his fists clenched as he took on foe after foe around San Francisco, a 5-year-old boy who has battled leukemia for years fulfilled his wish Friday to be his favorite superhero.

In the process, Miles Scott became a darling of social media and attracted thousands of fans around the country, including the White House.

``When you have an illness, it's very important to know you have a support system,'' said Gina Futrell, a 51-year-old with multiple sclerosis, who was among a large crowd gathered at Union Square for a chance to so see the ``Batkid'' in action. ``I have an extremely strong support system, and I hope he does too. He's such a little hero.''

Batkid was called into service by Police Chief Greg Suhr and spent the day zooming from one ``crime scene'' to the next. Accompanied by an adult Batman impersonator, Batkid rescued a damsel in distress from cable car tracks, captured the Riddler as he robbed a bank, and saved the San Francisco Giants mascot _ Lou Seal _ from the Penguin's clutches.

Miles was able to fulfill his wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the city and volunteers who stepped forward to help. He was diagnosed three years ago, underwent chemotherapy treatment and is now in remission.

Batkid had a police escort worthy of a dignitary as he sped around the city in a black Lamborghini with a Batman decal, with officers blocking traffic and riding alongside him on motorcycles.

The White House sent out a tweet encouraging Batkid to ``Go get `em!'' In a video recording, President Barack Obama said, ``Way to go, Miles! Way to save Gotham!''

The crowds grew after each stop, reaching into the thousands by the time Miles got to Union Square for lunch at the Burger Bar atop Macy's. Spectators climbed trees and clambered up lampposts, and police and organizers struggled to keep a path open for the motorcade, which drove past onlookers lining the streets six deep for several blocks.

At Batkid's stop in the city's Russian Hill neighborhood, a woman sat on the cable car tracks in a dress and thigh-high black boots. She had a handkerchief around her mouth, and her hands were bound behind her back.

Batman and Batkid sprang into action, with the aid of a trampoline, as the crowd roared. They rescued the woman and disabled a plastic replica bomb she was tied to.

The two masked superheroes then took off to nab the Riddler as he robbed a downtown bank. They later jetted to the Penguin's kidnapping of Lou Seal.

The 5-year-old at first seemed overwhelmed by the outpouring, quietly working through each scenario with clenched fists and tight lips amid delirious chants of ``bat kid, bat kid.'' But by the time he reached City Hall to receive a key to the city in front of the biggest crowd of the day, Miles was all smiles and bravado.

Though he didn't address the crowd, he raised his fist twice and wore a grin as he was feted with chocolate, an FBI ``raid jacket'' and a San Francisco Police Department cap. A clothing company donated $10,000 to Miles' family, and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee proclaimed Nov. 15 to be ``Batkid Day Forever.''

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag unveiled an ``indictment'' charging the Penguin and Riddler with conspiracy as the crowd that stretched for blocks roared with delight.

Miles' father, Nick Scott, was asked what the boy liked best about Batman. ``The cape, I guess,'' he said.

The father thanked the crowd, organizers and the city for showing his son a good time. ``This is closure for us,'' Nick Scott said. ``It has been a hard three years.''

Miles, who lives in Tulelake in northern California, didn't know what was in store for him and thought he was in San Francisco just to get a Batman costume so he could dress like his favorite superhero.

He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 18 months old and ended treatments in June.

Make-A-Wish has fulfilled similar wishes across the country. In Anaheim, a child became Batman's sidekick, Robin; and in Seattle a child was a secret agent, said Jen Wilson, a spokeswoman for the local organization.

The San Francisco Chronicle, KGO-TV and thousands of volunteers participated in the event. At Union Square, the Chronicle distributed hundreds of copies of special-edition newspapers with the headline ``Batkid Saves City.''

France’s Hollande heads to Israel ahead of Iran talks

French President Francois Hollande heads to Israel on Sunday hoping to give a push to stalled peace talks with the Palestinians despite Israel's preoccupation with negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
Hollande, who is flatlining in polls at home, will also use his three-day visit to try to boost trade with the Jewish state, which stood at 2.3 billion euros ($3 billion) in 2011.
He is accompanied by the heads of Alstom, Arianespace and Vinci as well as French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, a key participant in talks on curbing Iran's nuclear programme which ended in deadlock last weekend.
On Sunday he will meet President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has described the French president as "a close friend of the state of Israel."
Netanyahu and Peres have both urged France, which took a tougher line than its Western partners in last weekend's negotiations with Iran, to maintain its firm stance at the next round of talks which open on November 20.
"We are convinced that if Iran manufactures its bomb, all the countries of the Middle East will want to follow suit," the Israeli president told French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.
Israel and Western powers suspect the Islamic republic's uranium enrichment programme is part of a covert drive to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, an allegation vehemently denied by Tehran.
The P5+1 group negotiating with Tehran is made up of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.
Netanyahu will fly to Moscow on Wednesday to raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Hollande's office said that although France's "tactical approach" on Iran was different from Israel's more bellicose stance, both seek to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
On Monday Hollande goes to the West Bank city of Ramallah for discussions with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
French sources said he would encourage both sides to make the necessary compromises to overcome obstacles to US-brokered peace talks revived in July after a nearly three-year hiatus.
Hollande, accompanied by half a dozen of his ministers, will argue for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with security guarantees for Israel to exist alongside a viable Palestinian state.
He is expected to criticise Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and in annexed east Jerusalem, areas the Palestinians have demanded as part of their future state.
He will also visit the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004 in a French hospital and who Swiss scientists recently said may have been poisoned with polonium.
The Islamist Hamas movement ruling Gaza condemned Hollande's visit, with senior official Salah al-Bardawil saying it "supports Israel and is likely to ignore Palestinian rights."
The French leader will also address Israel's parliament, the Knesset, on Monday. On Tuesday he will visit the graves of four victims of Al-Qaeda-linked gunman Mohamed Merah, who went on a shooting spree in and around the southern French city of Toulouse in March 2012, killing seven people.
During his visit he will also lay a wreath at the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism, and visit the resting place of slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

Lamar back in the NBA?

Lamar Odom could soon return to basketball. 
The star, whose four-year marriage to Khloé Kardashian has been rocked by allegations he cheated on her and has been battling an addiction to crack cocaine, is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations to bring him back to the Los Angeles Clippers. 
A source told E! News that the 33-year-old met with head coach Doc Rivers and Clippers GM Gary Sacks yesterday (15.11.13) and said the deal was 'done.'
It has been reported that the star had been working out to make his way back to the court and has been sober for a month.
A source said last month: 'He is taking steps to get himself back on track.'
The road to Lamar's NBA comeback has not been without struggle. The 14-year veteran, who previously played for the Clippers during the 2012-2013 season, was arrested for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) on August 30 and later pleaded not guilty.
At the time of Lamar's arrest, 29-year-old Khloé and the rest of the Kardashian family had been urging him to seek treatment.
The couple have since been attending counselling sessions and are 'using it as a forum to talk through all of their issues'
A source added: 'Khloé has been very, very hurt by everything. There is a lot about Lamar that she is just learning and if they have any chance of making this work, there is a lot they need to come to terms with.'

Natasha Bedingfield: Singing for the Duchess is an honour

Natasha Bedingfield is 'honoured' to count Britain's Duchess Catherine as a fan. 
The 'These Words' singer, who has performed for Prince William's wife on a number of occasions, sang for her again at the launch of Princess Cruises' new vessel Royal Princess earlier this year.
The 31-year-old exclusively told BANG Showbiz: 'I've met her before she's lovely, I adore her. 
'I just feel like she has an amazing rapport with people, she's got a lot of love. I always love seeing her, she quite talkative.'
Natasha flew in from Los Angeles to support her mother Molly Bedingfield at the Global Angels Awards at The Roundhouse in Camden last night (15.11.13). 
Molly set up the charity which helps disadvantaged communities around the world and Natasha sang at the event with 'X Factor' judge Nicole Scherzinger. 
The blonde beauty said ahead of the gig: 'My mum is so passionate about this cause and it's just such a wonderful feeling to be involved and bring the music element to this show. 
'Nicole and I have known each other for quite a while now and become very close friends and I'm going to enjoy bringing that energy to the stage, we haven't performed together before.'
Natasha, who has been in America for some time, is keeping details of her new album under wraps, but says it will be 'soulful.'
She added: 'I've been doing a lot of things here [in Britain] and my album is on it's way.'

Oprah: My friend Obama

Oprah Winfrey predicted Barack Obama would become America's next president. 
The 59-year-old media mogul keeps in contact with Obama and introduced him to her famous friends at a party. 
Speaking on 'The Jonathan Ross Show', which airs tonight (16.11.13), she said: 'That was one of those moments. I had seen him at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and I remember sitting in my sitting room watching him alone and thinking, 'That man's going to be president one day and I hope I'm alive to see it'.
'I said to him in 2005... I had a party with all the legends, Diana Ross and Tina Turner, like 60 of them... and I invited Barack Obama there to speak and I remember introducing him to that entire group saying, 'This man will be president some day.' 
'And I just felt like I had the platform, I had the Oprah show that reached millions of people every day and that was an opportunity to use my voice.'
Oprah said she kept in touch with Obama and he emailed her to tell her he was going to run for president. 
She said: 'I got an email in 2007...from him that said, 'I think I'm going to do it. I think I'm going to do this thing.' It's great.'