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Abe begins three nation tour

6 07 2014
Japan’s prime minister has set out on a tour of 3 nations in Oceania. Shinzo Abe will seek to strengthen cooperation on security and economic issues with the region’s leaders. Abe departed on Sunday for his first stop, New Zealand. He was accompanied by his wife Akie. Abe is also scheduled to visit Australia and Papua New Guinea. He’ll spend 7 days touring the region, and head back to Japan on Saturday.
Abe spoke to reporters before his departure from Haneda airport in Tokyo. He said he wants to start building a new era in relations between Japan and Australia when he meets Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday.NHK



Xi Jinping reminds Seoul students

6 07 2014
Xi brings up historical issues in speech on his visit to S Korea. China’s President Xi Jinping has brought up historical issues between Japan and its neighbors in a speech in South Korea, apparently to build a united front against Japan. Xi was speaking to students at Seoul National University on Friday. He said Japan, under militarism, carried out a brutal war against China and South Korea, annexed the Korean Peninsula and occupied part of China, and that the two countries’ people suffered tremendously. He stressed their joint resistance against militarist Japan by pointing out that the two peoples shared a fate and helped each other with full effort. On Thursday, participants at a joint news conference and a joint statement by Xi and South Korean President Park Guen-hye did not directly mention the historical issues.
A senior White House official says a meeting on Thursday between the Chinese and South Korean presidents does not affect relations between the United States and South Korea.
Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes spoke to reporters on Thursday.
He said China and South Korea pursuing economic cooperation does not sacrifice relations between the US and South Korea, adding that bilateral ties are solid.
In the talks, Xi Jinping and Park Geun-hye agreed that North Korea’s denuclearization should be achieved and that they are resolutely opposed to that country’s nuclear tests.
Rhodes said China is ready to put more pressure on North Korea. He stressed it is important for Pyongyang to be aware that it is being isolated.



Hong Kong police arrest activist group of last week protests

6 07 2014
Hong Kong police have arrested five people from the activist group that organized a giant pro-democracy rally this week. These include a representative of the group and the drivers that led the protests &  are accused of disobeying police instructions and causing mass confusion.
Protest  rally was staged on Tuesday, the 17th anniversary of Hong Kong’s autonomy reversion to China. They were protesting what they see as the Chinese government’s interference in Hong Kong’s autonomy. Organizer says an unprecedented 510,000 people took part.
More than 1,000 marchers, mainly young people, continued the protests until Wednesday morning by staging a sit-in on roads in Hong Kong’s central area.Police arrested more than 500 of the sit-in demonstrators. Hong Kong is granted a high level of autonomy under the “one-country, 2-systems” policy. It is rare that police arrest protest organizers.
Political analyst observers point out that China is trying to contain massive rallies scheduled for later this year. Hong Kong residents are increasingly frustrated with China’s growing influence on their lives.



Germany eases dual citizenship rules

6 07 2014
Germany eases dual citizenship rules
Germany has adopted a new law that allows dual citizenship for the children of immigrants, a step that will benefit mainly young people from the country’s three-million-strong Turkish-origin community
Until now, Germany-born children of immigrants from most non-EU countries were granted both German and their parents’ citizenship at birth but then had to opt for one of them by age 23.Under a law passed yesterday, those born since 1990 will now be allowed to keep both passports, scrapping the requirement that had forced young adults to make an often agonising choice.
The rule applies for those who at age 21 have lived in Germany at least eight years and attended school for at least six, and for holders of German school diplomas or job qualifications.
Representatives of the Turkish community have argued the new law does not go far enough because it excludes first-generation immigrants who came to Germany as “guest workers”.
The citizenship reform was a key demand of the centre-left Social Democrats before they agreed to join Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives in a ‘grand coalition’ government last year.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, a conservative, called the law’s passage a “big step”, while recalling that the debate over the change “a bitter and hard battle”.
Conservatives had opposed dual citizenship in such cases, arguing that it is impossible to be loyal to two countries.
In the end the law passed by 463-111 with one abstention. Social Democrat lawmaker Ruediger Veit hailed the “huge step toward a modern citizenship law”.
“From now on every child who is born here and grows up here is and remains a citizen of this country, with all the rights and obligations,” said Veit.
Germany had already allowed dual citizenship if the other country was a member of the 28-nation European Union or one of several dozen other nations.



UN : PKO budget to be record high

6 07 2014
United Nations has approved a record-high annual budget for its peacekeeping operations in the upcoming year.
General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution to earmark around 7.1 billion dollars for those operations for the year through next June. With additional funds expected to be allocated later in the year, the total annual expenditure is projected to top 8 billion dollars and hit an all-time high.
The United States will pay around 28 percent of the spending, making it the top contributor. Japan will come in second, shouldering nearly 11 percent of the total. In discussions on the budget, developed countries that contribute the bulk of the funds called for trimming the amount in light of their tight fiscal conditions.
But developing and emerging nations sought an increase in spending per person, noting their substantial contribution of personnel and the large number of casualties they have suffered.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stepped in to work out a compromise.
The UN has deployed peacekeepers in 16 areas across the world. It recently sent a new contingent to conflict-torn Central Africa and doubled the number of troops stationed in South Sudan to 14,000.






6.0-magnitude quake strikes western Indonesia: USGS

6 07 2014
6.0-magnitude quake strikes western Indonesia: USGS
The quake struck at 0309 IST at a depth of 30 kilometres (19 miles), 88 kilometres southeast of Sinabang, on the small island of Simeulue, the US Geological Survey said.Diana Rahyu, an official from Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency, said the quake was felt in parts of Sumatra, a huge island to the west of Simeulue.
But she added,”There is no threat of a tsunami… Until now, there are no reports of casualties or damage.”
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.



Ukraine hoists flag over pro-Russian bastion

6 07 2014
Ukraine hoists flag over pro-Russian bastion
Ukraine  government forces on Saturday hoisted the Ukrainian flag over pro-Russian rebels’ main stronghold after a devastating shelling assault that leveled much of the city but delivered Kiev its biggest success of the campaign.
The self-proclaimed mayor of Slavyansk confirmed to the news agency that insurgents had abandoned the rustbelt city of 120,000.A local resident said by phone that barricades once manned by the camouflage-clad gunmen stood abandoned since the early morning.
Ukraine’s ability to win back Slavyansk- the country’s biggest weapons storage facilities that fell to the insurgents on April 6 – marks a key turning point in three months of low-scale warfare that has threatened the very survival of the ex-Soviet state.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a Facebook post that the withdrawal was led by senior militia commander Igor Strelkov – alleged by Kiev to be a colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence unit.
Both Strelkov and Moscow deny any GRU link despite Western claims that the Kremlin is covertly funding and arming the uprising to destabilise Kiev’s new pro-European leaders and retain control over Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey told President Petro Poroshenko that his forces had raised the national flag over city hall “in accordance with your order to liberate Slavyansk.”
Poroshenko stormed to victory in a May 25 election thanks to his vow to quickly resolve the country’s worst crisis since independence in 1991.
Most analysts think that the 48-year-old chocolate baron desperately needed an early success in the campaign to secure the trust of Ukrainians frustrated by their underfunded army’s inability to stand up to what they see as Russian aggression.
“The departure of the fighters was a surprise. Nobody was aware it was happening,” city resident Kolya Cherep told the news agency by telephone.
This morning, I saw that there were no fighters in front of the town hall then I saw that there were none manning the barricades in town,” he said.
Strelkov himself had told the pro-Kremlin LifeNews channel yesterday that his units “will be destroyed… within a week, two weeks at the latest” unless Russia helped secure an immediate truce or moved in its troops.
Slavyansk is the symbolic heart of an uprising sparked by the February ouster of a pro-Kremlin administration in Kiev and fuelled by Russia’s subsequent seizure of Crimea.



Germany beat France 1-0,

6 07 2014
Germany beat France 1-0, reach fourth successive semifinal








Mats Hummels’ first half header proved decisive as Germany marched into the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup for a record fourth time in a row with a 1-0 win over fellow European giants France in Rio De Janeiro on Friday.
The contest between the two European powerhouses lacked spark and Hummels’s 13th minute strike spelt doom for France at the iconic Maracana stadium.
Germany keeper Manuel Neuer was also outstanding under the bar as he made two spectacular saves in each half to deny France the equaliser.
Neuer also made a last-second save when he pushed Karim Benzema’s strong left-foot strike from the left to send his side into the World Cup semi-finals for fourth successive time.
Germany had more possession but it was France, who had first strike in the rival goal post in the seventh minute but Benzema could not provide the finishing touch as he hit a volley wide on a pass from Mathieu Valbuena.
The Germans were clearly the more dominating side and they were rewarded for their effort as Mats Hummels headed home a superb free-kick from the left taken by Toni Kroos.
Hummels not only jumped well but also out-powered French defender Raphael Varane, nodding home the lead in the 13th minute.
The Germans continued to enjoy great possession thanks to to some superb work by their midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
A rattled France upped their game and swung to action. Again it was Mathieu Valbuena from the left, making a superb effort but Germany keeper Neuer stuck his left arm out made a great save.
Germany also survived the resultant corner as Mahadou Sakha headed over the cross bar.
Veteran Germany striker Miroslav Klose was handled pretty badly as he was taken down a number of times by the French defenders.
Klose also sought a penalty on one such tackle but the referee did not oblige. France improved near the break. Benzema started to find holes in German defence.
The Real Madrid player rushed from the left took a pass from Paul Pogba but his feeble shot landed safely in Manuel Neuer’s arms.
The French side was different in the second half, which was far from the German domination. Antoine Griezmann and Valbuena were staying up as close to Benzema as possible.
Germany midfielder Sami Khedira was shown the first yellow card of the match as he brought down Griezmann, nine minutes into the second half.
The French side raided more even as efforts did not bear fruit. Their midfielder Blaise Matuidi rushed forward with a superb sprint but his cut-back from the left wing was well intercepted by a sliding Bastian Schweinsteiger.
German keeper Neuer came to action first time when he easily picked a header from Raphael Varane.
A couple of substitutions followed as Chelsea player Andre Schurrle replaced Klose for Germany while France brought in Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny in place for Mamadou Sakho.
France did succeed in creating a few half chances but never got that equaliser. Schurrle had a chance to double the German lead but his low shot was was blocked by Raphael Varane.



Netherlands beat Costa Rica on penalties

6 07 2014

Netherlands beat Costa Rica on penalties

Brazil set up semis date with Germany with 2-1 win










Luiz doubled the Brazilian lead with his spectacular free kick that crashed into the top right of the net in the 69th minute while skipper Thiago Silva’s first half strike on a Neymar corner kick had put the hosts ahead.
Colombia pulled one back when James Rodriguez converted a penalty in the 80th minute but Brazilians held nerves in the tense remaining time to set up a last-four clash with European powerhouse Germany, who ousted old rivals France 1-0 in Rio De Janeiro early in the day.
The hosts though have some worries going into Tuesday’s showdown as Brazilian skipper Silva will miss the last-four clash due to double booking and Neymar’s fitness is under cloud after he was carried off on a stretcher following a rough challenge from Colombian defender Juan Camillo Zuniga late in the second half.
Neymar, kneed on the back by Zubiga, was taken to a hospital to undergo tests.
In a fast and frenetic quarterfinal clash, Brazil came up with its best show so far in the home tournament even as Colombia put up a spirited fight.
Young Colombia striker Rodriguez was gutted as he left the field in tears before exchanging his shirt with Luiz, who consoled the rival player.
Rodriguez scored his sixth goal of the tournament but his penalty was not enough to keep his side alive in the tournament.
Silva struck as early as in the seventh minute when Neymar’s corner was missed by Luiz in the middle but the home skipper smashed in with knee.
Silva became the first captain to score for Brazil in a World Cup game in 20 years and it was Brazil’s quickest World Cup goal since Ronaldo scored in the fifth minute against Ghana in 2006.
It was slack defence from Colombia as Silva was allowed to drift in at the back post.
Two minutes later, Hulk struck powerfully but Colombia keeper David Ospina got down just in time to thwart the challenge.
The burly Hulk was at it again as he initiated a flurry of attacks but Ospina denied him once again and the hosts took the break with a 1-0 lead.
Surprisingly, the pace of the game dropped a bit in the second-half and there were fewer of chances as the play was restricted to mid-field.
Brazilian coach Felipe Scolari was frustrated when Silva collided with Ospania and was booked.
However, Luiz with his extraordinary free kick brought the cheers back.
A 2-0 lead had settled the home players but they were up to challenge again when Colombian substitute Carlos Bacca was brought down by Julio Cesar inside the penalty area.
Rodriguez converted the resultant penalty, sliding the ball left as Cesar dived on the right.
A charged up Colombia tried hard to get the equaliser but it never came.
Holland beat Costa Rica 4-3 on penalties in Saturday´s World Cup quarter-final to set up a last four clash with Argentina.
Costa Ricans defended heroically for two hrs with goalkeeper Keylor Nevas pulling off a series of superb saves to keep the score at 0-0.Dutch coach Louis van Gaal sprang a daring surprise when switching his keeper Jasper Cillessen with Newcastle´s Tim Krull for the shoot-out  the move paid off with Krull saving efforts from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana.
Holland´s penalty kick heroes were Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt.



AIRASIA X CELEBRATES 2 YEARS ANNIVERSARY FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO KATHMANDU

6 07 2014
AIRASIA X CELEBRATES 2 YEARS ANNIVERSARY FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO KATHMANDU WITH LOW FARE & FREE HOTEL ROOMS
SEPANG, 6 JULY 2014 – AirAsia X Berhad, Malaysia’s leading low-cost, long-haul carrier, an affiliate of the AirAsia Group, announced that the airline will be offering sensational business class premium flatbed deals to celebrate its 2 years anniversary of operations into Kathmandu.
Fly with our award winning Business Class premium flatbeds from as low as MYR 999* (NPR 46,350*) from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu, Nepal and get 2 nights stay at a 5 star hotel for FREE*.
Fly-Thru promotional deals are available from as low as MYR 1119* (NPR 49,391*) from Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta and many more.. Other exciting fly-thru deals include services from AirAsia X destinations such as Australia, Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan via the Kuala Lumpur hub.



Five dead in Nigeria suicide attack

6 07 2014
Five people have been killed and dozens wounded on Saturday after a suicide bomber targeted worshippers at a mosque in a remote village in northeast Nigeria, according to a security source сшеув by Reuters.
The source, who declined to be named, said that Muslims in the village of Konduga were observing Friday prayers when a pickup truck drove toward the mosque.
Locals stopped the truck to inspect it, but the bomber detonated the bomb a few meters away from the place of worship.



Storm ‘Arthur’ hits Canada

6 07 2014
Post-tropical storm Arthur buffeted Canada’s southeast coast, leaving over 200,000 homes and businesses without power. The province of Nova Scotia bore the brunt of the storm with winds of up to 110 kilometers an hour and torrential rain.
Roads have been blocked by falling trees and flights have been canceled in the province. Authorities have warned it may take over 12 hours to restore power to some homes.



Shooting in Indianapolis leaves 7 injured

6 07 2014
Seven people were shot and injured on Saturday in a busy neighborhood with numerous bars and restaurants, not far from the downtown of Indianapolis, Indiana, local police reported.

An Indianapolis police officer heard multiple gunshots at 2:23 am, police spokesman Lt. Christopher Bailey said in a statement. “I’ve been told there were quite a few people out … on a typical Friday night, bouncing from bar to bar.
Someone opens fire in a crowd like that, we’re lucky more weren’t hurt,” Bailey said. A woman and six men were shot, one of who is in critical condition at a local hospital. Police have launched an investigation but no arrests have been made so far.




Plane with 12 people on board crashes in Poland

6 07 2014
A plane taking people on a parachute jump crashed shortly after take-off near the city of Czestochowa in southern Poland. There were twelve people on board the plane, eleven are feared dead, the Polish Medical Air Rescue reported on Saturday. One person on the plane survived the crash, he was conscious and was taken to hospital, rescuers said.

The plane took off from a small airfield, and burnt down after crashing a distance from residential properties. The accident is being investigated by the aviation committee. Polish press reported that not only professional jumpers might have been on the plane, but also people making their jumps in tandem with trainers.




Angad Cheema’s team wins the Pro-Am event of the J&K Bank PGTI

6 07 2014
Pahalgam, July 6, 2014: The Pro-Am event of the J&K Bank PGTI Pahalgam Masters presented by KEO was won by professional Angad Cheema and his team at the Lidder Valley Golf Course on Sunday. The leading amateur golfers from Jammu & Kashmir competed at the Pro-Am event.
The Pro-Am was played in the team scramble format where the team’s best ball was chosen on every shot including the putting green. After the best ball was chosen all other players were to place their ball within one Score Card Length before continuing play. Each team consisted of one professional and three amateurs.PGTI member Angad Cheema led his team to victory with a score of 53.7. Cheema’s team comprised of amateurs Mr. Abrar Khwaja, Mr. Parvez Fazli and Mr. Parvez Bakshi.PGTI member Jyoti Randhawa’s team finished second with a score of 54.5. Randhawa’s team comprised of amateurs Mr. S M Sahai, Mr. Riyaz Fazli and Mr. Rajiv Bal.
Mr. Abrar Khwaja won the prize for the closest shot to the pin on hole no. 3 where his tee shot landed within two feet and five inches of the pin.The prize for the longest drive on hole no. 14 was won by Mr. O P Singh whose drive landed at a distance of 280 yards.The J&K Bank PGTI Pahalgam Masters presented by KEO winner Om Prakash Chouhan also received his cheque and trophy during the Pro-Am prize presentation.

The prizes were given away by Mr. S M Sahai, ADGP, J&K Police, Mr. M Y Khan, Former Chairman, J&K Bank and Mr. Danish Aman, Director, Kashmir Events Organisation.



SABA Qualifiers 2014: Sri Lanka open with thumping win over Bangladesh

6 07 2014
5th July 2014: The Sri Lankan team has made its aggressive intents very clear with a strong 126-36 win over Bangladesh in the opening match of the 2014 South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) qualifying championship that is underway at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Multiple players scored in double digits for Sri Lanka and on the defensive end their constant pressing forced Bangladesh into numerous turnovers.
Sri Lanka’s Head Coach Panduka Ranasingha said after the win, “We beat Bangladesh today for the first time after six years. Our average height is only 5ft 9 inches, so we are the shortest team in the competition. But after this win, we are confident to take on India.”
Result (5/7/14)
Sri Lanka (Anthony P 35, Umair Md Naleer 19, Nadeeja Liyanage Nichula 19, Dimitri Sean Grebe 17, Anushka Chathuranga 17) bt Bangladesh (Hasan Mohd 16) 126-36 [HT: 68-15]
Tomorrow’;s Schedule (6/7/14)
6:00 PM India vs Bangladesh at Koramangala Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru

About South Asian Basketball Association Championship (SABA) Qualifiers 2014

Just three teams, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have confirmed their participation in this regional championship. This is a round robin tournament and each team will play the other two teams once. The team with the most wins after its two matches will qualify to the 2014 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for u-18 men scheduled to be held from 19th to 28th August in Qatar.

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