Showing posts with label NATIONAL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NATIONAL. Show all posts

Manchester United legend tips Arsenal title charge if ‘top’ player is signed

Manchester United legend tips Arsenal title charge if ‘top’ player is signed
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has tipped us to challenge for the Premier League if we manage to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
While addressing all the latest rumours through his Instagram page, Ferdinand holds Benzema in high regard and believes that we’ll “go close” if we land the Frenchman.
According to the latest reports, Arsene Wenger has already contacted Benzema’s representatives to sound out a potential move and inform them of our interest to sign the 27-year-old (via the Metro).
Olivier Giroud has led the line admirably over the past few years but has fallen short of spearheading a realistic title challenge and his limitations are obvious. 
Benzema is one of the most complete strikers in the world and is able to finish off chances while also fashioning opportunities for himself.

N Korea fires 'short-range missiles'


People in South Korea watch on TV a missile launch in North Korea. Photo: 29 June 2014North Korea has recently carried out a series of missile tests

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North Korea has fired two suspected short-range missiles into the sea, South Korea says, in the fourth such test in two weeks.
The projectiles were launched from a western province into waters east of the Korean peninsula in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said.
The move follows a recent visit by the Chinese president to South Korea.
Chinese leaders traditionally go to Pyongyang before Seoul, and the visit has been seen as a snub to North Korea.
"North Korea fired two short-range missiles presumed to be Scud-type ones... from a site in Hwanghae province in a north-easterly direction," South Korean spokesman Um Hyo-sik was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.
"They flew some 500km (310 miles) and landed in international waters," he added, without giving further details.
North Korea has carried out several such launches in recent months, including four within the last two weeks.
It has interspersed these launches with apparently conciliatory moves towards the South, including a recent offer to suspend provocative military activities and cross-border slander.
Previous similar offers have come to nothing and South Korea has dismissed this latest offer.
Nuclear architect dead
The latest launch also comes days after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye reaffirmed their opposition to North Korean nuclear tests during talks in Seoul.
China - North Korea's biggest trading ally - is the nation believed to wield the most influence over the government in Pyongyang. Mr Xi's decision to visit Seoul first is being seen as a message to North Korea.
To date North Korea has carried out three nuclear tests and is believed to be working on long-range missile development.
Talks between its leaders and other nations on ending its nuclear ambitions have been stalled for years.
North and South Korea, meanwhile, remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace deal.
The latest missile tests came on the same day North Korea announced the death of a key nuclear architect.
General Jon Pyong-ho, who was included in the United Nations' sanctions list last year, helped lead Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes.
Gen Jon, 88, died of a heart attack on Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency said. He will be given a state funeral led by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
He was credited with making a special contribution to converting North Korea "into a satellite producer and launcher and a nuclear weapons state", an official obituary said.

Hurricane Arthur skirts North Carolina

Hurricane Arthur, packing winds of 100mph, has made landfall in the US state of North Carolina, as thousands abandon their 4 July holiday plans.
The first hurricane of the season, now a Category 2 storm, reached land between Cape Lookout and Beaufort at 23:15 local time (03:15 Friday GMT), the US National Hurricane Center said.
Thousands left the area, made up of barrier islands known as Outer Banks.
Ferries and highways were packed as people left.
Towns all along the state's coast have rescheduled Independence Day events and fireworks.
A mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island, the easternmost strip of land in the Outer Banks, began early on Thursday, when Tropical Storm Arthur was upgraded to hurricane status.
It was made a Category 2 hurricane late the same day, which means winds reached 96mph.
After passing North Carolina, Arthur was expected to weaken as it travels north along the East Coast.
Surfer on Atlantic Beach, North CarolinaAustin Parker surfs Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
An exodus of Hatteras Island on Highway 12An exodus of Hatteras Island followed calls for evacuation
North Carolina's governor has warned holidaymakers not to take risks along the coast on Friday.
With a hurricane warning in place, Governor Pat McCrory said, "Don't put your stupid hat on."
A voluntary evacuation has been announced for Ocracoke Island, which is accessible only by ferry.
"Although the current forecast doesn't indicate this will be a major impact, we are taking it very seriously,'' Mr McCrory said. "I don't want you to put at risk not only yourself but also people who may try to help you."
Nags HeadThe hurricane warning did not put off beach lovers at Nags Head, N Carolina
Highway 12, N CarolinaThe hurricane warnings lined the highways
Kevin Taylor, of Savannah, Georgia, checks out the waves on the north beach of Tybee Island as Hurricane Arthur makes its way up the East Coast, early 3 July 2014The storm has bypassed the Georgia coast but brought larger waves to the southern state
National Hurricane Center forecaster Stacy Stewart said those who remained behind in the Outer Banks should prepare for the possibility of being stuck for several days without food or electricity.
"We want the public to take this system very seriously, go ahead and start their preparations because time is beginning to run out," he said.
Forecasters said the storm would move offshore toward the north-east on Friday but would weaken and pose no serious risk to the northern part of the US east coast.

Flyover collapses in Brazil World Cup host city

A flyover has collapsed on to vehicles in the Brazilian World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte, killing two people.
The concrete and steel bridge, which was under construction, fell on to traffic on a busy highway.
The front of a commuter bus was crushed along with two apparently unoccupied construction lorries. A car was also reported crushed.
The south-eastern Brazilian city is due to host a football World Cup semi-final match next week.
The health department of the state of Minas Gerais, of which Belo Horizonte is the capital, said the bus driver and another person were killed, and 22 other people were injured.
Authorities said they had not yet reached a small passenger car that was flattened by the collapse. It was not known if anyone was inside the car but officials said they would be working through the night to try to free it.
Car crushed by falling bridge. 3 July 2014It is not yet known if anyone was in the car crushed when the flyover collapsed
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said on Twitter that it was "with sadness" that she found out about the accident, and she offered her "solidarity to the victims' families".
Belo Horizonte Mayor Marcio Lacerda visited the scene of the accident and declared three days of mourning for the two victims, the city government said in a statement.
The construction firm that was responsible for building the flyover, Cowan, said it "deeply regrets what happened".
"At the moment, the priority is to support victims and their families," it said in a statement.
The company said technical staff had been sent to the scene to start investigations.
Aerial shot of bus trapped under fallen underpass in Belo Horizonte on 3 July Emergency officials say the driver of the bus was killed in the incident
"When I saw the flyover falling down, I feared the worst would happen, that the bridge would turn on top of our bus," Renata Soares, who said she was sitting at the back of the yellow bus that was crushed, told Brazil's GloboNews.
Another witness speaking to the channel, Daniel Magalhaes, said that the moment the bridge collapsed felt "like an earthquake. The ground shook violently. I heard a very loud bang".
World Cup accidents
The scene of the accident is near the busy district of Lagoa da Pampulha and the Mineirao Stadium, which has played host to several World Cup matches.
The unfinished flyover was part of the World Cup infrastructure plan aimed at improving Belo Horizonte's public transport system.
A resident of the city, Diego Siqueira, told the BBC that people in Belo Horizonte were "not surprised" by the accident.
"Every World Cup infrastructure construction was delayed until the last year and they started to build it so fast and without quality," he complained.
Brazil's preparations for the World Cup have been marred by accidents and missed deadlines. At least seven people were killed working on stadiums prior to the start of the tournament.
Last month, a worker was killed after a beam fell during construction of a monorail in Brazil's biggest city, Sao Paulo.
The authorities have denied allegations that corners have been cut to get projects finished on time for the football tournament.

French police move in against migrants in Calais camps

Police in the French port of Calais have moved in to clear makeshift camps occupied by migrants - mostly from Africa and the Middle East - who are trying to get to Britain.
The AFP news agency reported that police blocked road and sea access to the port after they obtained a court order for the camps to be disbanded.
Officials say they acted because of concerns over poor sanitary conditions.
In May 800 migrants occupying camps near the port were removed.
Tear gas
Calais aid workers at the scene of Wednesday's raid said that many migrants managed to escape from the police but others were arrested and driven off in buses.
Migrants being put onto a bus after being ejected from their camp in CalaisMany of the migrants were herded on to a bus and are believed to have been taken to a secure immigrant detention centre outside Calais
Eritrean migrants rest under blankets in the courtyard at a food distribution centre after they fled their makeshift camp to find shelter in Calais (May 2014)There are estimated to be around 1,000 refugees living on the northern French coast, with around 650 near Calais
A senior government official for the region told AFP that about 320 migrants were taken away. Each would be questioned and each case would be judged individually, he said.
The migrants are believed to have been taken to a secure immigrant detention centre outside Calais, where they will be given the option of either claiming asylum in France or being deported home.
A 25-year-old volunteer at the food distribution centre told AFP that the police operation began early on Wednesday morning when all camp exits were blocked and tear gas was used to stop people from fleeing.
Most people at the camps believe the UK will be a more welcoming place if they can get there.
In 2002 the French government closed the main Red Cross centre at Sangatte near Calais, but insanitary illegal camps sprung up in its place.
The migrants have been sheltering under plastic bags and sheets, without water, power or even enough food.
Some managers of welfare groups that were distributing food were also detained, charity workers said.
Police have been striving for years to disband migrant camps in and around Calais.
There are estimated to be around 1,000 refugees living on the northern French coast, with around 650 near Calais.

Costa Ricans celebrate historic World Cup win in Brazil

The streets of the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, have been filled with fans celebrating the national team's latest win at the football World Cup.
Costa Rica beat Greece in a penalty shootout after the match, which ended 1-1, went into extra time in Recife.
With the result, Costa Rica have qualified for the quarter-finals, where they will play the Netherlands.
"We are making history. It's beautiful what we have done," said coach Jorge Luis Pinto.
"This win is for everyone in Costa Rica," Pinto said.
The small Central American nation has reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time in its history.
Tens of thousands gathered in San Jose in front of large screens to watch the match, which ended in dramatic fashion.
Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis celebrates with fans in San Jose on 29 June, 2014Newly elected Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis (in front of the flag) celebrated with ecstatic fans
A woman reacts as she watches a screening of 2014 World Cup round of 16 match between Costa Rica and Greece on TV in San Jose on 29 June, 2014. Costa Rica supporters feared the worse when Greece equalised in injury time
Costa Rica fans celebrate in San Jose on 29 June, 2014For their first time in its history, the small Central American nation qualified for the quarter-finals
Costa Rica opened the scoring in the second half and had a player sent off before Greece equalised in injury time.
The deadlock wasn't broken in extra time, despite both sides missing several opportunities.
In the penalty shootout, Costa Rica won 5-3. It scored at each of its attempts, and goalkeeper Keylor Navas saved a Greek penalty.
The celebrations are in Costa Rica are expected to go on through the night.
'Always the same'
Earlier on Sunday, Mexico were denied their quarter-final place by two late goals.
The Netherlands scored twice in four minutes to win the match 2-1. They will play Costa Rica on Saturday in Salvador.
More than 80,000 people watched the match on big screens at Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo. Big crowds gathered across the country.
Mexican supporters watch the match at the Zocalo squareIn Mexico City's Zocalo, more than 80,000 gathered to watch their team's defeat by the Netherlands
Desolate Mexican fan at the Zocalo square in Mexico CityMany Mexican supporters blamed the referee for the defeat
Dutch supporters celebrate victory in SurinamIn the former Dutch colony, Surinam, fans celebrated the dramatic victory over Mexico
Thousands of Mexicans travelled to Brazil to follow the team.
At the end of the match, there were mixed feelings of disbelief and anger directed at the Portuguese referee, Pedro Proenca, who gave a controversial last-minute penalty after Dutch striker Arjen Robben went down.
"They robbed the game from us, those Dutch. It was no penalty, it wasn't a penalty," said Mexican fans Fernando Garcia and Gabriel Martinez outside the Castelao stadium in Fortaleza.
"Well we are not disappointed, we definitely played better. It's just a shame that always in the end we lose, it's just always the same," Mexican fan Luis Abala told the Associated Press news agency.

European Commission steps in to help Bulgarian banks

People queue in front of a branch of Bulgaria's First Investment Bank in Sofia on June 27, 2014The European Commission has approved a request from Bulgaria to provide funding for some of the country's biggest banks.
The Commission extended a credit line of 3.3bn levs ($2.3bn; £1.4bn) to help banks that Bulgarian authorities believe have been victims of a plot to undermine the banking system.
Five people were arrested over the weekend in connection with the plot.
In the past week, there have been runs on two of Bulgaria's big banks.
"The Commission concluded that the state aid implied by the provision of the credit line is proportionate and commensurate with the need to ensure sufficient liquidity in the banking system in particular circumstances," the Commission said in a statement.
It stressed, however, that Bulgaria's banking system was fundamentally sound.
"[It is] well capitalised and has high levels of liquidity compared to its peers in other member states," the Commission said.
"For precautionary reasons, Bulgaria has taken this measure to further increase the liquidity and safeguard its financial system."
Last week, the country's central bank took over Corporate Commercial Bank, Bulgaria's fourth-largest lender, following a run on deposits. Following speculation that other banks would follow, depositors rushed to withdraw savings from First Investment Bank, the country's third-largest bank, on Friday.
This prompted the central bank to urge all state institutions to work together to protect financial stability and take legal action against those spreading "untrue and ill-intentioned rumours" about the health of Bulgaria's banks.

Pakistan 'charity head' lambasts US sanctions move

The head of a Pakistani charity group whom the US and India accuse of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks has dismissed new US sanctions.
Hafiz Saeed told the BBC the US was only targeting Jamaat-ud Dawa to win India's backing in Afghanistan.
The US says the self-declared charity is a front for militant group Lashkar-e Taiba and has offered a $10m (£6m) reward for the arrest of Mr Saeed.
The Mumbai attack by Pakistani gunmen left 166 people dead.
Relations between India and Pakistan suffered badly in the aftermath of the three-day assault in the western Indian city.
'Propaganda'
Speaking to the BBC's Andrew North in the Pakistani city of Lahore, Mr Saeed said the US was targeting his organisation simply to please India.
A fire breaks out of the Taj hotel in Mumbai during the attacks in 2008The Mumbai attacks sent shockwaves across India and the world
"America always takes decisions based on Indian dictation. Now it's imposing this new ban because it needs India's help in Afghanistan.
"I had nothing to do with the Mumbai attacks, and Pakistan's courts said all India's evidence against me was just propaganda," he said.
The US last week declared Jamaat-ud Dawa a "foreign terrorist organisation" - a move that freezes any assets it has under US jurisdiction.
Both India and the US say they have extensive evidence that Mr Saeed orchestrated the attacks with the Pakistani government help. India has also repeatedly demanded that he be handed over for trial.
Despite this, Mr Saeed lives openly in Lahore, and it is clear that he has little fear of being arrested in Pakistan, our correspondent says.
But he adds that as long as Mr Saeed remains free, there is little chance of a breakthrough in relations between Pakistan and its longstanding rival India.

Pakistan troops launch ground offensive against Taliban

Soldiers drive toward North Waziristan, from Bannu, June 20, 2014. The Pakistani army has launched a ground offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan.
A statement said operations had begun around Miranshah, the main town in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
The offensive follows several weeks of air strikes in which the army says more than 370 militants have been killed.
North Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for militants. Correspondents say many are thought to have left the area before the offensive began.
The assault marks a new phase in operations against the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and other militants in the area.
Troops were conducting a door-to-door search in Miranshah, the army statement said.
The town has been one of the main TTP bases during recent years when the militants have killed thousands of people in a bombing campaign across Pakistan.

Oscar Pistorius 'had no mental disorder', trial hears

Oscar Pistorius did not have a mental disorder when he killed his girlfriend, a psychological report said as his murder trial resumed.
The report was presented following an evaluation into his mental health.
His defence team has argued he was suffering from an anxiety disorder at the time of the shooting.
The athlete denies deliberately killing Reeva Steenkamp. He says he shot her accidentally in a state of panic after mistaking her for an intruder.
Both prosecution and defence have accepted the results of the report.

Tweets

The defence team is now hearing from Dr Gerry Versfeld, who amputated Mr Pistorius' legs when he was just 11 months old. He had been born without the fibulas in both of his legs but went on to become an Olympic athlete.
Dr Versfeld is testifying about the impact of the disability on Mr Pistorius, 27, and to what extent he can walk without his prosthetic legs.
The defence is expected to finish presenting its evidence in the next few days.
Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, was shot through a toilet door at Mr Pistorius' house in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year.
The couple had been dating for three months.
File photo: Oscar Pistorius (right) and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp pose for a picture in Johannesburg, 7 February 2013Mr Pistorius says he mistook Reeva Steenkamp - model and law graduate - for an intruder
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel: Oscar Pistorius ''did not suffer from a mental illness of defect'' at the time of the shooting
"Mr Pistorius did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged," said state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, reading from the psychologist report.
The prosecution requested the evaluation after a defence witness said the double amputee was suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (Gad).
Mr Pistorius, 27, underwent a month of tests as an outpatient at Weskoppies psychiatric hospital in Pretoria.
There are no juries at trials in South Africa, so the athlete's fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.
If found guilty of murder, Mr Pistorius, who went on trial on 3 March this year, could face life imprisonment. If he is acquitted of that charge, the court will consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive about 15 years in prison.

Casey Kasem: Daughter implements end-of-life measures

Casey KasemThe daughter of radio host Casey Kasem has chosen to withhold food, liquid and medication from her 82-year-old father, following a court ruling.
The DJ, who was also the voice of Shaggy in Scooby Doo, has been in a Washington state hospital in critical condition for the past week.
Kerri Kasem initially implemented end-of-life measures on 6 June.
Kasem's care has been the subject of an ongoing family feud between daughter Kerri and her stepmother Jean.
Last week a judge ruled that Kerri, one of three children from his first marriage, should be in charge of his medical care, not her stepmother.
Jean, Kasem's wife of 34 years, had opposed withholding food and water from her husband.
Jean KasemJean Kasem pleaded with the judge to restore food and fluids to her husband, who has a form of dementia
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy had ordered the reinstatement of feeding and other care while a court-appointed lawyer consulted with Kasem and doctors.
However, Judge Murphy determined on Wednesday in Los Angeles that giving Kasem food and fluids would be harmful and cause more pain.
The judge said medical records had shown that the American Top 40 host was not responding to artificial nutrition and fluids, leading to painful complications.
"It would be acutely harmful for Mr Kasem to have nutrition and hydration restored at this time," the judge said. "This was at the advisement of doctors."
APKerri Kasem was in court as part of an ongoing dispute with her stepmother over whether her father is receiving adequate medical care
Kerri Kasem released a statement saying the court decision upheld her father's own wishes.
She said the radio host had issued a directive which read: 'If the extension of my life would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning, then I do not desire any form of life-sustaining procedures.'
"Transitioning our father's treatment to comfort-oriented care was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make," said Kerri.
Jean Kasem's lawyer, Gregory Young, alleged the healthcare directive was out of date.
Last month, Jean Kasem moved her husband from a California nursing home to friends in Washington state, after courts in California awarded Kerri temporary conservatorship over her father's care.
Court documents showed that Kasem's daughters, Kerri and Julie, had accused Jean of "elder abuse", by isolating their father from his children. Kasem and Jean also had a daughter together called Liberty.
'Bed sore'
On Wednesday Mr Young, lawyer for Jean Kasem, said they would pursue all legal options and that Kasem was being "starved and cut off from medicine until he dies".
Kasem suffers from Lewy body disease, a form of dementia. He was initially admitted to hospital last week with an infected bed sore.
The DJ, whose career took off in the 1950s, is a household name in the US.
He hosted the US chart countdown until January 2004 and voiced cartoon character Shaggy from the first series in 1969 until 1995 and again from 2002 until 2009.
He retired five years ago, and is reported to be worth $80m (£48m).

Mainstream media 'still dominate online news'

Laptop against newspapersTraditional media organisations remain the dominant source of online news in the UK, according to a new report.
More than half of those polled said they followed the news through an established brand, with just 16% using digital-only sites, such as Buzzfeed and Huffington Post.
However, new media companies were found to be very popular in the US and Japan.
The study also found that just over one in ten people paid for online news content in the past year.
The research, carried out by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, is based on a YouGov survey of more than 18,000 people across 10 countries.
Consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy, Japan and urban Brazil were questioned about their news habits.
'Free alternatives'

Pakistan court backs Musharraf request to leave country

File photo: Pervez MusharrafA court in Pakistan has backed ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf's request to leave the country.
The Sindh High Court removed Mr Musharraf's name from an exit control list on Thursday. The former leader is currently barred from leaving Pakistan.
Mr Musharraf is currently on trial for treason. He denies the charges and has described the accusations as politically motivated.
The government has 15 days to appeal before the order comes into effect.
Pakistan's military is watching the trial of the former general closely - correspondents say they are concerned over the precedent the trial could set in a country with a history of military rule.
 
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