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Saturday, 29 June 2013

Soccer: Host Brazil vs. world champion Spain a dream Confed Cup final

Rio de Janeiro • The Confederations Cup has the final nearly everyone wanted: a long-awaited matchup between world champion Spain and host Brazil. The most dominant national team in recent years and the most successful team ever in international play will meet Sunday at Maracana Stadium for the title of the eight-nation warmup tournament for next year’s World Cup. It will be the first meeting between the nations since 1999 and their first competitive match since Brazil’s 1-0 win on Socrates’ goal in the first round of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. "It’s the match everyone wanted to happen," Brazilian striker Neymar said. "The entire world wanted it and everybody will be watching it." Brazil hopes a victory will help it regain its status as a global powerhouse after recent struggles, while Spain wants to show that not even the five-time world champions can put a dent in its supremacy. With more than 70,000 Brazilian fans packing the iconic venue, the world and European champions will be put to the test by a reinvigorated Selecao led by 21-year-old Neymar and World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. "Spain is a spectacular team but it has weak points just like any other team," Scolari said Saturday. "I don’t think they are the favorites. We are capable of winning. This is our home and we need to make them respect us." Spain won the 2010 World Cup along with the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. La Furia Roja are unbeaten in a world record 29 competitive matches over three years since losing their 2010 World Cup opener to Switzerland, outscoring opponents 69-11 over that span. "We’re going to face up to them," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque told FIFA. "Brazil have won five World Cups and three Confederations Cups and they’ll be playing at the Maracana in front of their own fans. For us it’s a dream game." Brazil won its fifth World Cup title in 2002 but was eliminated in the quarterfinals in the last two World Cups and hasn’t won a significant title since the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. "They are the current world champions, they have to be praised," Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. "But anything can happen in a final and I’m certain that Brazil will be fully prepared for the matchup." Spain hasn’t lost in 26 matches overall, since a 1-0 defeat against England at London in 2011. Brazil struggled after Scolari replaced Mano Menezes in November, winning only one of its first six matches. Scolari, who coached Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, enters the final with a five-game winning streak. "There is no doubt it will be an even match," Brazil right back Daniel Alves said. "There is mutual respect between these two national teams." Brazil beat Japan, Mexico and Italy in the group stage before defeating South American champion Uruguay 2-1 in the semifinals. Spain defeated the Uruguayans in its opener, then routed Tahiti and beat Nigeria before getting past Italy on penalty kicks in the semifinals. "It’s the match everybody has been waiting for," said Brazil assistant coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led the national team to the 1994 world title. "We all know how good Spain is, but Brazil is going through a sensational moment and is full of confidence." While the host hasn’t played since Wednesday, Spain endured overtime and the shootout in the semifinal against Italy in the heat of Fortaleza on Thursday. Del Bosque has said Spain will not use fatigue as an excuse, and Scolari also downplayed the issue. "They were able to rest all of their starters when they played Tahiti, so basically they had to play one game less than we did," he said. Both coaches will have all of their top players available for the match at the renovated Maracana. Four players who will be in Sunday’s final were nominated for the Golden Ball award handed to the best players at the Confederations Cup: Brazil’s Neymar and Paulinho and Spain’s Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos.

Obama to visit Robben Island

President Barack Obama will Sunday stare into the stark cell where Nelson Mandela spent years as prisoner of a racist regime, in a visit paying homage to his hero after he left Johannesburg without seeing the ailing icon. The US leader will fly to Cape Town and then visit the jail on Robben Island, now preserved in searing tribute to the sacrifice and unbreakable strength of the anti-apartheid leader, who now lies critically ill in hospital. "For me to be able to bring my daughters there and teach them the history of that place and this country... that's a great privilege and a great honour," said Obama, marvelling at a recent outpouring of love for the ailing icon. Obama will also build the keynote speech of his three-nation Africa tour at the University of Cape Town around Mandela, and will cite his unifying legacy of a blueprint for a new generation in emerging Africa. Mandela's illness placed Obama in a tricky political spot, forcing him to balance his desire to push for a new economic relationship with Africa, with the need to properly honour his hero as the world braces for his passing. On Saturday, Obama and his wife Michelle called Mandela's wife Graca Machel, and the president then privately visited several daughters and grandchildren of Mandela, to offer support and prayers. But he decided against rolling up in his massive entourage at the Pretoria hospital where the 94-year-old Mandela lies, worried that he would disturb his peace. "I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones," Obama said in a statement using the 94-year-old Mandela's clan name. Machel said she drew "strength from the support" from the Obama family. The example of Mandela, South Africa's first black president, drew Obama into politics for the first time in the 1970s, putting him on a path that would make his own piece of history as America's first black president. "The struggle here against apartheid, for freedom, Madiba's moral courage, his country's historic transition to a free and democratic nation, has been a personal inspiration to me," Obama said. "It has been an inspiration to the world," Obama said. South Africa President Jacob Zuma said after talks with Obama on Saturday that Mandela remained in a "critical but stable" condition with a recurring lung infection. And he said that Obama and Mandela were "bound by history" after breaking racial barriers to rise to power. "You both carry the dreams of millions of people in Africa," Zuma, who also spent 10 years on Robben island, told Obama. South Africa's last apartheid president FW de Klerk meanwhile cut short a visit to Europe because of the ailing health of his co-Nobel prize winner. Obama's warm welcome was not universal. Riot police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at around 300 hundred anti-Obama protesters in the township of Soweto, once a flashpoint in the anti-apartheid struggle. Many Soweto residents, however, see Obama, the son of a white American mother and a Kenyan father, as a "fellow African". "To me, Madiba represents an older and perhaps more traditional generation of black leaders, while Obama represents the new generation," Tshepo Mofokeng (43), told AFP. "I'm sure he will be welcomed here as an African." Not far from the protest, Obama held a town hall style meeting with 600 young African leaders with a video link up to young people in Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya. Africa "is in your hands" Obama told the youngsters and urged them to use Mandela as a model for political leadership. "Think about 27 years in prison... there were dark moments that tested his faith in humanity, but he refused to give up." Obama's tour of Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania is aimed at changing perceptions that he has neglected Africa since his election in 2008, while also countering China's growing economic influence in the resource-rich continent. On Sunday, a day ringing with political symbolism, the US president will be walking in revered footsteps when he gives the speech at the University of Cape Town - those of slain US presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. RFK gave his famed "ripple of hope" speech at the same venue in 1966, which was a call for non-violent change and equality, at a time when America was still dealing with the racial discrimination which stained its own history. Kennedy gave the speech only two years after Mandela was sentenced to life in prison and sent to Robben Island. "Given the difficult moment we are in with his current health, it makes it that much more profound and significant with the president being here in South Africa," said Ben Rhodes, a deputy US national security advisor. Mandela, once branded a terrorist by the United States and Britain, was freed in 1990 and became president after the first fully democratic elections in 1994. Also Sunday, Obama, accompanied on his tour by his wife and daughters Malia and Sasha, will visit an HIV/AIDS Center named for another icon of South Africa's emancipation struggle, Archbishop Desmond Tutu culled from iafrica

Cameron pledges Afghanistan memorial in Staffordshire

29 June 2013 Last updated at 14:58 GMT

UK troops in Afghanistan

A permanent memorial to British service personnel who died in Afghanistan is to be built at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Prime Minister David Cameron made the announcement as he visited UK troops in Camp Bastion on Armed Forces Day.

The memorial will be paid for from fines imposed on banks that rigged inter-bank interest rates, he said.

About hundreds of demostrations are planned across the UK to celebrate the fifth national Armed Forces Day.

The day started with a volley of gun blasts at Nottingham Castle.

Armed Forces Day recognises the contribution made by service personnel past and present. Members of all three services take part.

Speaking from Britain's main base in Afghanistan, Mr Cameron said: "I think Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for the whole nation to say a very big thank you, but also to say how proud we are of our armed forces and everything they do for us.

Memorial transported

"I can announce today we will be taking more money off the Libor fines and putting it into the military charities - including building a permanent memorial at the Staffordshire arboretum, so that we can always remember, and future generations can remember, those that fell and died here in Afghanistan."

The prime minister later flew to the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, for talks with President Asif Ali Zardari.

The number of UK service personnel to have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001 is 444.

The existing memorial in Camp Bastion, which Mr Cameron visited during his time at the base, will be dismantled as troops leave next year and as much of it as possible will be used in the arboretum.

The memorial, which will receive funding of £300,000, will be built over the next 18 months and dedicated once combat operations in Afghanistan have ended.

The National Memorial Arboretum, near Lichfield, hosts more than 250 different memorials, including a number to the armed forces.

David Cameron controlling a robot at Camp Bastion

During his visit, the prime minister was shown a remote controlled IED detection device.

Mr Cameron also announced how an additional £2.5m from fines levied on banks for attempting to manipulate the Libor interest rate would be spent on helping the armed forces community.

The Warrior Programme for Veterans and Families will receive just over £930,000 to further their efforts to support veterans moving into civilian life. The Veterans Council Headquarters will get £500,000 to create a one-stop shop for the military community to access mental health, health and social care services. Veterans Aid has been awarded £160,000 to expand its substance abuse and mental health treatment programmes.

Armed Forces Day: The highlights

During his visit Mr Cameron ate breakfast with British troops and was briefed about recent operations in Helmand, using a tactical map laid out in a sandpit.

He also took the controls of a bomb disposal robot, steering a Wheelbarrow robot using a remote control, and mimicked the action of launching a Desert Hawk 3 drone as he held the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Asked about efforts by the US to start talking to the Taliban, the prime minister said it was important to pursue a political solution - as well as a security solution - in Afghanistan.

At a joint press conference with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai later Mr Cameron said the two nations had a "shared commitment to a strong partnership beyond 2014".

The prime minister said the British contribution in Afghanistan after 2014 would be an officer training academy. Combat troops, he said, would continue to leave the country, with none by the end of 2014.

Mr Cameron then flew on to Pakistan, but spoke of the relationship between the neighbouring countries while still in Afghanistan: "We have a very clear view which is that it's in Pakistan's short, medium and long-term interest to have a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan with which they have a good and strong relationship."

In the UK, this year's main Armed Forces Day event kicked off with a tri-service parade from Nottingham's castle to the Old Market Square, where a drumhead service will be attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.Parachute display

The Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, will fly over and, at the service's conclusion, current and historic craft from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will also fly past - including the RAF's latest multi-role fast jet, the Typhoon.

There will be Royal Navy and Royal Marines displays on the River Trent, and members of the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team will land on Victoria Embankment.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will close the day in Nottingham.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the party would give military veterans guaranteed "special provision" in the health service and change the NHS constitution to enshrine those rights.

He tweeted: "Armed Forces Day is a day when we rightly commemorate the sacrifices, past & present, that our servicemen & women make to protect us."

Akande Carpets Jonathan Over Amaechi Snub

FOR snubbing obeisance from the Rivers State governor, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in the full glare of two other world leaders, President Jonathan has drawn the ire of the National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, who described the president’s action as regrettable and un-presidential. Speaking on Saturday with The Guardian, the former Osun State governor, likening the situation to the global respect for South Africa’s former President, Nelson Mandela, said what makes a great mind is quiet different from what makes a small mind. “You will recall that what makes Nelson Mandela great in the hearts of the world is that he can forget and forgive those who caused him pains during his travails in prison,” he said. ngrguardiannews.com

In South Africa, Obama pays tribute to ill Mandela

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are greeted upon their arrival at Waterkloof Air Base, Friday, June 28, 2013, in Centurion, South Africa. The president is in South Africa, embarking on the second leg of his three-country African journey. The visit comes at a poignant time, with former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela ailing in a Johannesburg hospital. Photo: Evan Vucci JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Paying tribute to his personal hero, President Barack Obama met privately Saturday with Nelson Mandela's family as the world anxiously awaited news on the condition of the ailing 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader. Obama, who has spoken movingly about Mandela throughout his trip to Africa, praised the former South African president's "moral courage" during remarks from the grand Union Buildings where Mandela was inaugurated as his nation's first black president. The U.S. president also called on the continent's leaders, including in neighboring Zimbabwe, to take stock of Mandela's willingness to put country before self and step down after one term despite his immense popularity. "We as leaders occupy these spaces temporarily and we don't get so deluded that we think the fate of our country doesn't depend on how long we stay in office," Obama said during a news conference with South African President Jacob Zuma. Obama's stop in South Africa marked the midway point of a weeklong trip to Africa, his most significant engagement with the continent since taking office in 2009. His lack of personal attention on the region has frustrated some Africans who had high expectations for the first black American president and son of a Kenyan man. Even with Mandela's health casting a shadow over his visit, Obama tried to keep focus on an agenda that includes deeper U.S. economic ties with Africa. The president dismissed suggestions that he was only investing personal capital on Africa's economy now as a response to the increased focus on the continent by China, India, Brazil and others. "I want everybody playing in Africa," he said. "The more, the merrier." But the president pointedly called on Africans to make sure that countries seeking an economic foothold on the continent are making a "good deal for Africa." "If somebody says they want to come build something here, are they hiring African workers?" Obama said. "If somebody says that they want to help you develop your natural resources, how much of the money is staying in Africa? If they say that they're very interested in a certain industry, is the manufacturing and value-added done in Africa? " The president did not specifically single out China, but some African leaders have criticized Beijing for such behaviors. Obama's focus on trade and business appeared to be well received in Africa, home to six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies. The majority of the questions he received from the South African press and later at a town hall meeting with young African leaders focused on U.S. economic interests in the region. Between his two events, Obama spent about 30 minutes meeting privately with two of Mandela's daughters and several of his grandchildren at the former leader's foundation offices in Johannesburg. He also spoke by phone with Mandela's wife, Graça Machel, who remained by her husband's side at the Pretoria hospital where he has battled a lung infection for three weeks. In a statement following the call, Machel said she drew strength from the Obama and his "touch of personal warmth." Obama, who has met Mandela in person only once before, did not visit the former leader in the hospital out of respect for his family's wishes, the White House said. Ahead of his arrival in South Africa, the president had told reporters that he did not need "a photo-op" and didn't want to be obtrusive. Obama ascent to the White House has drawn inevitable comparisons to Mandela. Both are their nations' first black presidents, symbols of racial barrier breaking and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. Zuma said Obama and Mandela "both carry the dreams of millions of people in Africa and in the diaspora who were previously oppressed." Zuma said Mandela's condition remained the same as it had in recent days — critical yet stable — though he expressed hope that Mandela soon would leave the hospital. culled from sfgate.com

Oprah named Most Powerful Celebrity in the world

The American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist Oprah Gail Winfrey, simply called Oprah Winfrey has been named the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes Magazine. This is the fifth time the African American talk show host has topped the celebrity 100 list, which is based on earnings and exposure. Singer Lady Gaga came in second followed by film-maker Steven Spielberg and pop star Beyoncé and Madonna. Last year’s number one actress Jenifer Lopez dropped to 12th place According to a BBC report, Winfrey, whose confessional interview with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong became a world news story, earned $77m in the 12 months to June 2013 - well below Madonna, who made $125m and Spielberg who earned $100m. But Forbes said Winfrey's status in Hollywood and her presence on TV and social media propelled her to the top of the list. Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes.com say, "She (Winfrey) still wields an enormous amount of power, which is really what we look for in our fame matrix," "She is taking this cable network and turning it around just through the sheer force of her will, her connections and her ability." myjoyonline

Youth Corps members kidnapped in Rivers state

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded a corpers’ Lodge at Ogonokom Community Secondary school in Abua-Odual Local government council of Rivers state, and abducted three corps members serving in the community. A source who confirmed the incident to DailyPost early Friday in Port Harcourt the incident took everybody unawares. The source, who pleaded anonymity as he was not permitted to speak to journalists, said the kidnappers besieged their lodge at about 12am and took away three corps members. According to him, “”We were attacked and 3 corpers were kidnapped at ogonokom community secondary school copers’ Lodge, Abua/Odual LG at some minutes past 12 this morning”. Subsequently, the source who is also a corps member and an eyewitness said they had to seek refuge at the nearest police station immediately after the incident. At the moment, the Information Officer of the Rivers state Police Command, Mrs. Angela Agabe confirmed that the Command had received an update on the incident. Agabe however stressed that the DPO of the area was yet to inform the Command of any abduction. She therefore maintained that the Investigative Department has been ordered to swing into action to investigate the report. culled from dailypost

Saturday, 29 June 2013

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Armed Forces Day: The highlights