Friday, June 20, 2014

Cong nominee wins lone RS seat in Mizoram
Cong nominee wins lone RS seat in MizoramUpdated on : 19-06-2014 09:25 PM
Ruling Congress nominee Ronald Sapa Tlau won the lone Rajya Sabha seat of Mizoram by securing 34 votes out of the total 40.


Sapa, 60, was declared elected by Returning Officer for the polls and state Assembly secretary Ngurthanzuala after obtaining permission from the Election Commission. 

His only opponent L Ramkinlova of the Mizo National Front (MNF) secured only six votes. 

A senior Congress leader and chairman of the state PSU Zoram Electronics Development Corporation, Tlau had earlier unsuccessfully contested the state Assembly polls three times. 

Congress has 34 Legislators while MNF has five in the Assembly. MNF's junior partner Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) has only one Legislator. 

Assembly secretariat officials said polling began at the Committee Room of the Assembly Secretariat at 9 AM and all the 40 Legislators exercised their franchise by 12 noon on Thursday. 

BSP issues press release on national issue

cgqtu lekt ikVhZ] dsUnzh; dk;kZy; }kjk tkjh izsl foKfIr&fnukad 20 twu] 2014

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¼5½ fgUnh Hkk"kk ds lkFk&lkFk] vU; Hkkjrh; Hkk"kkvksa dk Hkh lEeku gksuk pkfg;s % lqJh ek;korh th

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orZeku le; esa bjkd+ ns'k esa fNM+k **flfoy ;q)** dk ?keklku ftlls iwjk bjkd ns'k izHkkfor gS vkSj ml ns'k dh jkt/kkuh cx+nkn rd ij geyk o vkilh ekjdkV ,oa t+cnZLr [+kwu&[+kjkck dk ladV gj fnu eaMjk jgk gS] ftl dkj.k fo'o dk rsy ckt+kj vfLFkjrk dk ladV >sy ldrk gS vkSj ;g Hkkjr ds fy;s Hkh ,d xEHkhj fpUrk dh ckr gS] ijUrq blls Hkh T+;knk xEHkhj fpUrk okyh ckr ;g gS fd bjkd+ ds bl ?kjsyw ;q) dk f'kdkj Hkkjrh; yksx Hkh gks jgs gSa vkSj [+kcj ;g gS fd 40 Hkkjrh; Jfedksa dks vxok dj fy;k x;k gS vkSj gekjh yxHkx 46 ulZ cguas Hkh ladV esa gSaA bruk gh ugha cfYd yxHkx 10 gt+kj ls T;knk Hkkjrh; bjkd+ esa dk;Zjr gSa] ftudh lqj{kk ds lEcU/k esa Hkh Hkkjr ds yksx dkQh T+;knk fpfUrr gSaA ,slh ifjfLFkfr esa dsUnz ljdkj dh ft+Eesnkjh dkQh T+;knk vge gks tkrh gS fd os yksx uk dsoy lqjf{kr jgsa] cfYd mudh ldq'ky ?kj okilh Hkh gksA bl lEcU/k esa ge ;g ekudj pyrs gSa fd dsUnz dh ujsUnz eksnh dh ljdkj vo'; gh xaHkhj gksxh vkSj mu Hkkjrh; yksxksa dh lqj{kk vkSj fQj mudh bjkd ls ldq'ky Hkkjr okilh ds fy;s iz;kljr gksxh] ijUrq bl lEcU/k esa dsUnz ljdkj xaHkhj iz;kl dj jgh gS] ;g yksxksa dks eglwl gksuk Hkh t+:jh gS] fdUrq ,slk gksrk gqvk gesa dgha Hkh ut+j ugha vk jgk gS vkSj ftl dkj.k gh yksxksa esa dkQh T+;knk cspSuh gS vkSj ukjktxh Hkh gSA
bruk gh ugha] cfYd bl lEcU/k esa gekjk ekuuk gS fd ftl izdkj ns'k ds vUnj gj ukxfjd dh lqj{kk dh xkj.Vh dh [+kkl ft+Eesnkjh ogk¡ dh ljdkj dh gksrh gS] mlh izdkj fons'kksa esa Hkkjrh; ukxfjdksa ds fgr o lqj{kk dh xkj.Vh lqfuf'pr djus dh iwjh ft+Eesnkjh dsUnz ljdkj dh gksrh gSA fdlh ns'k dh ljdkj fdruh et+cwr gS ;k fQj fd dksbZ ns'k fdruk egku gS] bl ckr dh mlds ukxfjdksa dh lqj{kk dh xkj.Vh T+;knk lgh ek;us esa lqfuf'fpr djrh gSA blh dkj.k gekjh ikVhZ dh dsUnz dh Jh eksnh ljdkj ls ekax gS fd orZeku le; esa [+kkldj bjkd+ ds ekeys esa le; ls mfpr dne mBkdj] ogk¡ lHkh Hkkjrh; ukxfjdksa dh lqj{kk lqfuf'fpr djsa vkSj mudh ldq'ky ?kj okilh dk iq[+rk O;oLFkk djasA blds lkFk gh] bl ladV dh ?kM+h esa] gekjh ikVhZ dsUnz dh ljdkj ds lkFk gSA
tkuysok eagxkbZ ds lEcU/k esa
     blds vykok] tgk¡ rd ns'k esa yxkrkj c<+ jgh eagxkbZ dk loky gS rks bl lEcU/k esa Hkh dsUnz dh ujsUnz eksnh ljdkj yksxksa dks rRdky jkgr nsus gsrq dksbZ Bksl dkjZokbZ djrh gqbZ gesa ut+j ugha vk jgh gS] tcfd eagxkbZ ls yksxksa o [+kkldj x+jhc o fuEu vk; okys yksxksa esa =kfg&=kfg eph gqbZ gS vkSj bUgsa eagxkbZ ds vfHk'kki ls eqfDr fnykuk dsUnz ljdkj dh lcls egRoiw.kZ o igyh ft+Eesnkjh curh gSAvkSj [+kkldj [kkus&ihus ds lkFk&lkFk jkst+ejkZ dh t+:jr dh pht+ksa dh eagxkbZ dks jksd&Fkke ds fy;s dsUnz dh eksnh ljdkj dh dkjZokbZ;ksa ds lEcU/k esa dsoy dkx+t+h dkjZokbZ ds rgr~ **u;s&u;s mins'k** gh lquus dks v[+kckjksa esa fey jgs gSaA dksbZ Hkh Bksl dkjZokbZ gksrh gqbZ gesa dgha Hkh ut+j ugha vk jgh gSA ;g ns'kokfl;ksa ds fy;s xaHkhj fpUrktud ckr gSA dsUnz dh eksnh ljdkj dks mldh iwoZorhZ dkaxzsl ikVhZ dh ljdkj dk gh pky&<+ky ugha viukdj [+kkldj eagxkbZ jksdus ds lEcU/k es Rofjr xfr ls turk dks jkgr igq¡pkus okyh **l[+r izHkkoh dkjZokbZ** djuh pkfg,A
dsUnzh; ea=h fugky pUnz es?koky ds ekeys esa
blh ds lkFk&lkFk] dsUnzh; jlk;u eU=h Jh fugky pUnz es?koky ds ekeys esa Hkh Jh ujsUnz eksnh ljdkj dk joS;k vlarks"k o fpUrktud iSnk djus okyk gesa izrhr gksrk gSA lÙkk esa vkus ls igys ftl Jh ujsUnz eksnh vkSj lEiw.kZ Hkktik ds yksxksa us cM+s&cM+s ok;ns fd;s] efgyk lqj{kk o vU; mPp vkn'kksZa ds cM+s&cM+s lius fn[kk;s] ogha Jh eksnh o mudh ikVhZ vius ea=h ds gh 'kks"k.k o mRihM+u dk f'kdkj cuh efgyk ds izfr vlaosnu'khy gksdj ea=h dks cpkus ds fy;s fdLe&fdLe ds cgkus
fnYyh esa fo/kk;dksa dh [+kjhn&Qjks[+r
lkFk gh] fnYyh esa fo/kk;dksa dh [+kjhn&Q+jks[+r djds vk;k jke] x;k jke dh rt+Z ij gh fnYyh jkT; esa ljdkj cukus dh dksf'k'kksa ls lkQ rkSj ij ;g yxrk gS fd chtsih iwjh rjg ls dkaxzsl ds jkLrs ij gh Pkydj fnYyh esa ljdkj cukuk pkgrh gSA ,slh fLFkfr esa Hkh fnYyh ds mi&jkT;iky }kjk fnYyh fo/kkulHkk Hkax djus dh flQ+kfj'k ugha djuk vusdksa 'kadkvksa dks tUe nsrk gSA ch-,l-ih- dh ekax gS fd yksdra= ds O;kid fgr esa fnYyh fo/kkulHkk dks rRdky Hkax dj u;k Pkquko djkuk pkfg,] ;gh ,d ek= lgh fodYi gSA
jkT;ikyksa dh c[+kkZLrxh ds lEcU/k esa
vkSj tgk¡ rd fofHkUu jkT;ksa ds jkT;ikyksa esa vfo'okl O;Dr djrs gq;s dsUnzh; ljdkj }kjk fofHkUu jkT;ikyksa dks bLrhQk nsus ds fy;s etcwj fd;k tk jgk gS] ;g lgh ugha gSA dsUnz dh eksnh ljdkj] jktuhfr djrs gq;s] iwoZorhZ ;w-ih-,- ljdkj }kjk fu;qDr jkT;ikyksa dks ,d eq'r gVkuk pkgrh gS] rks bl ckjs esa jktuhfrKksa vFkkZr eaf=;ksa dks lh/ks jkT;ikyksa ls ckr djuh pkfg,] uk fd vU; ek/;eksa ls( ;g izksVksdky 'kksHkk ugha nsus okyk gSA ;g x+yr gSA
fgUnh Hkk"kk ds lEcU/k esa
blds lkFk gh orZeku dsUnz dh ljdkj ds lHkh dk;ksZa dks fgUnh Hkk"kk esa djus ds ekeys esa Hkh gekjh ikVhZ dk ;g dguk gS fd dsUnz dh ljdkj dks fgUnh dks c<+kok nsus ds lkFk&lkFk] vius ns'k dh vU; Hkkjrh; Hkk"kkvksa dk Hkh t:j lEeku djuk pkfg;sA
vkSj vc vUr esa gekjk ;gh dguk gS fd mijksDr lHkh ekeyksa ds eÌsut+j 'kklu O;oLFkk ds ekeys esa Jh eksnh ljdkj dk Hkh ogh **ypj joS;k** gesa lkQ rkSj ij ut+j vkrk gS tks fd Jh eueksgu flag ljdkj dk gqvk djrk FkkA ,sls esa ,slk ugha yxrk gS fd ns'k dh turk dks dksbZ vPNh jkgr feyus okyh gS vkSj muds vPNs fnu vkus okys gSaA
blds vykok gky gh esa lEiUu yksdlHkk pquko esa ch-,l-ih- ds vPNs fjtYV ugha fey ikus ds lEcU/k esa iwNs x;s ,d loky ds tokc esa lqJh ek;korh th us foLrkj ls crk;k fd ns'k esa 16oha yksdlHkk ds fy, gq;s vkepquko esa ch-ts-ih- o buds lg;ksxh nyksa ds i{k esa vk;s ^^vizR;kf'kr^^ urhtksa us ;g ckr dkQh gn rd lkfcr dj nh gS fd ns'k dh turk dsUnz esa jgh dkaxzsl ikVhZ dh ;w-ih-,- ljdkj dh ^x+yr uhfr;ksa o budh ukdkeh^^ ds t+cjnLr f[+kykQ Fkh vkSj bldk dkQh dqN uqd+lku gekjh ikVhZ dh gh rjg mu lHkh ikfVZ;ksa dks Hkh mBkuk iM+k gS ftUgksaus bl ljdkj dks ns'k esa lkEiznkf;d rkd+rksa dks det+ksj cukus ds [+kkl ed+ln ls gh o uk pkgrs gq;s Hkh budks etcwjh esa viuk ckgj ls leFkZu fn;k gqvk FkkA

vkSj tgk¡ rd mÙkj izns'k dk loky gS rks bl ekeys esa fiNyh ckj dh rqyuk esa bl ckj gekjk oksV c<+k gS vFkkZr~ lu~ 2009 dh rqyuk esa gesa bl ckj T+;knk oksV feyk gS vkSj bl lUnHkZ esa ;gk¡ eSa vki yksxksa dks vkadM+ksa ds rgr~ ;g Hkh crkuk pkgrh gw¡ fd mÙkj izns'k esa o"kZ 2009 ds gq;s yksdlHkk vkepquko esa ch-,l-ih- dks ^^yxHkx 1 djksM+ 52 yk[k^^ oksV feys Fks vkSj vc orZeku esa bl o"kZ 2014 ds gq;s yksdlHkk vkepquko esa ;gk¡ mÙkj izns'k esa ch-,l-ih- dks ^^yxHkx ,d djksM+ 60 yk[k^^ oksV izkIr gq;s gSaA bl izdkj ls fiNyh ckj dh rqyuk esa bl ckj gekjh ikVhZ dks ;gk¡ mÙkj izns'k esa ^^yxHkx 9 yk[k^^ T+;knk oksV izkIr gq;s gSaA blds lkFk gh] iwjs ns'k esa Hkh yxHkx ^^2 djksM+ 28 yk[k^^ oksV izkIr djds bl ckj Hkh gekjh ikVhZ ^^lu~ 2009^^ dh gh rjg fQj ls ;gk¡ iwjs ns'k esa rhljs uEcj dh ikVhZ cudj mHkjh gSA blls Hkh ;g ckr dkQh gn rd Li"V gks tkrk gS fd iwjs ns'k esa Hkh gekjh ikVhZ dk ^^tuk/kkj^^ igys dh gh rjg vHkh rd Hkh cjdjkj gS] ftldk vf/kdka'k Js; ch-,l-ih- ds csl oksV vFkkZr nfyr oxZ ds yksxksa dks gh tkrk gS] tcfd bl ckj ds gq;s yksdlHkk vkepquko esa gekjh ikVhZ dks ,d Hkh lhV D;ksa u feyh gksA
blds lkFk gh ,d vkSj loky ds tokc esa mUgksaus ;g Hkh dgk fd bl o"kZ ds vkf[kj esa egkjk"Vª o dqN vU; vkSj jkT;ksa eas Hkh tks fo/kkulHkk ds vkepquko gksus okys gSa] muesa gekjh ikVhZ vdsys vius cycwrs ij iwjh rS;kjh ds lkFk pquko yM+sxhA blds vykok ch-,l-ih- dh ewoesUV o tuk/kkj rFkk xBcU/ku u djds] vdsys pquko yM+us ds ckjs esa Hkh vusdksa loky iwNs x;s] ftudk tokc Hkh iwjs rF;ksa ds lkFk fn;k x;k gSA

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World Cup 2014

20 06 2014 Uruguay beat England 2-1

(SP)BRAZIL-SAO PAULO-WORLD CUP 2014-GROUP D-URUGUAY VS ENGLAND
Uruguay’s Luis Suarez celebrates for his second goal during a Group D match between Uruguay and England of 2014 FIFA World Cup at the Arena de Sao Paulo Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 19, 2014.Uruguay won 2-1 over England on Thursday.(Xinhua/Li Ga)< SAO PAULO, Brazil, June 19  Luis Suarez, who recovered from injury and returned to starting line-up, scored twice to help Uruguay beat England 2-1 in their World Cup Group D second round here on Thursday.
Suarez, 27, was elected the Man of the Match. He said after the match that his family, teammates and coaches gave him great support during his recovery.
“I feel so great today and I will keep my form in the upcoming matches,” he said.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said, “Suarez is a wonderful player. We admire him.”
“My players did well in concentration today and played actively,” Tabarez said.
During the tight match, Wayne Rooney scored his first World Cup goal and his 40th for England, taking him joint-fourth on his country’s all-time goalscorers list – level with Michael Owen.
Uruguay and England, both losing in the first round of World Cup Group D, fought closely to survive the Group of Death, also containing Italy and Costa Rica.
Liverpool forward Suarez haunted his Liverpool teammates in the 39th minute when the ball was spread to forward Edinson Cavani on the Uruguay left. Cavani chipped a delicate ball in to the onrushing Suarez, who nodded superbly past England keeper Joe Hart.
In the 75th minute, England defender Glen Johnson made great progress down the right and played the ball across the penalty area. It bounced across to the Rooney who touched home with his left foot.
It was elation for Uruguay and heartbreak for England in the 85th minute when Suarez broke through a static Three Lions defense, smashing home past Hart.
The two-man striking force, Suarez and Cavani, played the key role in Uruguay’s win. When the tireless Cavani crafted, grafted and combined well with Suarez for the opening goal, it was the work of two world-class attackers with an experience of multiple games together at the highest level.
Suarez’s low crosses, from play or corners, troubled his opponents far more than the flurry of first-half corners which England pitched high into the Uruguay box. Twice Joe Hart was caught out at the near post.
Uruguay defender and Captain Diego Godin was booked on 14 minutes. Uruguay are now on five cards (4 yellow and 1 red) at Brazil 2014, most of all teams.
Tabarez said, “We haven’t survived the group yet. The match against Italy will be very tough.”
England coach Roy Hodgson said that his team will fight to the end and play all out in the game against Costa Rica.
Suarez’s brilliant form put England on the brink of an early World Cup exit. But in theory, England are still alive in the World Cup. If Italy top the group with three wins, and England beat Costa Rica in the third round, England, Uruguay and Costa Rica will share the same three points from three matches. According to the FIFA rule on this World Cup, the survivors of the teams with same points will be decided by goal difference firstly.

Colombia beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 in their World Cup
Colombia beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 in their World Cup Group C match here on Thursday.Colombia, who defeated Greece 3-0 in their opening match, are now favored to enter the last 16.James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero gave Colomiba a 2-0 lead through goals in the 64th and 70th minute. Gervinho made it 2-1 for Cote d’Ivoire with a superb individual goal.Colombia, making their first appearance at the finals since 1998, will qualify for the second round if the match later on Thursday between  Japan and Greece ends in a draw.Cote d’Ivoire, who beat Japan 2-1 in the first match, are still to qualify for the knockout stage. They will meet Greece in the last match.

 Japan  held goalless by  Greece

NATAL, Brazil, June 19  — Japan  held goalless by  Greece in their lethargic Brazil World Cup Group C match here on Thursday after squandering numerous scoring chances here on Thursday. The Greek skipper Katsouranis was out after picking up his second yellow card in the 38th minute as he slid in and mistimed his challenge on Japan’s captain Hasebe. However Japan still found difficult to score though they had a 68% ball possession advantage in the do-or-die match.
With Japan losing its opener 2-1 to Cote d’Ivoire and Greece getting thumped 3-0 by Colombia, both teams desperately need a win to stay in contention to qualify for the last 16 knockout stage of football’s biggest international tournament.
In another match in Group C, Colombia beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 and with the goalless draw between Japan and Greece, Colombia advance to the knockout stages
20

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NSA backdoor surveillance handed a defeat by US Congress


The US House of Representatives has approved a measure to cut off funding for programs by the National Security Agency tasked with introducing security vulnerabilities within American tech products, otherwise known as backdoors. By an overwhelming vote of 293-123, the amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act 2015–introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Zoe Lofgren–also prohibits surveillance of Americans’ internet communications without a warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. “We took a big step tonight to ‪#‎ShutTheBackDoor on unwarranted government surveillance by passing the Massie-Lofgren amendment,” Lofgren wrote on her Facebook account Thursday evening. “The House stood up for the American people and the Constitution, and that is something we can all celebrate.”



US House votes to halt Guantanamo transfers


In a late vote on Thursday evening the US House of Representatives voted to prohibit federal funds from being used for transfers of Guantanamo Bay detainees, reports The Hill. The move was prompted by the controversy ignited by the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl by the Taliban, which was secured through the transfer of five Taliban prisoners from the detention center in Guantanamo. The House amendment to the 2015 Defense appropriations bill, which was passed by a vote of 230-184, was introduced by Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark). “It simply shows the judgment of this Congress, the people’s representatives, that these remaining 149 detainees are too dangerous to be cavalierly released to a country without adequate constraints or notification to Congress,” Cotton said. The 2015 Defense appropriations bill is expected to pass on Friday.


​Cosmonauts install Satellite Data Relay Network module outside ISS


Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev floated outside the International Space Station to install a communications antenna, Interfax reports citing command control. Cosmonauts successfully removed a shell of the space station’s Zvezda service module and installed an advanced communications antenna designed to beam telemetry between space and earth through the Luch. Satellite Data Relay Network or Luch is Russia’s equvallent to NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.

US slaps sanction on Uganda over gay rights


Washington has introduced new sanctions against Uganda that includes visa bans, selective aid freeze and canceling a military air exercise after the African country’s leaders introduced tough anti-gay laws. The law which was introduced in February, “runs counter to universal human rights and complicates our bilateral relationship,” the White House said, blaming Uganda for “human rights abuses”. The law allows gays to be jailed for life and obligates people to denounce homosexuality to the authorities.

Turkish court orders release of 230 army officers convicted of coup plot


A Turkish criminal court ordered the release on Thursday of 230 military officers convicted of plotting to topple Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reuters said. The previous day, the constitutional court ruled that the officers’ rights had been violated in the handling of digital evidence and the refusal to hear testimony from two former top military commanders. During the 2010-12 “Sledgehammer” trial, critics accused Erdogan of using the courts to pursue a “witch hunt” against the generals.

Israel bans UK-based Muslim charity as ‘source of funding’ for Hamas


Israel on Thursday banned a British-based charity, Islamic Relief Worldwide, from operating in the occupied West Bank. IRW was accused of being a source of funding for the Palestinian Hamas Islamist movement, Reuters reported. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon signed an order declaring the IRW an “unauthorized association.” The ruling empowers Israeli authorities to seize any funds the group might send to Palestinians in the West Bank. The IRW has not immediately commented on the ban. The organization says it has been working in the Palestinian territories since 1994, tending to underprivileged children as well as creating jobs and encouraging entrepreneurship with interest-free loans.

Denmark opens first ‘real’ mosque bankrolled by Qatar


Denmark’s largest purpose-built mosque, including the country’s first minaret, opens in Copenhagen’s gritty northwest district. The project had received a 150 million kroner ($27.2 million) endowment from Qatar, AFP said. Copenhagen’s Muslim community will have a 6,700-square meter complex with a mosque after years of political wrangling. Relations between Denmark’s largest religious minority and the majority population have been strained in recent years.

US veterinarians warn of surge in deadly pig virus cases after summer


US veterinarians have warned that outbreaks of a deadly pig virus will climb this autumn after a summertime hiatus, likely killing another 2.5 million pigs over the next 12 months, Reuters said. However, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday said that the nation is likely “on the other side” of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) due to approval of the first vaccine directly available to farmers. The spread of PEDv, which thrives in cold and damp conditions, has slowed due to warmer temperatures after peaking in February. PEDv does not reportedly threaten humans or food safety.

Israel politicians warn Iraq crisis may spark US concessions to Iran


Israel fears that a jihadist offensive in Iraq may prompt concessions to Tehran from its longtime ally the US, AFP reported. If Washington needs Iran’s help to solve the Iraq crisis, the US “will need to be more flexible in negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program,” Israeli public radio cited Tourism Minister Uzi Landau as saying. “We’re in a situation where, to confront the threat from the global jihad, we rely on Iran and its allies.” A top Iranian official said Wednesday that Tehran could consider working with the US over the Iraq crisis if nuclear talks are successful.

Anti-corruption activists jailed after high-profile China trial


Three Chinese activists who campaigned for government officials to disclose their wealth were jailed on Thursday. They were among more than a dozen detained in recent months for their anti-corruption activism. Two of the activists, Liu Ping and Wei Zhongping, were sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for using a cult to damage law enforcement, gathering a mob to disturb order in public places, and picking quarrels and provoking disputes, Reuters said.

1 killed as bomb explodes in car in Tel Aviv, criminal incident suspected


Two cars reportedly caught fire Thursday afternoon after a bomb exploded in one of the vehicles in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. One person was killed and a second wounded in what appears to have been a criminally motivated attack, the Haaretz daily said.

Explorer trapped in German cave rescued after 12 days


An injured explorer trapped in Germany’s deepest cave system for 12 days was finally brought to the surface Thursday, Reuters reported. Speleologist Johann Westhauser, 52, injured his head in a rock fall on June 8 and was unable to climb back to the surface on his own, Bavaria’s mountain rescue service said. The complex rescue operation took so long to complete because the injured man could not stand and the ascent involved steep and narrow horizontal and vertical shafts. Some 70 rescue workers were in the cave, helping to bring Westhauser out.

New Spanish king Felipe VI calls for unity with regional differences


Spain’s new king, Felipe VI, was sworn in on Thursday in a modest ceremony, Reuters reported. He called for Spain to stay united but respect the cultural differences among its regions. The new king ended a speech by saying “thank you” in Castilian Spanish, Basque, Catalan and Galician. Monarchists hope for a new era of popularity for the troubled royal family, which has been the subject of a series of corruption scandals as a recession pushes millions of Spaniards deeper into poverty.

6.4-magnitude quake strikes off Vanuatu in southern Pacific


An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck off the coast of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake at a depth of 69.6 miles (112 km), hit at 1027 GMT, Reuters reported. There were no reports of any casualties or damage on Vanuatu, 1,750 kilometers east of Australia, or any alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

China oil firms prepare Iraq evacuation plans


China’s biggest oil firms have prepared evacuation plans in case violence spreads in Iraq, state media reported Thursday. China has more than 10,000 workers on a wide range of projects in the Middle Eastern country, AFP reported. “If insurgents begin to attack Baghdad, we will pull out of the country immediately,” the Global Times quoted an employee of Chinese state-owned energy giant China National Offshore Oil Corp. as saying.

Argentina warns of default as next bond payment ‘impossible’


Argentina threatened to default on its debt on Wednesday when the government said it was “impossible” to pay a bond payment due June 30, Reuters reported. On Monday, the US Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Argentina in its battle against hedge funds that refused to take part in debt restructuring offered in 2005 and 2010. The long, drawn-out debt battle in US courts has prevented Argentina from accessing international capital markets.

Bodies of Russian journalists killed in Ukraine returned to Moscow


The bodies of two Russian TV journalists who were killed near Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been returned to Russia, their employer VGTRK said Thursday. Funerals for special correspondent Igor Kornelyuk and sound engineer Anton Voloshin are expected to take place Friday, Itar-Tass said. A three-member VGTRK camera crew came under mortar fire near the village of Metallist on the outskirts of Lugansk on June 17. The journalists were making a report about members of the local self-defense forces who were helping local residents to leave an area where fighting was going on.

6 soldiers, marine killed in clashes with Philippines militants


Six soldiers and a marine have been killed in clashes with Abu Sayyaf militants in southern islands of The Philippines, military officials said. Government forces assaulted an Abu Sayyaf camp, sparking fierce fighting in which a marine was killed after dawn Thursday in Patikul town in Sulu, a predominantly Muslim province in the south, AP reported. Army reinforcements were hit by mortar fire 10 minutes later, killing six soldiers, military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said.

Number of Syrian refugees in Turkey exceeds 1mn – deputy PM


The number of Syrians housed in refugee camps and cities in neighboring Turkey has reached 1.05 million, Reuters quoted Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay as saying Thursday. Turkey has maintained an “open border” policy to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.

Suspected Iraqi Al-Qaeda commander faces charges after 7 years at Guantanamo


A Guantanamo prisoner accused of being an Al-Qaeda commander was in court Wednesday for the first time more than seven years after he was taken to the US base. Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi was arraigned before a military judge on five war crimes charges for a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan that included using suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices to kill US and allied forces. The 53-year-old Iraqi prisoner faces up to life in prison, AP said.

Australia slaps sanctions on 50 Russians, 11 companies


Australia has imposed sanctions against 50 Russian officials and 11 companies over the events in Ukraine, the Australian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday. Among those on the list are Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin, Itar-Tass reported. Australia imposed similar penalties on 12 Russian and Ukrainian citizens on March 19. On May 21, Australia announced it was extending the sanctions to 38 individuals and 11 legal entities from Russia and Ukraine.

UN peacekeeping force in Mali to get unmanned drones


The UN peacekeeping force in Mali will be getting unmanned drones to help protect civilians and UN troops in the volatile north of the country, AP reported. The peacekeeping forces’ chief, Herve Ladsous, told the UN Security Council that the unmanned aerial vehicles will provide critical information for peacekeepers. The UN is already using unmanned drones in its peacekeeping operation in Congo. Ladsous said last month that he would like to deploy drones in Mali, the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

Florida execution marks third in the US in less than 24 hours


The state of Florida put to death John Ruthell Henry, a 63-year-old man who fatally stabbed his wife and her young son in 1985, Wednesday evening — making that execution the third to take place in less than 24 hours, reports the AP. The spate of executions are the first since a botched April lethal injection in Oklahoma. The US Supreme Court had turned down an appeal made by Henry’s attorneys that he was mentally incapable of understanding his death sentence. Psychiatrists who took part in his trial testified that Henry possessed a low IQ and suffered from chronic paranoia. Florida was the first US state to implement the drug midazolam hydrochloride in lethal injection, a controversial three-drug protocol first used last year during the execution of William Happ, also used in Henry’s Wednesday execution.

Competitiveness, climate, security Finn’s priorities Ministry of Finance release Finnish road map of EU presidency. Finland i...