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  • RDF Condemns Killing of Rwandan Peacekeeper in Darfur

    RDF Condemns Killing of Rwandan Peacekeeper in Darfur

    {{It is with deep sorrow that RDF announces the death of our Peacekeeper in UNAMID which occurred on 24 May 2014.}}

    The Gallant soldier died when Rwanda peacekeepers intervened to stop fighting that broke out between Arab and Fur tribesmen about 200 m from KABKABIYA Base Camp, North Darf?ur.

    The RDF Spokesperson, Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita said that “When the Commanding Officer was approaching, the Arabs opened fire on Rwanda peacekeepers. Consequently 3 of our soldiers sustained injuries.

    One was shot in the chest and later died at Level II Hospital, the other two sustained non life threatening injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

    In self defense and in line with the mission mandate of protecting civilians, our forces retaliated and 4 of the attackers were killed in action”.

    “We condemn in strongest terms this cowardly act of attacking Peacekeepers, acting in good faith to bring peace to Darfur. Our Peacekeepers will not be intimidated by such criminal acts and shall continue to aggressively protect innocent civilians and the Defence of our Troops in line with our mandate”, said Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita.

    RDF expresses it’s heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. The names of the deceased will be released once the next of kin have been informed.

    May the soul of the fallen peacekeeper rest in eternal peace.

  • 2 Killed in Attack on Djibouti Restaurant

    2 Killed in Attack on Djibouti Restaurant

    {{Two people have been killed in an attack on a restaurant popular with Westerners in Djibouti, police say.}}

    Grenades were thrown at La Chaumiere restaurant in the capital of the Horn of Africa country, officials said. At least another 11 people were wounded.

    Unconfirmed reports said that two employees had been killed and several foreigners wounded.

    No group has said it carried out the attack and the motive was not immediately clear.

    Colonel Omar Hassan, head of police in Djibouti City, told Reuters: “It’s a criminal act. We have two people dead and 11 wounded. It was grenades.”

    Djibouti’s ADI news agency reported several explosions around 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) and said that the area was quickly sealed off by police.

    Djibouti, a former French colony, is home to US and French military bases and also contributes troops to the African Union force fighting al-Shabab militants in Somalia.

    Its port is also used by foreign navies protecting the Gulf of Aden’s shipping lanes from Somali pirates.

    {agencies}

  • Real Madrid Win 10th Champions League

    Real Madrid Win 10th Champions League

    {{Real Madrid won an historic 10th Champions League title beating local rivals Athletico Madrid 4-1 in a desperate derby after extra time.}}

    Real left it late in added time to pull a priceless equaliser after Athletico had taken the lead early on in the first half.

    Sergio Ramos soared above his markers to head home what would arguably be the most important goal of his life, a goal which brought Madrid back into the game.

    In extra time Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Christiano Ronaldo goals ended the fairy tale run of Athletico and shattered any dream of a first time Champions League glory.

    The scoreline was not a true reflection of the game. The game was more competitive.

    Athletico had taken the lead early in the first half through a soft header that left Iker Cassilas beaten.

    The Spanish goalkeeper had mistimed his run and was left with a desperate but failed attempt to parry the header.

    Athletico looked like causing a major upset and held on until the 93rd minute when the cruel equaliser from Ramos came.

    In extra time Gareth Bale who had been lousy in front of goal all evening connected a header from close range.

    It was the sensational run from Di Maria that made the difference. His shot was parried but only in the path of Bale who headed into an empty net.

    Macelo increased the tally to 3-1 before Ronaldo added a fourth, his 17 th goal in Champions League, through a penalty.

    wirestory

  • Google Beats Apple as World’s Top Brand

    Google Beats Apple as World’s Top Brand

    {{US search engine Google has overtaken rival technology titan Apple as the world’s top brand in terms of value, global market research agency Millward Brown said on Wednesday.}}

    Google’s brand value shot up 40% in a year to $158.84bn, Millward Brown said in its 2014 100 Top BrandZ report.

    “Google has been extremely innovative this year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a range of partnerships,” said Benoit Tranzer, the head of Millward Brown France.

    Google Glass is internet-linked eyewear for which the firm has joined hands with Luxottica, a frame giant behind Ray-Ban and other high-end brands, to sell the new product in the United States.

    “All these activities send a very strong signal to consumers about the essence of Google,” Tranzer said.

    Apple, which dominated the top position for three straight years, saw its brand value fall by 20% to $147.88bn.

    The top 10 of the 100 slots were dominated by US firms. IBM was in third place at $107.54bn, a fall of 4%, followed by Microsoft at $90.19bn – a 29% rise.

    Fast food chain McDonald’s ranked next at $85.71bn, followed by Coca Cola ($80.68bn), it said.

    China led in the insurance sector with Ping An valued at $12.4bn and China Life ($12bn).

    French luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton ranked 30th overall but was the top luxury brand with a value of more than $25bn.

    Brand value is calculated on the basis of the firms’ financial performance and their standing among consumers.

  • Hundreds of Children on Migrant Boat Rescued

    Hundreds of Children on Migrant Boat Rescued

    {{An Italian navy patrol ship picked up a migrant boat coming from North Africa carrying 435 people including 264 children, most from Syria and Egypt, authorities said on Saturday.}}

    The rescue, which occurred on Friday afternoon, is the latest in a seemingly endless succession as the chronic migrant crisis in the southern Mediterranean has picked up this year.

    At least 34,800 people have crossed from North Africa to Europe so far this year, compared to 43,000 in the whole of 2013.

    That leaves the annual total set to surpass the 60,000 who made the trip in 2011 when the Arab Spring revolutions loosened border controls, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

    The near daily arrivals of migrant boats has become an issue in the European parliamentary elections due to be wrapped up on Sunday with growing demands in Italy for more help from the European Union to confront the emergency.

    {reuters}

  • Zuma Promises to Boost Economy in Second Term

    Zuma Promises to Boost Economy in Second Term

    {{South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday economic growth in the continent’s most advanced economy would be the focus of his second term, as he was inaugurated in the nation’s capital, Pretoria.}}

    The national development plan, a blueprint for growth drawn up in his first term would be the major engine of ‘radical’ socio-economic change, said Zuma.

    “It’s time for us to do what we have always said we would, do not be alarmed when we take decisions that are hard and unusual, we will be doing it for your good,” he told thousands of supporters gathered in Pretoria, speaking in his native Zulu.

    The inauguration was attended by world leaders at the Union Buildings where Zuma, 72, was sworn in by the chief justice of the Constitutional Court.

    Military airplanes flew above the Union Buildings forming the number 20, symbolizing the years since South Africa’s first democratic elections when Nelson Mandela ended centuries of white domination by becoming its first black president.

    The South African economy has grown at a sluggish pace with high unemployment and inflation during Zuma’s time in office and was last month overtaken by Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy after it rebased its GDP.

  • India’s Ambassador Car Plant Shut

    India’s Ambassador Car Plant Shut

    {{Production of the Ambassador, the first car to be made in India, has been halted.

    Hindustan Motors said it had suspended work at its plant outside the city of Kolkata, blaming weak demand and financing problems.}}

    Modelled on the Morris Oxford, the design of the Ambassador has changed little since it first went into production in 1957.

    It was once the only car driven by politicians and government officials.

    But the company only sold 2,200 Ambassadors in the financial year which ended in March 2014.

    In a statement on Saturday, Hindustan Motors blamed the shutdown on “worsening conditions at its Uttarpara plant which include very low productivity, growing indiscipline, critical shortage of funds, lack of demand for its core product the Ambassador and large accumulation of liabilities”.

    “The suspension of work will enable the company in restricting mounting liabilities and restructure its organisation and finances and bring in a situation conducive to reopening of the plant,” the company said in its statement.

    Analysts are not optimistic about the car’s future.

    {agencies}

  • Security Tight in Belgium After Jewish Museum Shooting

    Security Tight in Belgium After Jewish Museum Shooting

    {{Security has been stepped up at Jewish sites across Belgium after a gunman shot dead three people at the Jewish Museum in the capital Brussels.}}

    A man who was detained by police shortly after the attack has been released without charge. A manhunt has been launched for a different suspect.

    A fourth victim remains in a critical condition.

    Two of the dead were Israeli tourists, a couple in their 50s, Israel’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

    The Belgian prosecutor’s office said the victims were struck by bullets in the face or throat and Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said he thought the shooting was probably a “terrorist act”.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement strongly condemning the killings which he said were “the result of endless incitement against the Jews and their state”.

    Belgium has a Jewish population of some 42,000, about half of whom live in the capital.

    wirestory

  • High Turnout in Ukraine Vote Since Independence

    High Turnout in Ukraine Vote Since Independence

    {{Ukrainians voted on Sunday in a presidential election billed as the most important since they won their independence from Moscow 23 years ago, but armed pro-Russian separatists disrupted voting in eastern regions of the former Soviet republic.}}

    Early signs pointed to a high turnout in sunny weather in an election where the main candidates, including front-runner Petro Poroshenko, a confectionery magnate, are promising closer ties with the West in defiance of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

    But the absence of over 15 percent of the electorate, in Russian-annexed Crimea and two eastern regions where fighting with pro-Moscow rebels continued on Saturday, may mar any result – and leave the Kremlin questioning the victor’s legitimacy, for all Putin’s new pledge to respect the people’s will.

    {Former prime minister and Presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko (L), accompanied by her husband Oleksander (R), casts her vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Dnipropetrovsk May 25, 2014.}

  • Pope Francis Prays at Bethlehem Wall

    Pope Francis Prays at Bethlehem Wall

    {{Pope Francis made a surprise stop at the hulking wall Palestinians see as a symbol of Israeli oppression on Sunday, minutes after begging both sides to end a conflict that he said was no longer acceptable.}}

    In an image set to become one of the most emblematic of his trip to the holy land, a somber-looking Francis rested his forehead against the concrete structure that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem, and prayed silently as a child holding a Palestinian flag looked on.

    He stood at a spot where someone had sprayed in red paint “Free Palestine”. Above his head was graffiti in broken English reading: “Bethlehem look like Warsaw Ghetto”, comparing the Palestinian plight with that of the Jews under the Nazis.

    Israel says the barrier, erected 10 years ago during a spate of Palestinian suicide bombings, is needed to secure its security. Palestinians see it as a bid by Israel to partition off territory and grab land they want for their future state.

    On the second leg of a three-day trip to the Middle East, Francis delighted his Palestinian hosts by referring to the “state of Palestine”, giving support for their bid for full statehood recognition in the face of a paralyzed peace process.

    But, speaking at the birthplace of Jesus in the Palestinian-run city of Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he made clear that a negotiated accord was needed, calling on leaders from both sides to overcome their myriad divisions.

    Francis invited the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to come to the Vatican to pray for an end to the enduring conflict, just a month after the collapse of U.S.-backed peace talks.

    “In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace,” the Pope said at an open-air Mass in Bethlehem.

    reuters