Brazil 3, Croatia 1: World Cup match report

Neymar rescued a nervy Brazil in the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, scoring two goals in a 3-1 comeback win over Croatia. 
An own goal by Marcelo gave the Croatians a shocking 1-0 lead early on, but Neymar evened the score in the first half and scored the winner off a penalty kick in the 71st minute. Oscar added an insurance marker in injury time to cap an excellent performance of his own. 

Key play

A frantic Brazil threw men forward after Marcelo’s unlucky own goal in the 11th minute, and finally gained the lead 20 minutes from full-time, when Neymar scored his second goal of the match.
Croatia has a right to feel slighted. It was a dubious call from Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura. Croatian defender Dejan Lovren was jostling with Brazil’s Fred when the latter seemed to fall of his own accord. But Nishimura pointed to the spot, gave Lovren the yellow card, and Neymar cooly blasted the ball past Stipe Pletikosa for the match winner. 

Man of the match

Neymar. The man with the most pressure on his shoulders at the World Cup delivered when his country needed him the most, and that means good things for the hosts.  

Overall entertainment rating

4/4. We knew Brazil would come out firing, but full marks to Croatia for coming right at the Selecao with furious counterattacks. The Croatians’ opening goal ensured the match had a massive amount of tension. Brazil had the run of play, but both teams had chances moving forward, and Croatia had great opportunities to tie the match in the final 10 minutes.
 

 

Only a Few Will Decide on What Could Be a Big Shift for Britain

President Obama has had his say, albeit couched in diplomatic caveats, and so, too, has J.K. Rowling, implying that her repertoire of wizards, villains and sundry spell-makers would also take a view if they could on Scotland’s independence.

But, as the days tick away toward a referendum on what Scots think about their future ties to the United Kingdom, three large groups of interested parties are conspicuously absent from the debate — the English, the Welsh and the (Northern) Irish.

On Sept. 18, people resident in Scotland and over the age of 16 will answer a simple question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

The consequences are potentially breathtaking: for the first time in 307 years, Scotland could break away; the United Kingdom could be not so united; Great Britain could be somewhat less great, geographically at least; Scotland could be free in a brave new world.

Last week in Brussels, President Obama departed from America’s vaunted neutrality in the debate to say that, while it was “up to the people of Scotland” to determine their destiny, “we obviously have a deep interest in making sure that one of the closest allies we will ever have remains a strong, robust, united and effective partner.”

 

The vote will be closely watched by other Europeans eyeing independence — the Catalans in Spain, for instance. It might even inspire thoughts further afield — in the Middle East, perhaps, where the debate over a two-state solution is far more intractable.

Know more about this new clicking  here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/world/europe/scottish-independence-vote-cuts-england-wales-and-northern-ireland-out-of-the-equation.html?ref=world&_r=0

 

Ukraine says 'Russian tank incursion' unacceptable

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told President Vladimir Putin that reports of Russian tanks moving into Ukrainian territory are unacceptable.

Ukraine's interior minister said earlier that three tanks had entered rebel areas of the east, and fighting was under way.

Arsen Avakov said that the tanks entered Ukraine along with other armour through a border checkpoint controlled by rebels in the Luhansk region.

Russia denied the report.

It said it was "another fake piece of information".

Moscow has accused President Poroshenko of not delivering on his earlier pledge to stop fighting in the east. It wants an investigation into allegations that Ukrainian forces used banned incendiary bombs against civilians.

Rebel fighters could be seen in Snizhne on Thursday

"The lack of any progress whatsoever in efforts to stop the violence and halt military operations... is causing increasing concern," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

He said that reports in the Russian media that incendiary bombs were being used was another "cause for special concern".

The bombs are designed to trigger major firestorms and were often used during the Vietnam War before they were banned by the United Nations.

Ukraine has denied using the weapons. It has accused Russia of allowing the rebels to deploy three Soviet-era T-72 tanks across the border into the east of the country.

Ukraine's presidency said in a statement that Mr Poroshenko, who was elected last month, had a "substantial" conversation by telephone with Mr Putin on Kiev's plan of bringing peace to the east.

This year's World Cup will be play out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp as it progresses in Brazil

On Tuesday, the world's biggest online social network is adding new features to help fans follow the World Cup - the world's most widely viewed sporting event - which takes place in Brazil from June 12 to July 13.

Facebook users will be able to keep track of their favourite teams and players throughout the tournament in a special World Cup section, called “Trending World Cup.”

Available on the Web as well as mobile devices, the hub will include the latest scores, game highlights as well as a feed with tournament-related posts from friends, players and teams.

In addition, an interactive map will show where the fans of top players are located around the world. 

Facebook has recently focused on making its mobile app usable on simple phones that use slower data speeds since many of its newest users are in developing countries.

As a result, Rebecca Van Dyck, head of consumer marketing at Facebook, said the World Cup hub will also be available on so-called “feature phones.” Facebook, earlier this year, began displaying trending topics to show users the most popular topics at any given moment. The feature is currently available in the US, UK, India, Canada and Australia.

“This is our first foray into this, especially for a big sporting event like this,” Van Dyck said. 

Not to be outdone, Twitter touted in a blog post last week that the “the only real-time #WorldCup global viewing party will be on Twitter, where you can track all 64 matches, experience every goal and love every second, both on and off the pitch.”

Fans can follow individual teams or players and use the hashtags #WorldCup to tweet about the matches, and follow official accounts such as (at)FIFAWorldCup, (at)ussoccer for the United States team and (at)CBF-Futebol for Brazil's soccer governing body, for example. Clicking on the #WorldCup or #WorldCup2014 hashtags, meanwhile, will take you to Twitter's hubs for the event. 

You can see more on  http://www.iol.co.za/business/companies/facebook-twitter-brace-for-world-cup-1.1701778#.U5iips5ZVNs 

Sunni Militants Drive Iraqi Army Out of Mosul

The  Iraqui soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday, as Sunni militants freed hundreds of prisoners and seized military bases, police stations, banks, the airport and the provincial governor’s headquarters. The attacks widened the Sunni insurgency in Iraq and were among the most audacious assaults on the government since the American military withdrawal more than two years ago.



The rout in Mosul, the second-largest Iraqi city after Baghdad and an important center of the country’s petroleum industry, was breathtaking in its speed and appeared to take government officials by surprise, not to mention residents of the city and surrounding Nineveh Province. A major humiliation for the government forces in Iraq’s Sunni-dominated areas, the defeat also reflected the stamina of the Sunni insurgency, which has been growing with the war in neighboring Syria.

Mosul was the last major urban area of Iraq to be pacified by American troops before they left, and the violence there now threatens to broaden into the adjacent oil-rich region of Kirkuk and autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, which has its own armed forces, the peshmerga. There were unconfirmed reports late Tuesday that Sunni militants, flush with victory in Mosul, had overrun parts of Kirkuk to the southeast as soldiers and police officers abandoned their posts.

Hospital Charges Surge for Common Ailments

Charges for some of the most common inpatient procedures surged at hospitals across the country in 2012 from a year earlier, some at more than four times  the national rate of inflation, by Medicare officials on Monday.

While it has long been known that hospitals bill Medicare widely varying amounts — sometimes many multiples of what Medicare typically reimburses — for the same procedure, an analysis of the data by The New York Times shows how much the price of some procedures rose in just one year’s time.

Experts in the health care world differ over the meaning of hospital charges.

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LAS VENTAJAS DE LA GLOBALIZACION

• Permite llegar a un mercado mundial, lo que aporta grandes beneficios para las empresas y para los consumidores, quienes pueden disponer de mayor variedad de productos y de menores precios en muchos artículos.
• La globalización ofrece oportunidades de crecimiento económico que han sido aprovechadas por distintos países; y, aunque este crecimiento no implica un beneficio directo para toda la población, abre esperanzas de una mejora en sus condiciones de vida.
• La globalización y sus instrumentos (internet, los sistemas de telecomunicaciones...) acercan a personas, pueblos y culturas.
• La globalización conlleva mayor cooperación entre los gobiernos y las instituciones para solucionar problemas mundiales, como la pobreza, el deterioro del medio ambiente o las guerras  
• La mayor difusión de los conocimientos científicos e innovaciones tecnológicas ha permitido que las personas se beneficien con adelantos en el área de la salud o accedan a productos que facilitan la vida cotidiana, la educación o el trabajo. 
• La creciente interconexión y la información al instante permiten que la comunidad internacional pueda ayudar más rápidamente en caso de una catástrofe natural o un problema humanitario.
• Aumenta el empleo en los lugares donde llegan las multinacionales, especialmente en los países subdesarrollados.
• Aumenta la competitividad entre los empresarios y se eleva la calidad de los productos.
• Se descubren e implementan mejoras tecnológicas que ayudan a la producción y a la rapidez de las transacciones económicas.
• Mayor accesibilidad a bienes que antes no se podían obtener en los países subdesarrollados.

French Officials Twist U.S. Arms in Bank Inquiry

Facing the prospect of a guilty plea in the United States, the giant French bank BNP Paribas has enlisted the support of a powerful ally: its own government, including top regulators and even the French president.

President François Hollande recently reached out to the White House to raise concerns about a plea deal, according to people briefed on the matter, injecting a political undercurrent into a law enforcement investigation. French officials have also contacted the State Department and Treasury Departament, the people said, and made direct appeals to the authorities investigating BNP. The bank is suspected of doing business with Sudan and other countries blacklisted by the United States.

At a meeting last month in New York, state and federal prosecutors discussed the potential fallout from the BNP case with Edouard Fernandez-Bollo, a senior French banking regulator, according to the people briefed on the matter who were not authorized to discuss the private talks.

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SPANISH KING JUAN CARLOS I ABDICATES IN FAVOUR OF HIS SON, FELIPE.

"His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession," Rajoy said in a brief statement, calling the rulers a "tireless defender of our interests".
"I'm convinced this is the best moment for change," Rajoy added.
Spain's Juan Carlos I is to abdicate and be replaced by his son Crown Prince Felipe, sparking calls across the country for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.Most political parties on the left are in favour of opening a process of change now and they want to be able to ask citizens whether to continue with the monarchy or opt for a change," she added.
Felipe, 46, is set to take over the Spanish throne from his 76-year-old father, following a new constitutional amendment to allow the surprise abdication, according to Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Juan Carlos, whose health is weakening, has long contemplated yielding the throne to Prince Felipe and he has now acknowledged that he had decided to abdicate in January, when he turned 76-years-old.
Juan Carlos came to power in 1975, two days after the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. He has ruled for more than 38 years, but has seen his once immense popularity and that of the Royal Family dwindle in recent years following a number of embarrassments.He has endured a long-running corruption probe into his younger daughter, the Infanta Christina, and son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin, suspected of fraudulently obtaining millions in public funds.
Felipe is married to former journalist Leticia Ortiz and the couple have two daughters, Leonor and Sofía.









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http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/02/spain-juan-carlos-abdicates_n_5429939.html 

Globalization tours through Hamburg harbor

With its massive dimensions, Hamburg's port is a popular tourist attraction. One group offers visitors a tour that uses the port as a backdrop to critique the role Germany plays in international trade and globalization.

Hamburg's harbor is one of the biggest commercial ports in the world. Last year just under 140 million tons of goods were handled here, in an area which occupies more than 7,000 hectares 27 square miles). Hundreds of trade routes connect the port to nearly 200 countries.

But much of the wealth that's generated there comes with a hidden cost elsewhere - in some cases to the environment, in others to people working under unfair conditions.

If you want to see more, you can visit this website 

http://www.dw.de/globalization-tours-through-hamburg-harbor/a-17638140

LAS DESVENTAJAS DE LA GLOBALIZACION

• La globalización impone un modelo económico capitalista o de mercado en todo el mundo; que favorece a los países ricos y perjudica a los más desfavorecidos porque no todos pueden acceder al mercado mundial en las mismas condiciones.

• Con la globalización las decisiones afectan a las economías nacionales no las toman los gobiernos de cada país, sino las organizaciones internacionales, las empresas multinacionales o las instituciones supranacionales.
• En el proceso globalizador los países más poderosos imponen su lengua, cultura, y costumbres en perjuicio de los países más débiles.
   
• Al haber más competencia por las empresas multinacionales las empresas locales se funden y, de esa manera las empresas multinacionales al no tener competencia pueden poner el precio que deseen al producto, por lo que las empresas multinacionales obtendrán más beneficios y las empresas locales tendrán más riesgo de desaparecer.
• Al haber tanta competencia por parte de las empresas multinacionales, se necesita gente más capacitada para satisfacer las demandas, lo que deja a gente con poca educación en un estado de pobreza total.  
•  Este  libre  comercio  provoca  graves  crisis  en  algunos  sectores de la población de las que difícilmente pueden lograr salir sin ayuda. Cuando entra al mercado un producto igual pero con una gran capacidad competitiva por proceder de un país donde el costo de producción es menor, los productores del país importador sufren un grave problema a la hora de vender sus productos, viéndose obligados a venderlos a precios muy bajos, que a veces ni siquiera cubren los gastos de producción
• Con la globalización, el hecho de que solamente uno de los países potentes sufra inestabilidad política o económica puede generar una crisis a nivel mundial debido a la dependencia creada con ese país

1. El hecho de que toda la producción se elabore en puntos localizados del planeta supone una necesidad de transportar esos productos al resto del mundo, lo que supone un enorme gasto de energía para transporte, infraestructuras y móviles de transporte (barcos, camiones, aviones,…)

•  Los gobiernos pueden no preocuparse por el medio ambiente y los problemas sociales del resto de los estados, dando lugar a concentraciones de capitales y pobreza, fuertes impactos ambientales locales y globales provocados entre otras cosas por la ausencia de legislación en los países pobres, donde se instalan las empresas de los países ricos.