Ray Manzarek, a founding member of 1960s Jim Morrison front man rock group The Doors, has died at the age of 74.

The keyboard player Ray Manzarek  died in Rosenheim, Germany, with his family at his bedside following a battle with bile duct cancer.

He and singer Jim Morrison formed The Doors in 1965 after a chance meeting at Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

The Doors’ original line-up, which also included drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robbie Krieger, was only together for a few years and made just six studio albums.

But the band retained a large and obsessive following long after Morrison’s death, aged 27, in 1971 of a suspected heart attack.

They sold more than 100 million records, with songs such as Light My Fire and Riders On the Storm still considered “classic” rock favourites.

For admirers, the band symbolised the darker side of the Los Angeles lifestyle, what happened to the city after the sun went down and the Beach Boys fans headed home.

“The Doors’ vibe has more to do with Charles Bukowski than it does with Farrah Fawcett,” said John Doe of punk band X, a friend of Manzarek’s for more than 30 years, referring to the poet and Charlie’s Angels’ star respectively.

“It has more to do with Raymond Chandler and Nathaniel West, and Sunset Boulevard the movie, than it does with Beach Blanket Bingo, right? … It’s a real dark place out in LA.”

Next to Morrison, Manzarek was the most distinctive-looking band member, his glasses and wavy blond hair providing the clean living look as a contrast to Morrison’s Dionysian glamour – his sensuous mouth and long, dark hair.

Musically, Manzarek’s spidery organ on Light My Fire is one of the most instantly recognisable sounds in rock history.

Manzarek and Krieger continued to perform from 2002 with Ian Astbury replacing Morrison on vocals and Stewart Copeland, drummer in The Police, replacing Densmore on drums.

Densmore had refused to take part and joined up with Morrison’s family to bring a lawsuit against Manzarek and Krieger’s use of The Doors name.

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today,” guitarist Krieger said in a statement.

“I’m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.”

Manzarek is survived by his wife, Dorothy, son and three grandchildren.

In a statement released on Monday (20), Andressa Urach said he traveled to Spain to ask for a retraction of the Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I want to declare that it was never my intention to take this public and always wanted to protect my family and especially my son, but after untruthful statements that affected my person and all who love, who had come to Spain and hire a law firm to ask for an apology to the player Cristiano Ronaldo for his unfortunate statements, “talked about the alleged affair they had.

The sexy Brazilian model also said it will no longer talk about the case and the court will wait to prove the facts. “And to be clear that I have never received any kind of process. Receive And if I know that it will be proved that only speak the truth,” he added.

The controversy began with an interview published by The Sun newspaper, in which Andressa said to have spent a night with the player. The playmaker’s dating model Irina Shayk.

In the article, the blonde says that the player decided to meet with Andressa after a series of messages spicy, which was said to have dreamed of her and called her “little horse.” “He was obsessed with my ass,” he said.

About the meeting, Andressa was full of praise for the performance of the star. “It was incredible. His body is perfect, like a Greek God. Were hours and he would not stop talking out of my ass,” he continued. The player would have gotten the phone vice Miss Bumbum through a mutual friend.

“Cristiano always thought one of the most handsome men in the world. Could not believe he had been in contact with me,” he added. The meeting would aconteceido a day before Cristiano Ronaldo is seen next to an angry Irina Shayk, his girlfriend since 2010, during a dinner in Madrid.

Through his Facebook, the Portuguese player denied the affair with Brazil. “I have been informed that The Sun, true to its editorial line, will publish an article which gives voice to such a Andressa, someone who wants to be the center of attention at my expense. Wonder why it came a day before a very important game for my team. deeply outraged by the situation, trying in vain to affect my personal life. Just want to clarify that I was, in fact, the Villa Magna hotel on April 22, giving an interview to Manu Sainz, something the reporter himself is able to confirm. All the rest is pure fiction and forgery, “he wrote.

The Nigerian army spokesman has said that at least 120 Boko Haram militants have been arrested in north-eastern city of Maiduguri.

President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the deployment of Some 2,000 soldiers to 3 northern states last week amid declaring state of emergency in those states.

The military said last week that it had carried out air strikes and destroying militants’ bases in Sambisa game reserve, south of Maiduguri, and elsewhere in the north of the country.

The army said yesterday in a statement that it has inflicted heavy casualties on the militants on Sunday but lost 3 of its troops in the fighting. The army said it was able to verify 13 of the dead militants as many were carried away in trucks by those who survived.

The military also said it recaptured five areas from the militants in which some were canopy forest where the militants use as their hub to perpetuate their activities.

The military spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a statement on Monday that militants fleeing towards neighboring Chad and Niger are being taken care of by the military.

“Advancing troops also observed a few shallow graves believed to be those of hurriedly buried members of the terrorist groups killed in the fighting, but those who fled were confronted by the army” he said.

General Olukolade further said that the 120 militants who were arrested were being interrogated in custody bringing to a total number of more than 200 the number of militants the army says it has arrested since its offensive against the militants last week.

The militants were seized as they were preparing for the funeral of a commander killed in a battle with government troops on Monday.

The army also added it had secured five towns and villages in remote parts of Borno state after destroying all the terrorists’ camps in the area.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry has urged the Nigerian army to show restraint in fighting the militants so as to avoid violation of civilians’ rights.

Last November, Amnesty International accused Nigeria’s security forces of carrying out widespread abuses in their campaign against Boko Haram, including extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

Boko Haram is believed to have carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, saying it wants to establish an Islamic state across Nigeria.

Local reporters say some 2,000 people have fled to neighboring Niger, while more have crossed into Cameroon, since the army launched its offensive in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe last week.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Pakistan jet fighters to escort Chinese PM’s aircraft.

In order to ensure safety of visiting Chinese Prime Minister , six JF-17 fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will escort Chinese Premier Li Keqiang aircraft after it enters Pakistan air space on Wednesday.

Islamabad, May 21/Nationalturk – Atleast six JF-17 Thunder fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force will escort Chinese Premier Li Keqiang aircraft after it enters Pakistan air space on Wednesday.

Chinese PM, who is presently on a three-day visit to India, will start his two –day state visit to Pakistan tomorrow.

Pakistan’s security officials said JF-17s, developed and built jointly by China and Pakistan will escort the special Air China Boeing 747 aircraft carrying Chinese PM to Nur Khan airbase tomorrow.

They said a 21-gun salute will be given to Chinese PM on his arrival in the airbase and JF-17s will flypast over the air base.

Officials said Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and caretaker Prime Minister Justice (Retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso will receive Chinese PM, who will arriving on first visit to Pakistan after assuming office in March this year.

Nawaz Sharif will also meet Chinese PM

Media reports said Zardari will host a luncheon for the Chinese PM in which all the major leadership of political parties of the country have also been invited.

The country’s caretaker Prime Minister will also host a banquet for his Chinese counterpart.

On the second day of his visit, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and incoming prime minister Chief Nawaz Sharif will meet Li Keqiang. Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N won May 11 general elections in Pakistan and Nawaz will take oath as Pakistan’s PM for third time early next month.

The Chinese Premier is scheduled to address Pakistan Senate (upper house) on May 23.

Officials said the two countries will also sign a number of memoranda of understanding for close cooperation in various fields.

They said Chinese PM will leave Pakistan on Thursday and six JF-17s will escort his aircraft till the aerial limits of Pakistan.

Pakistan Foreign office spokesman while welcoming Chinese PM’s visit to country said, “Government and people of Pakistan look forward to the visit of Premier Li Keqiang and a warm welcome awaits him”.

Write your comments and thoughts below

Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

Manchester United are preparing a big transfer, astronomical offer for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspurs £ 60million.

Manchester  United are set to launch a mammoth bid for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale as David Moyes sets about moves to bring in summer additions to strengthen his Old Trafford squad.

Understands that the Premier League title holders have deliberately held back on expressing any concrete interest in the 23 year old Welsh international as the club had hoped to lure former attacker Cristiano Ronaldo back from Real Madrid. However secret talks between outgoing chief executive David Gill and Bernabeu president Florentino Perez appear to left Man United realising that such a move would be next to impossible.

This has led Manchester United to direct their attention to Gareth Bale, with Sir Alex Ferguson advising his board to dig deep and make a substantial offer for the Tottenham star, especially now that the North London club have failed to secure a Champions League berth for the coming season.

But David Moyes, the new United boss, won’t want to be left at the starting gate in the chase for the league’s outstanding performer, especially if Wayne Rooney doesn’t withdraw his transfer request and ends up leaving.

Chelsea are in the box seat for the England talisman who has fallen out of favour with Sir Alex Ferguson but is hoping for a clean start under Moyes with the issue top of his in-tray when he takes over on July 1.

Bale, who Fergie failed to sign when he was at Southampton, was originally a left-back but has now emerged as a pacy match-winning left winger.

He can also play in a central free role behind a striker.

Buoyed by the completion of a number of big money sponsorship deals Manchester  United’s board are keen to bring in a ‘Marquee’ signing this summer as something of a statement of intent to help alleviate any talk of uncertainty at the club following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson after 26 years at the helm, moves to sign a big name are perhaps even more pressing given that Wayne Rooney has put in a verbal transfer request.

David Moyes has earmarked moves to bring in more effective wide attacking options given the fairly average campaigns the likes of Luis Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Nani have had this season and the Toffees boss is keen to see Welshman Bale pursued by his new employers.

The gay marriage bill will receive its third and final reading in the House of Commons today as it passes its final test before returning to the House of  Lords.

Britain’s ruling Conservative party has been forced by its uncooperative members into making a deal with the opposition to ensure the quick passage of a gay marriage bill in the face of plummeting support and anger over ‘swivelgate.’

Almost 40 percent of Prime Minister David Cameron’s 303 Member of Parliament rebelled against the bill, voting on a –now defunct– amendment, which would have allowed registrars to refuse to conduct gay marriage ceremonies should they personally object, and could have even delayed the issue until after the next general election, expected in 2015.

The attempt to force through the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is controversial within the traditionalist ranks of the Conservatives, leading one MP to label comment on Monday that

“there are plenty in the aggressive homosexual community who see this as but a stepping stone to something even further.” However, Cameron is determined to force it through.

When it became clear that the UK PM did not have enough support from his own party, the Conservative chief whip, George Young, was forced to appeal to the opposition leader, Ed Miliband (Labour), who had been planning to abstain from voting.

Labour’s change of heart led to the defeat of the amendment 375 to 70 votes, saving the bill by a majority of 305 and illuminating a deep cleft within the ruling party.

The bill will have its third and final reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the day after which it will pass to the House of Lords, where further opposition is expected.

Relying on opposition backing signifies difficult times ahead for the ruling Conservative party.

“It’s a perfect political storm. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for Cameron,” Iain Dale, a prominent British gay radio presenter and conservative blogger, told

The latest YouGov poll for the Sunday Times found that 54% of Britons support “changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry,” with over 53,000 civil partnership ceremonies have been carried out since their introduction in December 2005.

Conversely, only 45% of Tory supporters are in favor of changing the law and 48% oppose it, the survey showed.

Cameron is eager to force its passage, in attempts to display his party’s liberal and progressive side, particularly following spending cuts and a lurch to the right on immigration policy, which a number of parties are pursuing following a recent surge in UKIP popularity.

On Saturday, a group of Conservative Party chairmen delivered a note to Downing Street, stating that his“proposal to redefine marriage is flawed, un-conservative, divisive and costing us dearly,” saying that the PM was treating loyal grassroots members “with contempt,” concluding that “some [former party members] of course are joining UKIP.”

The sudden urgency in passing the flagship policy shortly follows the recent ‘swivelgate’ scandal, in which a leading member of the Conservative party referred to party activists as “swivel-eyed-loons.”“Loon” is a derogatory and archaic term for a crazy person.

Conservative party chairman Andrew Feldman was forced to deny that he was the source of the comments after Twitter erupted with allegations that it was him, and activists have demanded an apology.

Usage of the phrase became almost viral across British media over the weekend, causing one MP to comment that his wish for anti-gay marriage supporters to be given protection under the Equality Act 2010 was not because he was “swivel-eyed.”

Alongside deep divisions within the party, there has been doubt over their hopes in the next general election. Conservatives would currently garner a mere 29 percent of the UK public vote, with Labour taking 37 percent, and the Liberal Democrats 10 percent, according to UK Polling Report which averages the results of 10 different national polls.

One of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded has ripped through a suburb of Oklahoma City, killing as many as 91 people and destroying everything in its path.

At least 91 casualties, including children, were reported after a record-breaking tornado swept through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, destroying hundreds of buildings and two schools. Meteorologists reported winds of up to 200mph.

A large tornado touched down on Monday in Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, causing catastrophic damage to several housing developments and at least two schools in the area. A local television news helicopter tracked the tornado as it moved through the area, and then began to survey the extensive destruction to the region.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed a total of 91 fatalities so far as a result of today’s tornadoes, 40 of whom are reportedly children. Over 233 injured, including around 70 children, have been reported, with many of the victims being treated at two local hospitals.

Tornado Outbreak Slams Through Oklahoma

Monday’s storm appeared to be the deadliest tornado since 2011, and one of the worst in the last 20 years according to the Atlantic. The town lies in the center of ‘Tornado Alley,’ an area west of the Mississippi River stretching from north Texas to South Dakota, known for its frequent and powerful tornado systems.

Several children were pulled alive from the wreckage of Plaza Towers Elementary School after the devastating tornado – between one and two miles wide – reduced the building to heaps of rubble and twisted metal.

Rescuers passed the children down a “human chain” to get them to medical personnel for treatment.

Roughly 500 students attend the school. It is unclear whether any had been evacuated before the twister hit, but local media reported some children were taken to a nearby church.

A child is pulled from the rubble of Plaza Towers Elementary School.

Firefighters were at the scene digging through the debris to reach any pupils possibly trapped inside.

Fourth, fifth and sixth graders were evacuated to a church, but younger students sheltered in place, KFOR reported. Seven students at Plaza Towers Elementary School were found drowned at the bottom of the wreckage Monday evening. Several other students and school staffers were pulled out alive from the debris during the day, with officials reporting that teachers had shielded students with their own bodies.

A first-year teacher at the school told a group of children to shelter in a restroom as the building was rocked by the force of the tornado, KFOR reported. All of them survived the ordeal, and were guided away from the devastated school by rescuers.

Rescue teams continued to sift through the destroyed structure on Monday evening, but no additional survivors were expected, according to local media at the scene.

Students at another local school, Briarwood Elementary, had been accounted for and moved to a safe location.

Officials at two hospitals said they were treating more than 140 patients, including around 70 children. Dozens of people were said to be in a critical condition.

President Barack Obama spoke to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin on the phone and promised the state all the help it needs as he declared the devastating tornado a major disaster.

Ms Fallin told a news conference “hearts are broken” for the parents looking for their children.

“This is a very sad day for the state of Oklahoma – a very hard day and very tragic day,” she said.

“Our prayers and our thoughts are with all the Oklahoma families that have been hit hard by this terrible storm. We are doing every single thing that we can to assist those that are in need right now.”

Moore was last hit hard by a tornado in 1999, which killed 36 people. That storm had the highest winds ever recorded near the earth’s surface, measured at 302mph.

The National Weather Service initially classified Monday’s storm as an EF4, the second-strongest type of tornado, with winds of up to 200 mph. Local reporters who were present for the 1999 storm, however, believe that the damage caused by this tornado is considerably worse.

A major utility company, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, has begun to assess damage to its electric grid following Monday’s tornado, according to a spokesperson.

Below is video purportedly of a Moore family emerging from their storm cellar, witnessing the devastation wrought by the powerful tornado.

A severe storm system over the weekend generated baseball-sized hail, high winds and at least 28 tornadoes in the Midwest, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. Residents remain in hiding as meteorologists forecast that the severe weather conditions will continue to generate destructive twisters.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared 16 counties to be disaster areas. Power companies reported that more than 57,000 outages left people in the dark. In Shawnee, Oklahoma, the body of a 79-year-old man was found lying in an open area of a mobile home community.

“You could be killed if not underground or in a tornado shelter,” read a National Weather Service alert posted Sunday. “Complete destruction of neighborhoods, businesses and vehicles will occur. Flying debris will be deadly to people and animals.”

In some regions, homes were destroyed, cars and trucks were flipped from highways, downed power lines were sprawled across neighborhoods, and trees were uprooted. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol shut down Interstate 40 after semi-tractor trailer trucks and several other vehicles were flipped by wind gusts, Newsok.com reported.

“It’s tearing up everything. Just ripping everything up in its sight,” a helicopter pilot told CNN affiliate KFOR, referencing a tornado near Wellston, Oklahoma. “Everything was just gone. Like you took the house, you put it in a gigantic blender, you turned it on pulse for a couple minutes and then you just dumped it out.”

The state was littered with debris from damaged houses, trailers, and vehicles. About 300 homes were in ruins and at least 23 people were injured, according to Fallin and Red Cross spokesperson Ken Garcia.

Ethan Mignard, a staffer at a local newspaper, told CNN’s iReport that the damage looked like something he had only ever seen on TV. In some areas, patches of dirt remained where mobile homes once stood, and children’s toys were littered across the ground and hanging from trees. Mignard even came across a plot of land with nothing remaining but the front steps to a house that is now gone.

People look through the wreckage of their neighborhood after a tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma

“It looks so out of place… To think that you would have taken these stairs to enter a home, but instead, you look around from up there and you see total destruction everywhere,” he said.

Counties across Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri were all placed under tornado watch late Sunday, and are expected to witness more damage.

“After over 300 reports of severe weather on Sunday, another round of dangerous severe weather is expected Monday with the greatest threat once again in the southern Plains targeting Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas,” the National Weather Service reported. “However, severe weather is possible much further north towards Chicago and Madison as well.”

Oklahoma City Tornado Video

A foreign actor being readied for shooting of film in India. File Pic

Indian Tourism Minister K  Chiranjeevi has said India is a complete film-making destination and offered wide opportunities to foreign film producers in the country.

New Delhi, May 21/Nationalturk – In would could be seen as an attempt to boost tourism in India, Indian  Tourism Minister K  Chiranjeevi has said India is a complete film-making destination and offered wide opportunities to foreign film producers in the country.

“We try constantly to create new opportunities for international filmmakers in India. We give them access to diverse Indian locations, and state of the art production and post-production facilities,” Chiranjeei said while speaking at International Film Festival at Cannes, France .

He said India offers international filmmakers  range of locations from magnificent Himalayas to sprawling beaches; from vast deserts to placid lakes and back waters; from legendary forts to world heritage sites. “India represents immense vibrancy and enthusiasm waiting to be captured on global cinema screens”.

‘India is land of dreams and ideas’

Maintaining that  India is a land of dreams and ideas, the minister said there are many films, many musical numbers that have been conceived and shot in India. “The Oscar winning film Life of Pi is the latest example in this regard”.

Referring to single-window clearance system to facilitate film shooting and making in India he said two ministries – Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Tourism — will work in tandem in simplifying the procedures and fast tracking multiple clearances that are required for shooting.

Chiranjeevi said India’s endeavor is to offer the international film-makers best of the facilities. “I take this opportunity to invite every director, every producer and every actor to India. I promise, you will find the location and facility what you are seeking in our beautiful country,” he said.

He expressed the hope that many foreign film makers will come forward for joint film production with their counterparts in India.

Intl filmmakers showing interest in shooting in India

The international filmmakers especially Hollywood directors and producers are showing interest in shooting some of shots of their films in India. Besides, some Hollywood films have also cast Indian film stars including Amitabh Bachan in their films.

Experts are of the opinion if international filmmakers shoot some part of their films in India, it would  be a big boost for Indian tourism as it is supposed to attract more foreign tourists to the country.

Write your comments and thoughts below

Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

And was the expected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez announced that they would not continue with Jose Mourinho next year.

Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez said: “Jose Mourinho’s side end of the season to be allocated. Mourinho si not sacked, this common decision taken,” he said. Perez did not do any of that negotiatingyet with a manager.

President Florentino Perez revealed the decision at a packed news conference.

Jose Mourinho, who has been linked with a return to Chelsea, won the league and Copa del Rey at Madrid.

“We’ve decided to bring our relationship to an end,” said Perez. “Nobody’s been sacked, it’s a mutual agreement.”
Real are currently 13 points behind Barcelona in the league and were beaten by city rivals Atletico in the Spanish Cup final last Friday.

The church is the branch of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, Nigeria which is owed by Prophet TB Joshua.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning around 10:00 local time when the church was reportedly to be distributing free holy water in their normal church service. The holy water is believed to have the ability to cure spiritual problems and driving demons and evil spirit away.

The dead bodies have been deposited at the 37 Military Hospital mortuaries in the capital Accra while the injured are currently on admission at the Korley Bu Hospital also in the capital.

The Public Relation Officer of the church, Samuel Nyamekye confirmed the incident to TV3 News and added that the church is providing the necessary assistance to the police to help in investigation.

“ The incident happened because of the numbers of the crowd, we were not expecting such huge crowd but the incident has happened and we are assisting the police in investigation’’, he said.

Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Police Public Relation Office DSP Freeman Tetteh told Joy news that the police have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

He said the police will establish among other things on how churches control crowd in their respective churches so that a recommendation can be made to avert such unfortunate incident again.

He also added that preliminary investigations by the police show that it was the eagerness of the worshippers to receive the holy water which created the problem.

Prophet TB Joshua is known for his wonderful miracles to many on the African continent and across the world.

Demons and evil spirits manifest in his church in Lagos through those possessed and he is capable of casting them out successfully to free such people.

The prophet is also capable of seeing into the future. He warned this year that the nation America (US) should pray because he has seen smoked in the country and not quite long, the Boston Marathon bombing occurred. He has also predicted coupled of events in Nigeria which have come to pass.

There were divided opinions in Accra over the stampede. Some say the blame should be put on the worshippers for not behaving orderly while others too believe the church should take the responsibility for not providing the necessary security measures to the incident.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Four people have been killed and hostages taken during a bank robbery in Israel, according to police. / Breaking News

At least four people – three men and one woman – were killed and several others were injured, including one person in serious condition, during a robbery gone wrong at a Be’er Sheva bank on Monday.

The victims reportedly died during a shootout at a branch of Bank Hapoalim in the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva.

A further shot was heard from the bank at around 2.15pm local time, according to local reports.

One of the robbers was thought to have barricaded himself inside the building with a female hostage before shooting himself.

Three men and a woman are reportedly among the dead, with a further three injured, including one seriously.

The suspects were hold up inside the Hapoalim Bank with at least one hostage as police attempted to negotiate with them. An hour into the standoff, one hostage was released. At one point, one of the robbers killed himself. The other robber was taken to hospital.

Large forces were called to the scene as shots were fired. The area has been sealed off and rescue forces declared a mass casualty event.

Daniel, who works at an adjacent building described the scene. “I heard several gunshots, I think three or four. It looks like a robbery. We left the office to see what was going on. There are two people lying on the floor in a pool of blood.”

Idan, the owner of a nearby café said that businesses on the street were all evacuated.

A British man is due to be brought before a court in France where he is expected to be formally charged with the murders of his two children.

The man, named by the Foreign Office as Julian Stevenson, was held after the bodies of his son and daughter were found by police in his flat in Saint-Priest, a suburb of Lyon. Their throats had been slit.

The children have been named in local reports as Mathew, 10, and Carla, five.

Stevenson – who was said to be unemployed – had been living in France for some time, possibly around 10 years.

The 47-year-old and his French ex-wife, an assistant accountant, were said to have recently gone through a bitter divorce.

The children lived with her in the Isere region after she won custody.

They are believed to have been staying with their father for the first time at the weekend, who had visitation rights, but only in the presence of another person.

The children’s mother is said to have been worried about the visit and had come to find them when she saw her ex-husband in the stairwell of the four-storey block of flats.

His clothes were reportedly stained with blood and she raised the alarm.

Reports suggested she had gone to his home after he failed to return the children following the visit.

Neighbours said they saw the man flee the scene on roller skates.

One man who lives in the same block described an earlier encounter with the couple.

He said: “I met his wife in the hall, crying. Her husband had thrown all her stuff out the window and she was picking it up, crying, because she was half-naked.

“What I can say is that he is a very aggressive man.”

Mr Stevenson is said to have admitted the killings “but did not go into details of the motive”, prosecutors told the AFP news agency.

Neighbours said the couple had separated several years ago.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in touch with the French authorities and await the outcome of their investigation.

“We stand ready to provide consular assistance.”

Atletico Madrid’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and is expected to get along with Chelsea, the transfer will be finalized in June.

One of the biggest transfer moves of the summer might be wrapped up quicker than expected, with reports surfacing in the media that Chelsea  are close to snaring the signature of striker Radamel Falcao.

Chelsea have accepted that they’re willing to take a £30 millon loss on striker Fernando Torres if he’s sold this summer. If true, even £25 million for Torres is a lot of money.

In the final “I’ll believe it when I see it” story,

Radamel Falcao is one of the most wanted strikers in Europe, but it appears that the most unlikely of clubs could be about to seal his signature. Recently promoted back to Ligue 1, Monaco are determined to spend big in an effort to compete with PSG next season and reports claim that Radamel Falcao is their number one target.

AC Monaco ‘keeper Danijel Subasic is so confident they’ll get their man he recently claimed that Falcao is “90% certain to be a Monaco player” and with ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes calling the shots due to his co-ownership of the striker, the Ligue 1 side’s push for the Atletico man looks to be nearing its conclusion. That throws a huge spanner in the works for Roman Abramovich, who has been desperate to sign Falcao for some time.

A series of bomb blasts across Iraq has left at least 34 people dead. 24 were massacred in a series of car bombs across the predominantly Shi’ite city of Baghdad on Monday morning.

Over 130 have been wounded in the multiple blasts, with 112 in the country’s capital, and 27 In Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad.

The nine separate car bombs struck bus stops, and market places in busy Shi’ite populated regions of Baghdad, while the two in Basra targeted a restaurant and a bus stop.

Hospital officials in Baghdad and Basra confirmed Monday morning’s casualty tolls to AP.

The bombings are the latest in a series of attacks in both Sunni and Shi’ite regions, prompting fears that widespread sectarian violence is gripping the country once more.

Over 100 have been killed in Iraq over the last week alone, with 76 people killed in a string of bombings just outside Baghdad on May 17, and explosions in the capital leaving more than 35 dead on May 15.

Across April, more than 700 people, including 595 civilians, died in Iraq “acts of terrorism,” making it the deadliest month since June 2008, the UN’s mission in the country said. The capital Baghdad has become the worst affected city.

Violence is below the heights of 2006-07, but he country’s al-Qaeda wing, alongside other Sunni Muslim insurgents, have been launching the attacks on an almost daily basis, in order to destabilize relations between the Iraq’s Sunni Muslim minority and its Shi’ite population, while seeking to undermine the power of the Shi’ite-led government.

Radical Islamist terror groups could use new, computer-based technology or even drones, the office, known in Germany as the Bundeskriminalamt (Germany Federal Police)  or BKA, said.

“For western countries airlines and airports there is a credible threat that can manifest itself at any time in an attack,” the BKA said in a confidential reported entitled “The situation in aviation security 2012” that the paper obtained.

Aviation remains within the target range of not only Islamist terrorst groups but also extremist individual attackers, the report said.

Despite higher levels of security, terrorist groups have continued to “further develop technologies” and have shown to be flexible in being able to adapt their plans.

There is a danger that IT-based programs for flight movements could be scanned on a real-time basis and programs such as “Flightradar 24” could be used against targets, the BKA said.

Attacks against an Israeli tourist bus in Bulgaria in 2012 and at the airport in Peshwar, Pakistan at the end of last year have shown that public spaces of airport infrastructures remain attractive to radical Muslim terrorists.

The office acknowledged that 100 percent security is not possible, but said continued improvements are needed in order to combat terrorist threats. It said it doesn’t have any information about attacks being planned against Germany.

At least one person has been killed and 21 people injured in Oklahoma after a half-mile wide twister swept through the US state reducing homes to rubble.

Houses were completely destroyed in the towns of Carney and Pink as the tornado passed through.

More than two dozen tornadoes were spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports.

They formed part of a massive, northeastward-moving storm system that stretched from Texas to Minnesota, producing 80mph winds and huge hail stones.

Thousands of homes and businesses were without power in Wichita in Kansas after a power cut.

At least four separate tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, including one in the town of Shawnee which smashed through a group of mobile homes.

A storm spotter told the National Weather Service that the tornado left the earth “scoured” at the mobile home park.

Some 16 counties of the state were declared disaster areas by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.

Forecasters had been warning for days that a powerful front was expected to blast through the region, spawning potentially destructive twisters.

Authorities had put counties in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri on alert.

The storm system was described by the US National Weather Service as “violent” and “extremely dangerous”.

On Thursday, 10 tornadoes tore through Texas killing at least six people and injuring dozens as they flattened homes and downed power lines.

Pakistan’s former military ruler Parvez Musharraf: File Pic

There are widespread speculations within and outside Pakistan that Pakistan’s former military ruler Parvez Musharraf, who is presently in detention, may be granted safe-exit and allowed to leave country.

Islamabad, May 20/Nationalturk- There are speculations that Pakistan’s former military ruler and president General (Retd) Parvez Musharraf, who is presently in detention, may be granted safe-exist and allowed to leave country.

Highly placed sources said Pakistan’s military chief General Parvez Kayani discussed this option (granting safe passage to Musharraf) during this Saturday’s meeting with country’s next Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“Kayani called on Nawaz Saturday and had a detailed meeting with him. The two leaders discussed host of issues plaguing the country. They also discussed the issue of Parvez Musharraf, who is presently under detention,” they said.

They said it could not be said with certainty with transpired between Kayani and Nawaz but it is a fact that Musharraf’s issue was issue.

Sources said Nawaz Sharif may be reluctant to provoke the military, which has avoided political interference for the past five years. “He may not object to Musharraf granted safe-exit from the country”.

‘New PM won’t object to his leaving country’

Pakistan newspaper, Express  Tribune quoted sources of Nawaz party (PML-N) as saying that there was growing sense within the party’s ranks that Musharraf’s presence in Pakistan and his possible trial could distract the new government from pressing issues including terrorism, economic and power crisis.

“If the former president and military ruler Parvez Musharraf is allowed to leave the country under pretext of his mother’s ill health or any other reason, PM should not object to it,” they said.

The newspaper quoted a PML-N leader as saying if Musharraf leaves the country before the new government takes charge, it will be a win-win situation.

“A message has been circulated within the army that Musharraf will be allowed to leave the country soon. The ‘message’ was conveyed in a bid to pacify growing unease within the army over the trial of its former army chief,” sources said.

However, Pakistan army and PML-N have refused to comment on the issue officially.

Lawyer has withdrawn case

The lawyer Aslam Ghumman who had initiated one of the main legal cases against Musharraf had withdrawn his motion in a move that could set the stage for a compromise allowing the former army chief to leave the country.

The courts in Pakistan are investigating whether Musharraf violated the constitution when he detained 62 senior judges after he declared emergency rule in 2007. He faces a treason charge for it.

He faces allegations that he failed to provide adequate security to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated the same year. He also faces a case regarding killing of a Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. Musharraf has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

There are growing speculations in diplomatic circles that some arrangement could be found that would allow Musharraf to leave the country and avoid the embarrassment of a possible conviction and prison sentence. Musharraf ousted Sharif in a 1999 bloodless coup and kept the politician in detention for 14 months, but then allowed him to leave for Saudi Arabia. Pakistan is currently governed by a temporary caretaker administration.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March this year after ending nearly four-years exile to contest elections. However, since arrival he has been fighting legal battles and has been detained at his farm house.  He was barred from contesting elections and his party All Pakistan Muslim League boycotted the elections.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

Indian and Chinese PMs shaking hands.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is on a visit to India, has said mutual that mutual trust between China and India was must for regional peace.

New Delhi, May 20/Nationalturk-  Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who arrived on a three-day visit to India yesterday, Monday said mutual trust between China and India was must for regional peace.

Li, 57, was given guard of honour at India’s presidential house (Rashtrapati Bhavan) this morning. He inspected the guard of honour and was accompanied by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Later talking to media persons Li said, “The purpose of my current visit to India is three fold — to increase mutual trust, to intensify cooperation and to face the future”.

Expressing hope that two countries would increase strategic mutual trust, he said, “The mutual trust between China and India was must for regional peace. The development of prosperity of the world cannot be a reality without the cooperation and simultaneous development of China and India”.

Li said in the basis of deeper mutual trust, India and China can further deepen their mutual understanding and construct a new type of relations between major countries, promote healthy and sound development. That will be a true blessing for Asia and the world.”

He said he had most productive session of talks with Indian Prime Minister yesterday. “I expect more bountiful results from further discussions”.

Li’s first foreign trip

Li is on his first foreign trip after becoming Prime Minister of China two months ago.

He met Indian Prime Minister at his official residence yesterday and exchanged views on contentious boundary dispute, trans-border rivers and trade deficit.

The meeting between heads of two states assumes significance as it took place a month after a 19-km allegedly incursion by Chinese troops in Depsang valley along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Indian administered Kashmir.  The incursion issue was later resolved through talks after both countries agreed to soften stands.

The LAC between the two countries has never been formally demarcated, although they have signed accords to maintain peace in the region that was the site of a brief Indo-Chinese war in 1962.

‘Visit would cement strategic cooperation’

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said China hoped the visit could further cement the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, strengthen cooperation in such fields as investment, trade and infrastructure, explore complementary advantages, and achieve mutually beneficial results.

“China also wants to strengthen communication and coordination with India on international and regional affairs, so as to make greater contribution to peace and stability in the region and the world as a whole,” it said.

The choice of India as the first stop of Li’s maiden foreign tour indicates the great importance Beijing attaches to its relations with India.

After India, Chinese PM will visit ‘all-weather ally’ Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

Denmark won with Emmelie de Forrest  the Eurovision  song contest, but still unsurpassed for Eastern European block vote,  if you need to re-singing contest Eastern Eur0peans must get of the organization.

Denmark will be hosting Eurovision 2014 after Emmelie de Forrest won the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo last night.

It was not as convincing a victory as last year’s winner Loreen, though, with Emmelie and her song Tear Drops picking up just eight maximum 12-point scores from the 39 countries voting compared to Loreen’s 18 out of 42.

Terribly bad songs to each other Eastern European countries took place at the top with their votes If you do not need to find a solution to this organization now has become not monitored

Bonnie Tayler and Cascada have no chance as well as professional musicians did not feature of singing competation anymore.

Second placed Azerbaijan attracted more top marks, with 10 countries awarding the maximum for Farid Mammadov’s performance of Hold Me.

Other countries to attract a maximum score were Ukraine, Italy, Norway, Greece, Russia, Belarus, Belgium, Hungary, Moldova, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The UK and Ireland both gave their maximums to Denmark.

There were 26 finalists competing in the show in the Malmo Arena.

As always, politics and neighborliness proved to be a dominating factor for many of the votes.

Welsh singer Bonnie, who scored huge hits in the 1980s with Total Eclipse Of The Heart and Holding Out For A Hero, was the 15th act to perform on the night, which saw 26 acts take to the stage.

Although she didn’t received many points, she did received a rapturous reception from the audience following her performance of Believe In Me.

The 61-year-old star belted out the track in a black off-the-shoulder dress, and managed a quick ‘thank you’ following her set.

The UK endured disappointment again as Bonnie Tyler finished 19th with 23 points, though it was an improvement on Engelbert Humperdinck’s second-bottom finish last year.

And Ireland, who came 19th last year with Jedward, were left in bottom spot on just five points.

One of the most memorable performances came in the voting interval as host Petra Mede put on a comedy song poking fun at Sweden.

Watch Eurovisions Song Contest 2013 Malmo Sweden Winner Song Denmark Only Teardrops Emmelie de Forrest Video

Sexual offences against women have been on rise in India.

In yet another shameful act, five deaf and dumb orphan girls were raped in a school run by an NGO in Indian city of Jaipur.

New Delhi, May 18/Nationalturk – Five deaf and dumb orphan girls were raped in a school run by an NGO in Indian city of Jaipur.

“The girls aged between 15-17 years,  who are speech and hearing impaired, were staying at the hostel run by an NGO in Indian city of Jaipur in Rajasthan State. The girls had been sexually exploited by two employees of the NGO for some time in the residential school run by NGO,” a police officer Shweta Dhankar was quoted as saying by media today.

She said the girls were raped and beaten repeatedly by the accused. “When the two girls approached the NGO officials, their complaints were ignored”.

Police said the girls were from a juvenile shelter home and had been sent to the residential school, which runs with the support from the Social Justice department, to undergo  speech therapy and studies.

“When they returned to their orphanage on April 30, they allegedly complained that they were raped and also beaten up by the staff of the NGO.  Subsequently, a complaint was filed in police.

4 persons arrested

A police official said police have arrested four persons of the NGO in an early morning raid today. “Investigations are going on and more arrests are likely to take place”.

Those arrested include NGO’s warden, supervisor, accounts clerk and the clerk’s wife.

The sexual offences against women have been on rise in India. There are reports in media everyday about sexual offences against women.  There has been growing demand from civil society to take stern action against the rapists and those involved in crimes against women.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

It follows Russian Secret Service decision to expel US diplomat Ryan Fogle, who was accused of trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer as a CIA spy.

The CIA has crossed a certain ‘red line’ in professional ethics of intelligence as American spy Ryan Fogle attempted to recruit a Russian agent, an FSB operative told.

“In case with Fogle, the CIA crossed the red line and we had no choice but to react observing official procedures,” a representative of the Russian Security Service, the FSB, said in an interview Russian media.

The spy story broke earlier this week after it was made public that Fogle – who had worked under the guise of a third secretary at the US Embassy in Moscow – was detained after being caught red-handed trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer for the CIA. Following the incident he was expelled from Russia.

As early as by autumn 2011, the FSB was aware that the CIA was pursuing a goal to get an informer within the Russian special services, the agent told .

“Those were not one-off events, which caused our concern,” the operative pointed out. “Therefore, we decided to warn our American colleagues and ask them to stop these activities.”

At a time, the FSB did not make public any information they knew about the CIA operations in Moscow, but held a meeting with the head of their station’s chief in Moscow.

Ryan  Fogle is said to have been a third secretary at the US embassy in Moscow. He has been declared “persona non grata” for what the Russian foreign ministry called “provocative actions in the spirit of the Cold War”.

He has been ordered to leave Russia but it is not clear whether he has already done so.

Russia said Mr Fogle was caught while trying to recruit an FSB counter-terrorism agent in the Caucasus.

The Kommersant newspaper said he was investigating the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing attacks, who came from the Caucasus.

The FSB said another alleged spy, also a third secretary, was caught and expelled in January.

US officials have refused to comment on the naming of the alleged CIA chief.

“We still feel that we have a very positive relationship, and one that we can continue to work together on areas where we agree,” said US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, quoted by the AFP news agency.

“There are still areas, of course, where we disagree. But I’m not going to weigh in further on the impact here.”

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Itar-Tass news agency: “This does nothing to contribute to the further building of mutual confidence between Russia and the US.”

Relations between the two countries have been strained, most recently over the conflict in Syria. Russia backs the government, while the US supports the rebels.

“We hoped our American colleagues would hear us, given that we also presented to them precise information about CIA officers making recruitment attempts in Moscow and who exactly was doing that,” the source added.

In particular, back then, the FSB named such American agents as Benjamin Dillon, third secretary of the American Embassy in Moscow. Last year, “Dillon got into the same story as Fogle” and was expelled from Russia in January, the source said.

“Hoping that the CIA would make necessary conclusions from the incident, we did not make that case public,” he said. Apparently, the Americans did not appreciate the FSB’s “correct attitude towards professional ethics.”

The FSB was aware that Ryan Fogle worked for the CIA since his arrival in Moscow in April 2011. Russian intelligence, “keeps an eye on” representatives of all foreign special services and the American intelligence agency is no exception to the rule, the source noted.

“The point of such an approach is to terminate all possible actions by foreign intelligence that could pose a threat to Russia’s security,” the operative said. “This, certainly, does not refer to diplomats who do their duties on behalf of the US State Department.”

The CIA did not respond to two warnings from Russia, while the desire to wriggle through agents into the Russian special services “remained very high .”

Before the case with Fogle, there were three similar cases with CIA officers, the FSB agent said. While Fogle and Dillon were expelled from Russia, others left the country voluntarily.

The FSB believes that following the latest spy scandal the Americans “will draw right conclusions .” The source pointed out that the US and Russian special services cooperate very closely in countering terrorism and exchange information on the matter.

“I’m confident that the incident [with Fogle] will not affect the development of cooperation in that area ,” the source stated. “However, the confrontation between intelligence and counter-intelligence will always remain in place .”

The FSB also shared with a record of a phone conversation between Dillon and an unnamed Russian person, where the alleged CIA agent discusses a possible “job” with the Russian man.

The Mayor of Canada’s largest city Toronto has denied allegations he has been caught on video smoking crack cocaine.

Rob Ford called the claims “ridiculous” as he addressed a swarm of reporters outside his house in Canada’s biggest city.

The denial came after gossip site Gawker and the Toronto Star published articles saying they had been offered a video of the alleged smoking session.

Both outlets said they declined to pay the $100,000 (£65,930) price tag wanted by a person with the mobile phone footage.

The Toronto Star claimed the Mayor smoked drugs with purported drug dealers and that the allegations related to events in the last six months.

The newspaper said the video showed the politician “sitting in a chair, wearing a white shirt, top buttons open, inhaling from what appears to be a glass crack pipe”.

It said two of its reporters watched the video three times – but admitted it cannot verify the authenticity of the clip.

However it said it did appear to “clearly show the Mayor in a well-lit room”.

Mr Ford said on Friday that the claims were “absolutely not true”.

“These allegations are ridiculous, another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me,” he said.

“And that’s all I’ve got to say for now.”

The Star said those trying to sell the video were involved in the Toronto drug trade.

The Mayor has battled a series of negative articles in recent months but still has an approval rating of around 50%.

However, that is down from 70% in the year after he took power, according to Forum Research.

A Toronto Police spokesman said officers are “closely monitoring the situation”.

Approached by the news service Reuters, Mr Ford’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comments.

“We’re just trying to see whether or not such a video exists and whether or not any video has been doctored or altered,” Dennis Morris told the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Meanwhile, US-based Gawker is asking for donations in what it has labelled a “Crackstarter” campaign to raise $200,000 (£130,000) to buy the video and post it online.

It said it has already raised $28,000 (£18,000).

Mr Ford, 43, was elected in 2010 on a promise to “stop the gravy train” at Toronto’s City Hall but he has frequently attracted unfavourable news coverage.

Stories include a conflict of interest case that almost cost him his job, a photograph of him reading documents while driving on a motorway, and an altercation with a reporter on a patch of land outside his house.

Earlier this week he was cleared of breaching a by-law after sticking magnetic business cards with his home phone number on – as part of his tactic to be accessible to voters – on cars in the city.

United Kingdom faced with the danger that the majority of Muslim ! One in 10 people under 25 are Muslim, while Christianity is in decline, the 2011 UK census reveals.

An explosion in the Muslim population and an aging Christian demographic could mean Islam will be the dominant religion in the UK in 10 years.

A new analysis of the 2011 census by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the number of Christians was falling 50 per cent faster than had previously been thought. Earlier analysis of the statistics showed only a 15 per cent decline, but the ONS found that this figure had been beefed up by 1.2 million foreign-born Christians.

Furthermore, the re-analysis showed that the majority of Christians were over the age of 60 and for the first time less than half of young people describe themselves as Christian. As a result the ONS has calculated that in a decade only a minority will classify themselves as Christians in England. Christianity is still the dominant religion in the UK with over 50 per cent of the population regarding themselves as believers.

However, this may be set to change as the British Muslim population has surged dramatically over the past 15 years, increasing by 75 per cent in England and Wales. The 2011 census puts the Muslim population of the UK at around 5 per cent, a total that has been boosted by around 600,000 Muslim immigrants who have arrived in the UK over the past decade.

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said to UK daily the Telegraph that the decline of Christianity is

“inevitable.” “In another 20 years there are going to be more active Muslims than there are churchgoers,”he said.

Moreover the number of people identifying themselves as atheists has increased by 10 per cent, rising from 15 per cent to 25 per cent. The change has been dubbed as a “significant cultural shift” by the British Humanist Association, while the Church of England has shrugged off the statistics, maintaining they still retain a strong base of believers.

Shiite Muslims demonstarition Hyde Park London

“While this is a challenge, the fact that six out of 10 people in England and Wales self-identify as Christians is not discouraging. Christianity is no longer a religion of culture but a religion of decision and commitment. People are making a positive choice in self-identifying as Christians,” said a spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales told press in December.

In addition the census registered an increase in followers of Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Judaism.

The rising number of immigrants and different ethnicities in the UK has given rise to increasing levels of segregation. Think tank ‘Demos’ has labeled the phenomenon ‘white flight’, citing the falling number of ethnic whites in areas where they are minorities.

Demos’ investigation revealed that new ethnic minorities like Somalis where moving into areas where older most established ethnic populations like Afro-Caribbeans had previously been dominant.

The population of London is indicative of the change in the British demographic with 600,000 white Londoners moving out of the capital in the past decade. In spite of the fact that the British capital’s population has grown by more than a million, the number of white British residents has decreased from 4.3 million to 3.7 million.

“We do have an integration problem,” said Demos director David Goodhart to RT. The

“changing ethnic composition” of the British capital is causing a large exodus of ethnic white out of the city, he added.

Goodhart went on to say that the problem of integration was not confined to Great Britain and is prevalent all around the EU despite attempts to eradicate segregation.

“Part of the point of the euro was to disperse German power and prevent the rise of nationalism in Europe, but it has done precisely the opposite on both fronts. We now have serious national resentments in countries like Greece,” he stressed.

Trevor Phillips, the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that the statistics did not spell good news for integration in the UK and warned the country was

The United Nations special envoy to the Central Africa Republic has told the United Nations Security Council that the Central Africa Republic is in state of anarchy and lawlessness and the UN should intervene to save civilians.

The Seleka rebels which seized power on the 24 March this year in a bloody coup d’état that resulted in the death of 13 South African soldiers have now taken the laws of the countyr into their own hands, and as well as violating international laws with respect to human rights, according to the UN envoy in the country.

The coup d’état forced the then president Francois Bozize to flee from the country to Benin where it is believe he is currently seeking asylum.

Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye has told France to intervene in the country with troops to help disarm the Seleka rebels since they have refused to lay down their arms after the coup d’état.

He also called for financial support from the European Union and the African Union to aid the country gets back to its feet.

But interim president Michael Djotodia has refused to comment on the security situation in the country probably because of is close link with the rebels.

The UN special envoy Ms. Margaret Vogt stated among other things that there is the need for the United Nations to also set up an investigation team to look into the violation and disrespect for international laws by the rebels.

“We believe that the time is ripe for the Council to consider the position of individual sanctions against the architects and perpetrators of these gross violations, an investigation team is necessary to do this job”, She said.

She also added that she did not want a desperate people to be left with no choice but to take the law into their own hands and therefore, regional leaders should mobilize forces quickly to fill the security vacuum in the country.

Local reporters said last month that the new government headed by Michael Djotodia is lacking the capabilities to maintain peace an order in the country.

Regional block agreed unanimously to send 2,000 troops to help restore law and order despite the killing of the 13 South African soldiers but that has not materialized as results of financial constraints.

Michael Djotodia earlier on declared himself president and said he will rule for 3 years before holding elections after the Seleka rebels have overthrown the government but it was later reversed and he was unanimously elected by the National Transitional Council on which he will rule for 18 months before elections will be held.

The Central Africa Republic has an unstable history and is extremely poor, though it has large deposits of minerals including gold and diamonds.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Rescue workers at a blast site in Pakistan: File Pic

In the first major militant attack after May 11 general elections in Pakistan, two powerful bomb blasts rocked  near two mosques in Malakand Division’s Bazdara area in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, killing 15 people.

Islamabad, May 17/Nationalturk – At least 15 people were killed and over 50 injured in two powerful bomb blasts near two mosques in Malakand Division’s Bazdara area in restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of northwest Pakistan Friday.

Security officials said two powerful blasts rocked Bar Kalley and main Jamia Masjid of the Bazdara region. “The blasts took place near the mosques before the Friday congregational prayers”.

Pakistan newspaper The Dawn quoted Deputy Commissioner of Malakand Amjad Ali as saying that 15 persons were killed and 100 others injured in two blasts.

He said the death toll may rise as many people have been injured critically.

Media reports said mosques suffered damage in the blasts.

Immediately after the blasts, police and security men laid siege around the area and launched combing and search operation to flush out the militants responsible for the blasts.

TTP’s hand apprehended

Although no militant group has claimed responsibility of the attacks so far but Pakistan security officials believe it is the handiwork of dreaded militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The blasts were first major militant attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province after May 11 general elections in Pakistan.

The cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf is set to form a coalition government in the province with the support of two other parties including a rightwing party Jamaat-e-Islami.

In past, Imran has called for talks with the Taliban and other militant groups. Now it remains to be seen what would be the policy of the new government in the province.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

Former England captain David Beckham has announced that he is to retire from professional football and explain to ex team mate Gary Neville.

The 38-year-old – who has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy – is turning down the offer of an extended one-year deal at his current club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

After winning the French title with the club, Beckham said he wanted to finish his career on a high.

The midfielder spoke exclusively to his former Manchester United teammate and long-time friend Gary Neville for Sky Sports News about his decision.

He said: “Over the years when I’ve seen players retire, when you ask them they said ‘you’ll know when you’re ready’… I think I know when I’m ready.

“It’s difficult because I still think I can play at the top level … but I’ve always said to myself I want to go out on top.”

He admitted that he had found it difficult when his life as a global celebrity occasionally took the focus away from his football career.

He said: “Sometimes people have looked at certain other things that have gone on throughout my career, sometimes that’s overshadowed what I’ve done on the pitch.

“As much as I say that doesn’t hurt me, of course it does.

“I’m a footballer that has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, played with some of the best players in the world, played under some of the biggest and best managers and achieved almost everything in football.”

Asked when he decided the time was right to call time on his career, he joked: “Probably when Messi was running past me in that home game!”

He has just two more matches left at PSG, where his salary has been going to a children’s charity.

The retirement brings to an end a glittering career. As well as winning league titles in Spain, Italy and England, he also holds the record for making 115 international appearances as an outfield player.

There were highs and lows in Beckham’s international career. He was blamed for England’s elimination from the 1998 World Cup for a red card against Argentina, but scored the winning goal against the same team in Japan four years later.

He has four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, with his wife, Spice Girl turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham.

Tributes from friends and colleagues in the game, but also from celebrities and even the Prime Minister serve as a reminder of how Beckham’s fame spread beyond the football world.

David Cameron said he had enjoyed a “fantastic career as an outstanding footballer and an outstanding ambassador”.

Gary Lineker tweeted: “David Beckham has retired. A wonderful player, global superstar and a magnificent ambassador for England and football.”

England manager Roy Hodgson told Sky Sports News: “I wish him well in the future whatever he chooses to do and I personally hope that will be in football.

“David is a man of many talents and a lot of people now will be wanting him for different jobs and roles, some of which could take him away from us in football.

“But I’m rather hoping we’ll be able to keep him in football because we can really benefit from his experience, we can really benefit from his charisma and we certainly benefit from the magnificent past he has had as a football player.”

Beckham has taken up an increasing number of high profile roles off the pitch.

He is currently an ambassador for Chinese football, and last month partnered with Sky to champion the benefits of youth sport.

David Beckham Interview with Gary Neville Video

This video taken from SKY Sport News UK

Jewellery worth more than $1m has been stolen from a Cannes hotel.

The jewels, which were intended for loan to stars to wear while walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, were all made by Swiss luxury jeweller Chopard, police said.

Thieves broke into the room of a Chopard employee, opened a safe and made off with the jewels, they said.

The robbery took place at the Novotel hotel in the centre of Cannes.

Chopard has been an official sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival for 16 years.

Last year the jeweller’s ambassadors at the festival included Eva Herzigova, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon and Marion Cotillard.

This year, Julianne Moore, Cindy Crawford and Cara Delevingne were all spotted at the opening ceremony wearing Chopard jewellery.

More follows…

French giant Paris Saint Germain club  was offered a staggering figure Cristiano Ronaldo  £300,000 per week transfer bid turns Portuguese stars way from Manchester United to Paris.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a switch back to Manchester United this summer, with suggestions that he is unhappy at Real Madrid and is considering his future.

With Jose Mourinho set to leave the Bernabeu for Chelsea, Ronaldo could also be on the move with sources in France reporting that Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a monumental offer for the Portuguese star.

French sports paper L’Equipe state that PSG are hot on the heels of the 28-year-old, and are willing to offer an £84 million transfer fee and pay him a stunning wage of nearly £300,000 per week.

Despite Manchester United’s interest in their former hitman, and the player’s willingness to return to Old Trafford, PSG look set to blow them out of the water with a bid that could prove too hard to resist for Real or Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Ligue 1 winners are looking to take on Europe in earnest next season, and have identified Ronaldo as the man to lead their charge in the Champions League.

An intriguing sub-plot in any deal for the ex-Sporting Lisbon winger is Real’s interest in Ancelotti, with PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi happy to let the Italian leave as long as Madrid president Florentino Perez discusses the sale of Ronaldo.

Los Blancos number seven would improve his current salary – thought to be around £200,000 per week – if he were to move to Paris, while he is yet to indicate a desire to extend his contract with Real beyond its 2015 expiry.

Cascada singer Natalie Horler  representing Germany with Glorius in Eurovision posed nude in Playboy magazine.(Pictures)

Busty blonde Natalie Horler, who fronts pop band Cascada, stripped off for a series of saucy shots in the adult mag in 2011.

Natalie, who is representing Germany in the final of the singing contest this weekend, was shown baring her boobs and bum in the raunchy snaps.

The 31-year-old has said of the shoot: “Yes I did Playboy and I am very proud of these photos.

“It was a huge honour to be asked by such a famous magazine.”

Cascada will take to the stage in Malmö, Sweden, on Saturday night to perform dance anthem Glorious.

Earlier this year the Evacuate the Dancefloor hit-makers were hit with controversy when they were accused of plagiarising last year’s winning song Euphoria by Swedish singer Loreen.

German tabloid Bild claimed Glorious and Euphoria were “absolutely identical”.

Natalie denied the accusations, saying: “If you like, we can superimpose one song on the other. They are two different songs.”

Natalie Horler Casacada Interview about Playboy Magazine Nude pictures

Cascada singer Natalie Horler, the secret of their global success and the perfect music during sex

Playboy: Ms. Horler, what would be the perfect soundtrack to the photos of you?
Natalie Horler: “California Dreamin ‘” by The Mamas and the Papas would fit well.

Playboy: Summer, the 60s …
Natalie Horler: Yes, I love this song. And that time. I felt sometimes like the shooting of a Bond Girl. And that’s the coolest thing there is. It is the sex symbol par excellence. It would be a dream, even the Bond girl to be in a movie.

Playboy: Can still come, if it goes in your career so on as before.Founded since 2004 Cascada, it went steeply uphill. They are now being compared to Madonna and Lady GaGa …
Natalie Horler: Such comparisons are of course a compliment, but they are world stars, so I do not see me. What we as a band together with the two of them, but that we had been all over the world hit the charts.

Playboy: How do you explain that you are especially in Britain and the U.S. are still much more successful than in Germany?
Natalie Horler: If I knew the secret. Everyone wants to have success in America and would like to know what is the key. But I do not know.There is much work behind it – and good luck. We took off in the U.S. 2004th A radio station took up one of our songs, and then spread like wildfire. And because America has great influence on the world, then hopped from country to country.

Playboy: Today you travel times by private jet across the world. It was different. Is the story that you had at the beginning of your career cleaning toilets and fed on bread with mayo?
Natalie Horler: (laughs) No, but I was working in the hospitality industry. As you take time and do the dirty tasks …

Playboy: What is today the most stressful part of your job?
Natalie Horler: The travel.

Playboy: Three months on tour with five women prefer men or five?
Natalie Horler: Definitely better with five men. I’ve always had more male friends, with them I feel a little uplifted. I also have my best girlfriends, but I can count on one hand half.

Playboy: Why is this so?
Natalie Horler: men are generally more relaxed. And I’m generally not a girlie-girl, but someone with whom they say: Come, Natty, with the one we go for a drink. I have even been invited to a bachelor party.Since I am not there, but I felt it as a compliment that they wanted to have me here. As a friend – not a stripper!

Playboy: You were married in mid May. What your husband Maurice says that you have stripped for Playboy?
Natalie Horler: He was just not thrilled that the whole world will see his wife naked. I had much talk with him to convince him. But he also knows who he is together. I have my own mind, and I would always regret it if I had said no to the photos.

Playboy: Maurice was earlier model. A man must be beautiful?
Natalie Horler: He must be back from the beautiful from the inside. But the eyes also, of course.

Playboy: What does the musical taste of a man about it?
Natalie Horler: Nothing. One who hears Metallica, must be a rocker in the heart, not necessarily. Ballads and a fan is not necessarily a wimp.That’s nonsense.

Playboy: What is the perfect music to have sex?
Natalie Horler: Some of the singer Sade. It’s just very sensual music. When I listen to Sade, my first thought is always: sex.

A British tourist has been jailed for stabbing a 19-year-old soldier to death in a nightclub row at a popular Cyprus holiday resort.

David Collins from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was off duty with three other soldiers when he died after a fight broke out in a nightclub in the party town of Ayia Napa.

He had been due to fly out to Afghanistan the following day.

His attacker Mohammed Osman, 20, who was living in London but was originally from Somalia, admitted manslaughter and was today sentenced at a court in Larnaca.

Mr Collins and his colleagues, who were stationed at an army base in the Dhekelia area of the island, became embroiled in a brawl with Osman and two other British holidaymakers in the early hours of the morning.

The row is said to have started over taunting related to Manchester-London rivalry.

Osman changed his original not guilty plea and accepted he had stabbed the soldier in the chest. His lawyer said he had since apologised to Mr Collins’ family.

Police said that Osman had admitted stabbing Mr Collins but said it was in self-defence as he and his friends were attacked by the soldiers.

Two fellow British tourists, who cannot be named for legal reasons because they are both 17, were released last month after charges against them were dropped.

Manslaughter can carry a life prison term in Cyprus but Osman’s lawyer told the court that his client was provoked during a drunken row.

The soldier’s mother, sister and members of his regiment were in court to hear the sentencing.

British Forces Cyprus spokeswoman Connie Pierce said: “Osman will serve eight years in a Cyprus prison.

“The Republic of Cyprus legal system has now brought to a close an investigation that began on November 4. BFC continues to provide welfare support to Ms Minott the mother of Fusilier Collins.”

Ayia Napa has a reputation for sex drugs and violence, with an abundance of bars and nightclubs with cheap alcohol deals. It is a popular destination for young British holidaymakers.

The area was declared off limits to British soldiers – some 3,000 are based on the island – after the rape and murder of Danish tour guide Louise Jensen by British servicemen in 1994.

Syria is a country full of violence and the responsible for Syrian rebels but US President Barack Obama accuses Assad constantly.

As a new video is published showing fighters of the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front in Syria executing 11 men they say are Bashar Assad’s soldiers, Barack Obama talks to Turkey’s PM Erdogan, renewing threats of action against the Syrian government.

The video, which was posted on YouTube on Thursday, is believed to have been filmed in the eastern Deir-al Zor province and appears to date from some time in 2012, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group with a network of activists in Syria.

The footage shows the commander, his face obscured in a black balaclava, shooting each prisoner in the back of the head as they kneel blindfolded lined up in the sand.

The Islamic militants shout “God is great” each time a man is shot. In some cases the executioner comes back and fires more bullets to make sure they are dead. The Al Nusra Front, which is thought to be behind the footage, has links to Al-Qaeda, and itself has ended up on America’s terrorism list in December 2012.

Rami Abderrahman, the head of the Observatory, told Reuters that the Al Nusra Front has been releasing several videos of their gruesome operations.

The Observatory said that such videos have become increasingly common in Syria’s bloody civil war, which has now claimed 80,000 lives, according to latest UN estimates.

The Nusra video is the second to appear online in the last two days to show executions by fighters who claim links to al-Qaeda.

It comes after horrific footage was released on Sunday of a Syrian rebel commander apparently eating one of the lungs of a dead government fighter. Time magazine said they had first seen the footage in April and identified the man as Khaled al-Hamad. Hamad admitted to the magazine that he had mutilated the corpse of the soldier as an act of revenge for allegedly defiling a naked woman and her daughter.

The footage was swiftly condemned by the Syrian opposition.

Nadim Houry of Human Rights Watch told the Guardian that it is “not enough for Syria’s opposition to condemn such behavior or blame it on violence by the government. The opposition forces need to act firmly to stop such abuses.”

But Hamad, who is also known as Abu Sakkar, has also received support amongst the more hardline rebels in Syria. Sakkar’s supporters often make portraits of him with the inscription “We Love You”.

US President Barack Obama  and Turkey’s PM Erdogan meet at White House about Syria

The controversy comes as a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minster, Tayyip Erdogan, and President Obama was held Thursday. Obama said that the US reserves the right to resort to diplomatic and military options if there is conclusive proof that Assad has used chemical weapons.

“There are a whole range of options that the United States is already engaged in…  And I reserve the options of taking additional steps, both diplomatic and military, because those chemical weapons inside of Syria also threaten our security over the long term as well as our allies and friends and neighbors.”

Erdogan, for his part, added that “ending this bloody process in Syria and meeting the legitimate demands of the people by establishing a new government are two areas where we are in full agreement with the US. We also agree that we have to prevent Syria from becoming an area for terrorist organizations. We also agree that chemical weapons should not be used.”

But Aleksandr Lukashevich, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said Monday that the accusation that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons could be a sign that public opinion is being prepared for the possibility of military intervention in Syria.

“A lot of reasoning appeared in a number of Arab and other international mass media regarding the use of chemical weapons in the standoff between the government forces and the opposition guerrillas,” he warned.

Speaking to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV channel Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow will make no “backstage” agreements on Syria in exchange for Western concessions on missile defense or any other disputed issues.

“This is not serious. I think that those who try suggest that indulge in wishful thinking,” Lavrov said in an interview with Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV channel.

“Everyone knows well that Russia’s stance on a whole range of crucial issues is not opportunistic,” the Russian top diplomat emphasized.

On Wednesday, the UN passed resolution 6a, which has condemned Assad’s regime for re-escalating the Syrian conflict. The document was passed with a vote of 107 to 12, and with 59 abstaining.

The support was far lower than a resolution last august, which condemned Assad for cracking down on dissent. The decline in support is seen as a sign of growing unease at increasing extremism among Syria’s fractious rebels.

Russia voted against this year’s resolution, saying it was ”counterproductive and irresponsible” to promote a one-sided resolution when Moscow and Washington are trying to get the Syrian government and opposition to agree to negotiations.

At a meeting in Geneva last year the major world powers reached a degree of consent between the positions of Russia and the West who do not often see eye to eye on Syria. They agreed that any future government in Syria could include members of the current regime as well as opposition groups. There was also no specific demand that Assad must step down – something the West has insisted on – and instead an agreement pushed by Russia and China that the future makeup of any Syrian government would be decided by the Syrian people. A follow-up meeting on the conference has been agreed by Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry; it is reported to be preliminary scheduled for June.

India, Pakistan talks may gain momentum.

Pakistan is hopeful of momentum in talks with nuclear arch rival India after change in government in the country.

Islamabad, May 17/Nationalturk –  With Nawaz Sharif set to lead next government in country after his party PML-N won May 11 general elections, Pakistan is hopeful of momentum in talks with nuclear arch rival India.

“We hope that the dialogue process with India would gain momentum in all areas,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry told reporters in Islamabad.

After skirmishes and killing of soldiers of both sides at Line of Control (LoC), defecto  border between India and Pakistan in Indian administered Kashmir, at the start of this year, there has been a halt in dialogue process between the two countries. The tension further increased after killing of Indian prisoner Sabarbjit Singh in Pakistan prison and Pakistani prisoner  Sanaullah Ranjay in Indian prison during attacks by fellow prisoners.

Aizaz said Pakistan had always emphasised continuity of the peace talks with India so that all outstanding issues including Kashmir could be resolved through dialogue.

Referring to killing on Pakistani prisoner in Indian jail, he said Pakistan was in touch with the Indian authorities over the issue of prisoners.

“We have approached the Indian government for focused discussions on the issue of prisoners. We hope that these focused discussions would address all aspects of this important issue, including the release of the 47 prisoners who have completed their sentence.”

There are some 300 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails, of whom 47 have completed their sentences but continue to remain in detention because of delays in completion of release formalities.

Nawaz had invited Indian PM to attend his oath-taking ceremony

The PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who is set to become the next prime minister of Pakistan, had extended an invitation to the Indian leader to visit Pakistan and attend his oath-taking ceremony. However, according to media reports, Indian premier Manmohan Singh have turned down the invitation.

Earlier, Singh while congratulating Mian Nawaz Sharif on winning May 11 elections had expressed hope to work with him to chart a new course and pursue a new destiny in the relations between our countries.

Indian premier had also invited Sharif to visit India at a mutually convenient time.

Political analysts and commentators are of the opinion that Nawaz Sharif’s government may give impetus to stalled dialogue process with India.

“There may be a  summit level talks between Indian PM and Pakistan PM in near future,” they said

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

English football hero and style icon former England captain David Beckham retired end of season.

The 38-year-old signed a five-month deal at Paris St-Germain in January and donated all of his salary to charity.

Beckham joined Manchester United as a 14-year-old and made 398 appearances, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” he said.

Including PSG’s recent Ligue 1 title win, Beckham has won 19 trophies – 10 of them league titles – in a playing career spanning 20 years, and is the only English player to win championships in four countries.

“If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over 100 times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy,” he said.

“I’m fortunate to have realised those dreams.”

Beckham moved to Real Madrid in 2003, winning La Liga with them in 2007 before a switch to the United States with LA Galaxy.

The midfielder made his England debut against Moldova in 1996 and captained the side from 2000 to 2006, making his 115th and final England appearance in a 3-0 win over Belarus in 2009.

He added: “Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love. However, I feel like I’m starting a new adventure and I’m genuinely excited about what lies ahead.

“I’m fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it’s my time to give back.”

He has two more games to go before the end of the season, concluding on 18 May at home to Brest.

Ruins including roads and building foundations have been mapped out in an area of Honduras renowned for a legendary City of Gold El Dorado.

A 3D mapping technique called lidar has shown what appear to be ruins, including roads and building foundations, in the Mosquitia region.

It is in an area believed by some to be home to The White City, which according to legend is a now-buried metropolis full of gold.

The conquistadors searched for it in the 1500s, and throughout the 1900s archaeologists documented mounds and other signs of ancient civilization in the region. However, so far the existence of the city has not been confirmed.

In the latest study, slow-flying planes travelled over the site, sending constant laser pulses towards the ground.

It helped to map out the topography below the thick forest canopy.

“We use lidar to pinpoint where human structures are by looking for linear shapes and rectangles,” Colorado State University researcher Stephen Leisz said, “nature doesn’t work in straight lines.”

According to legend, Ciudad Blanca or the ‘White City’ is full of gold and has been sought out by explorers and treasure hunters since conquistador Hernando Cortes first made reference to it in a 1526 letter to King Charles V of Spain.

Inspired by this legend, cinematographer and Ciudad Blanca enthusiast Steven Elkins sought backing from private investors to pay for the team at NCLAM to use their laser mapping technology to chart the forest floor of Mosquitia.

Over the course of a week, the NCALM and University of Houston engineers flew over 60 square miles of forest in their dual-engine Cessna planes.

LiDAR’s computer-generated images allow researchers to ‘see’ through the forest canopy to the ground surface, revealing any evidence of ancient settlements or human-engineered landscapes.

‘The LiDAR point cloud data clearly show the remains of large settlements that can be characterized as ancient cities based on their spatial complexity, size and organization,’ said  Colorado State University professors Christopher Fisher, who led the research.

‘We may never be able to tell whether any of these are Ciudad Blanca, or whether the legendary city ever existed, but we can clearly see in the UTL data evidence that there was a densely settled region with a human modified environment.

‘These conclusions provide important new insights into the pre-Hispanic settlement of this largely unexplored region.’

The archaeologists plan to visit the area later this year to investigate the features more closely.

What is The White City Of Gold (El Dorado) Legend

The 3 states to receive this heavy military deployment include Yobe, Borno and Adamawa. These 3 states have seen series of deadly attacks by Boko Haram in recent weeks which compelled president Jonathan to declare state of emergency in the 3 states on Tuesday.

The statement from the Ministry of Defence said the drive was aimed at “asserting the nation’s territorial integrity” and “enhancing security”.

Local reporters say the declared state of emergency by President Jonathan will aim at asserting the nation’s territorial integrity from the militants.

The operation will focus on enhancing security of governmental structures after the president said attacks on government buildings and killings of officials and other civilians amounted to a declaration of war.

Presidential spokesman Doyin Okupe told the BBC African Service that the military will be targeting the militants in the borders of the 3 states order to curb their activities.

“We’ve had a lot of problems [of] border crime, and criss-crossing of the border by the insurgents, and there’s also evidence that some of the insurgents really are non-Nigerians, as long as the terrorists can go in and out unchallenged, then we’re in big trouble,’’ Mr. Okupe said.

Some residents in the 3 northern states have expressed their worry about the heavy presence of the military. The army has been accused before of carrying out brutal acts and killings against civilians in a similar operation in January this year by local residents.

“We are really terrified… Even though the state governor has not been removed, which is good, the truth is that Maiduguri is now a garrison town, full of angry soldiers who are ready to kill at the slightest provocation,’’ an anonymous resident told reporters.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden” in the local Hausa language, is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state in the north.

President Goodluck Jonathan had wanted to grant an amnesty to Boko Haram by setting up a committee to look into the affairs on how a peaceful dialogue can be achieved.

But the recent attacks by Boko Haram for the past two weeks which has caused several lives to be lost leaves the government with no alternative than to resort to force.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Within a year Chelsea won the second European Cup in Amsterdam, Benfica played well but Blues more experianced now Chelsea got UEFA Europa League trophy to.

It means they are the first club to hold both European trophies – a glory secured here as Branislav Ivanovic headed the winner deep into stoppage time.

It was an emotional night for Ivanovic who suffered heartache last year as he missed Chelsea’s Champions League win through suspension.

But for Benitez, what a way to show those who have doubted and criticised him. He has now not only secured Chelsea’s place in next season’s Champions League but won them a trophy, too.

Spaniard Benitez, who leaves in the summer, said: “It’s a special night for everyone. When you play a final of a European competition and win you have to be really pleased and I’m proud for everyone.

“It’s sad to say, but you do your job for six months. It changes nothing if you win or lose. The job was done with all the hard work on the training ground.”

Fernando Torres had given Chelsea the lead with a brilliant solo goal before Oscar Cardozo levelled from the penalty spot – but then Ivanovic scored from Juan Mata’s corner.

Chelsea now remarkably hold both European trophies – at least until Saturday week and this year’s Champions League final.

Ivanovic said: “It’s a great feeling for me. We’ve played a long, hard season and we deserved this. It is the best moment of my career.

“I missed the Champions League final last year, but I always said that the team comes first. It’s a real pleasure to be a part of this team and have a chance to win these trophies.”

Torres, who alongside Mata is now remarkably a World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and Europa League holder, added: “I’m very happy.

“Benfica were much better than us in the first half but our quality made the difference.”

Interim boss Benitez was cheered by Chelsea fans at the end after months of verbal abuse.

Asked if he had heard the fans, he said: “I was just enjoying myself with the trophy.

“I could see everyone was happy, so I was happy too.

“I’m happy that Fernando scored and happy that we won. When you have a manager who is leaving and yet you see the players still fighting hard right to the end, you have to be pleased.

“We won, so hopefully people will say: ‘Yes, it’s not bad.’ If you put everything together you will realise how difficult this was with a squad that was not big.”

Injured club skipper John Terry changed out of his suit to climb onto the podium to help lift the trophy with captain for the night Frank Lampard – as he had done in the Champions League final a year ago.

Lampard said: “It’s been an amazing time. Talk about ups and downs. We’re a group, we’re a team. We were tired because of a long season but we showed a great desire.”

And Chelsea’s record goalscorer Lampard acknowledged “it looks good” for his chances of a new contract at the club as he celebrated the glory of another trophy in his hands.

Lampard’s contract expires this summer and speculation over his future at the club has been a constant backdrop this season.

There has been talk of a one-year extension to his deal.

And asked whether he will remain at Stamford Bridge next season, he said: “I really hope so. We’re getting there. We haven’t completely sat down on it but the club have been brilliant. It looks good.”

Lampard hit the crossbar moments before defender Ivanovic headed Chelsea’s winner.

He said: “I was just waiting for it to dip a little bit but it doesn’t matter, we’re a group.

“No one deserves it more than Ivanovic, he’s been fantastic.”

Benfica coach Jorge Jesus said: “We should have been worthy winners.

“My players felt as if they had been gunned down.”

Benfica vs Chelsea UEFA Europa League Final Match Facts

Benfica: Artur Moraes, Almeida, Luisao, Garay (Jardel 78), Melgarejo (John 66), Perez, Matic, Rodrigo (Lima 65), Gaitan, Cardozo, Salvio.

Subs Not Used: Paulo Lopes, Aimar, Urreta, Gomes.

Booked: Garay, Luisao.

Goals: Cardozo (pen) 68.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole, Lampard, Luiz, Ramires, Mata, Oscar, Torres.

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Mikel, Moses, Ferreira, Marin, Benayoun, Ake.

Booked: Oscar.

Goals: Torres 59, Ivanovic 90.

Att: 53,000.

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland).

Watch UEFA Europa League Final Match Video Benfica vs Chelsea Amsterdam

TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud: File Pic

The dreaded militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has offered ceasefire and talks to the new government of Pakistan.

Islamabad, May 16/Nationalturk – With Nawaz Sharif all set to lead next government in Pakistan after winning country’s May 11 general elections, the dreaded militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has offered ceasefire and talks to the new government.

“If Pakistan’s new government takes our dialogue offer seriously and makes some progress, then the group could offer ceasefire,” TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s newspaper Express Tribune over phone from an undisclosed location.

After winning the country’s general elections, Nawaz Sharif, who will be Pakistan’s Prime Minister for third time, had said TTP’s offer for dialogue would be taken seriously by his government.

Ehsan said they have seen Nawaz’s remarks on their offer for talks in media.

Stating that they respect Nawaz’s statement, he said, “TTP would like to reiterate that it is serious in dialogue offer with the government. However, the outgoing rulers (PPP government) had adopted a non-serious approach”.

Possibility of stopping attacks: TTP spokesman

Stating that TTP cannot declare ceasefire now, Ehsan said, “Any such decision would depend on the new government’s approach.  However, there could be a possibility of stopping attacks as a goodwill gesture once the new government takes some serious steps.”

The Taliban targeted PPP and other secular parties Awami National Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement – before country’s general election and forced the three parties to curtail their campaigning.

Over 200 people including election candidates and workers of political parties were killed during the election campaign period and on election day in a string of bombings and attacks carried out by TTP militants.

It remains to be seen what would be the response of Nawaz Sharif to latest offer of talks by TTP. Pakistan’s army’s response to the talks offer would also be important because military had rejected earlier talks offer of the militant group.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

At least six people have been killed and 100 injured after a tornado a mile wide tore through Texas leaving a wake of destruction in its trail.

The worst affected city was Grabury, home to 8,000 residents, where all of the deaths occurred, and authorities warned the death toll could rise.

Around 100 homes were destroyed in the city which is 70 miles west of Dallas.

Residents told how the roofs of homes swirled through the air and boat docks were ripped up as giant hailstones the size of baseballs pounded the streets.

Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said around 28 people were taken to the city’s hospital where 14 were admitted for treatment. Two were transferred to a hospital in Fort Worth, around 35 miles to the north east.

Of the bodies found, Sheriff Deeds said: “I’ve had information that people were found in homes. They were hard hit those homes. They were collapsed, destroyed.”

He added the total of dead could climb as crews pick through the rubble of shattered homes.

So far 14 people are unaccounted for but Sheriff Deeds said it was unclear if they were missing or had gone away from the region.

Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar Mobile Healthcare, whose company sent three ambulances and a medical bus from its Fort Worth base to Granbury, said some 100 people were injured.

Officers are now going house-to-house  looking for residents trapped in the rubble of demolished homes.

One resident, Elizabeth Tovar, 25, said she rode out the tornado with her husband and sister as she clutched her 9-month-old daughter.

She told : “We heard the winds whipping and glass smashing everywhere. I felt like a long time and when things died down I looked up and saw that the roof was gone.”

Eric Martinez, a cook at a restaurant in Lake Granbury, said he saw several homeowners’ boat docks “just get torn apart”.

“The boat docks just flew off, and they’re actually gone,” Mr Martinez said, adding that the boards and other debris landed in some gardens.

The restaurant did not appear to sustain any damage, but cars parked outside had dents from large hailstones, he said.

Donna Martin, a barmaid in Granbury, said she was watching the clouds circulate in the sky when the tornado sirens went off. She said baseball-size hail also pounded the area.

The tornado spawned a second twister that tore through Cleburne, a courthouse city of about 30,000 about 25 miles southeast of Granbury, there were no deaths but several people were injured.

Another tornado hit the small town of Millsap. Parker County Judge Mark Kelley said roof damage was reported to several houses and a barn was destroyed, but no injuries were reported.

The National Weather Service said a tornado watch would remain in effect for more than 30 counties until early Thursday morning.

Texas Tornado Video

Indian cricketer S Sreesanth weeping: File Pic

Three cricketers of India, one of whom fast bowler S Sreesanth had represented India in international matches, have been arrested by police on charges of spot-fixing.

New Delhi, May 16/Nationalturk- In a major embarrassment for cricket-mad country India, three cricketers of the country, one of whom fast bowler S Sreesanth had represented India in international matches, have been arrested by police on charges of spot-fixing.

“Police arrested three cricketers Sreesanth, Ankeet Shivan, 27, and Ajit Chandila, 29 in two separate raids in Mumbai,” sources said.

They said the operation was carried out by Delhi Police after they had arrested seven bookies in Mumbai and three other bookies in Delhi in connection with the spot-fixing.

A case has been registered at the police station in Mumbai under sections 420 (cheating) and 120 b (criminal conspiracy) against the players, who are in the custody of Delhi police.

30-year-old Sreesanth had played 27 tests and 53 ODIs for India.

Media reports quoting official sources said Delhi Police had been tapping phone calls of several bookies and cricketers, and incriminating evidence has been found against the three players for their involvement in spot-fixing.

Reports said police have video evidence where players are making promises to bookies.

Sources said two foreign players are also under scanner and may be questioned by police also. Although their names have not been revealed as yet, sources said their name is believed to have cropped up in the phone interceptions that led to the arrest of the cricketers.

Players belong to IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals

All the three arrested players belonged to 20/20 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals. The 6^th edition of IPL (20 overs cricket) is underway and Rajasthan Royals owned by film actress Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra  have reached quarterfinals.

A statement issued by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals said, “We have been informed that thee of our players have been called in for investigation on spot fixing in matches. We are completely taken by surprise”.

It said the franchise was in touch with Indian cricket board (BCCI). “We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero-tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the game.”

Meanwhile, BCCI has suspended the trio  - Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila after they were taken by police for questioning because of their alleged involvement in spot-fixing (corruption) in the IPL.

Spot fixing is the manipulation of a particular ball or wicket in a cricket tournament, which is then betted upon.

Betting on sports is illegal in India but is allegedly big business in the IPL and is  run by underground syndicates in Mumbai and other parts of the country. Sources said bookies often operate out of vehicles now to avoid detection.

Pure greed: Former Australian cricketer

The former Australian cricketer and cricket analyst Dean Jones termed the spot-fixing incident as “pure greed”.

“How much (more) money does the cricketers want? Where does this money go, surely not in their banks,” wondered Jones.

He felt spot-fixing may not influence the result of a match in a big way, but “changes the scorecard.”

The former Indian wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani said stringent measures should be taken against the guilty players.

“The guilty players should be awarded a   minimum of 12 years in jail. Till some players get this punishment, this cheating will continue,” said Kirmani.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

Dan Brown Inspires Tourism and Travel Market all over the World. International Tour Operator World Travel Service decides to promote it’s Dan Brown Istanbul Package free to all clients who buy Tropic Islands packages from WTS.

Written by bestseller author Dan Brown, Inferno attracted attention in Turkey especially for great presentation of Istanbul and one of the favourite columnists in Turkey, Ertugrul Ozkok wrote bestseller author’s “Inferno”. His comments are as below:

“My predictions were right.  Dan Brown discovered Vatican secrets in Istanbul. There are lots of important things in the new book of Dan Brown. I firstly thought about it when I read about the new book “Inferno” of the bestseller author Dan Brown.”

Ertugrul Ozkok comments on Inferno by Dan Brown

“The publishers decided that the book would be published in 12 countries simultaneously. Therefore translators were called to London and they translated “Inferno”. Among these countries, there was Turkey as well. And why Turkey? I thought there was an interesting point in that case. I researched but I could not find anything.”

“New York Times published the news yesterday about Dan Brown’s new book Inferno”

“There are three cities in Inferno. Dan Brown wrote three cities. First one in Florance, second one is Sienna and the third one is Istanbul. Only the geographical position was given as Istanbul instead of its name… A city connects both Asia and Europe… And Istanbul!”

“ Dan Brown wrote three cities. First one in Florance, second one is Sienna and the third one is Istanbul.”

“When the case is related with Dan Brown, I would like to know it. I researched and found that 150 pages of Inferno was in Istanbul. So which regions? Istanbul and Topkapi and Blue Mosque. I could read the book before it was published but I saw the image of Haghia Sophia on the back cover. When DaVinci Code was published, Paris Louvre Museum toke attraction a lot. There were many tours to Paris. Florance guess that Inferno will increase the tourists number in their city.

“Doubtlessly Inferno by Dan Brown will contribute a lot to Istanbul”

Today the book is published. The case began in Florance, continued in Sienna… So Istanbul? Dan Brown once said me that “I came here because of this” He walked around the city for hours. Especially he stayed in Blue Mosque and took information. Therefore, I learnt that Inferno tells too much about Istanbul.

the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) sent a bill on Friday which includes a series of measures to restrict how alcohol is advertised and displayed.

The bill includes a ban on event sponsorship for alcohol producers, restrictions on where drinks are sold and consumed, as well as a requirement for all alcoholic products to carry health warnings.

It is believed the bill could become a law before parliament recesses in July.

Although the bill has a stated aim of protecting young people, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is renowned for his dislike of drinking, and has systematically raised taxes on alcohol he came to power 10 years ago.

Speaking in April at the global alcohol policy symposium in Istanbul, Erdogan angered secular Turks by claiming the country’s national drink was Ayran  a non-alcoholic yoghurt-based drink  and not the anise-flavoured spirit Raki.

“Our national drink is ayran…Alcohol offers no benefits to a society,” he is reputed to have said at the symposium.

Furthermore, in February this year, Turkey’s national carrier THY announced that it would cease serving alcoholic drinks on all domestic flights for both economy and business class passengers, except for certain routes, such as journeys to Istanbul.

The ban was justified on non-religious grounds, but it is widely felt that such a move is part of a campaign by Erdogan, a devout MusliM, to severely restrict alcohol consumption in public.

Critics say the move is the latest in a campaign led by the AKP to Islamize Turkish society by stealth and constitutes an intrusion into private life.

It follows a ban on drinks service on several routes flown by state-run Turkish Airlines. Official statements cited lack of demand, but media accused the airline of following Ankara’s conservative footsteps.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Muslim who does not drink or smoke, said recently that ayran, a non-alcoholic refresher made from yoghurt, was the “national drink” of the Turks.

According to figures provided by national statistics institute TurkStat, 85 percent of Turks do not consume alcohol.

Erdogan’s populist government, in power for over a decade, is often accused of creeping efforts to coerce the country to be more conservative and pious.

Turkey is a fiercely secular state, despite being a majority Muslim country. Under Erdogan’s rule headscarves – banned in public institutions – have become more visible in public places and alcohol bans are more widespread.

Former military ruler of Pakistan Parvez Musharraf: File Pic

A Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) formed to investigate Pakistan’s former military ruler Parvez Musharraf’s role in the judges detention case during the 2007 emergency has said in its preliminary report that the former president cannot be tried under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 as directed by Islamabad High Court.

Islamabad, May 15/Nationalturk – In what could prove to a major relief for beleaguered former military ruler of Pakistan Parvez Musharraf, who is presently under detention, a Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) formed to investigate his role in the judges detention case during the 2007 emergency has said in its preliminary report that the former president cannot be tried under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 as directed by Islamabad High Court.

The Islamabad High Court had recently directed that Musharraf should be booked under the anti-terror law for detaining dozens of judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. The police subsequently arrested him and charged him under the law.

Pakistan newspaper, The News, quoted sources as saying that during questioning, Musharraf told JIT that he said he did not issue the order on October 3 2007. “Neither judges complained to me regarding this, nor did they register any FIR. Two years later a third person, a lawyer, lodged an FIR at a time when I was abroad and I only came to know about it in 2013”, he told the interrogators.

I didn’t issue any written, verbal order: Musharraf

He told interrogators that he did not issue any written or verbal order regarding detention of judges “Issuing detaining order of judges was neither my job nor was I informed about it,” added Musharraf.

Sources said JIT has submitted its preliminary report to Inspector General Police (IGP) Islamabad office for further action.

“The report has that section 7 is not admissible as it is the prerogative of investigation authorities to analyse whether or not this section can be applied. From the given information and interrogation of Musharraf, no evidence is available that could lead to the application of this clause. In order to establish a case, the statements of detained judges are also required and may be cross-examined,” they said.

They said a person can be tried under section 7 of ATA if he does anything likely to cause death, endanger life, cause grievous bodily harm or injury and damage property etc.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

Turkey former organizer of the Summer and Winter Universiade 2013 in Kazan ‘Do not participate in games ?

Wanting to organize the Olympic Games in 2020 will join Turkey has not yet announced the 2013 Universiade games. Furthermore the participation fee paid games.

Sports policy of the government of Turkey is quite uncertain but lost of athletes in competitions  the advent of  doping  country’s Ministry of Sports afraid.

From July 6th to July 17th, 2013, more than 13,500 athletes and members of delegations from 170 countries as well as more than 1,500 media representatives are expected in Kazan. About 100,000 tourists and fans from Russia and abroad will visit Kazan both to support their countries and discover the millennial historical heritage of the city, its rich culture and modern infrastructure. During the Universiade the FISU Conference on “University and Olympic Sports: two medals – one goal” will be held in Kazan from July 6th to 10th, 2013.

Out of the 50 sports venues that will be used during the Universiade, 30 will be newly built. Twenty-seven venues are already operational and at the moment they are used by pupils of sports schools, of secondary school as well as by students of the higher education establishments of the city. It is notable that about 20 venues will be used by educational institutions after the Universiade.

The XXVII Summer Universiade is a great volunteer movement as well. About 20,000 volunteers from all over the world will take part in the 2013 Universiade in Kazan. The volunteer selection programme ‘Make U Real’ was launched in September 2011. The ‘Kazan 2013′ volunteers will undergo a competitive selection process and attend a distance-learning programme. During the Games they will be provided with uniforms and food, and they will also have the opportunity to see the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Over 2,000 volunteers are already taking part in the organisation of international and national competitions and in the realisation of projects. The best volunteers are provided with the opportunity to participate in a traineeship programme designed for volunteers abroad.

The enormous volume of work carried out for the preparation and holding of the 2013 Universiade allowed Kazan to bid for the hosting of other important world sporting events. As a result, Kazan will hold the FINA World Water Sports Championships in 2015 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018. The preparation and holding of those three large international sporting events will provide Kazan with a great opportunity to cement the role of the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan in the international sports arena.

Turkish Airlines (THY) employees went on strike on Wednesday in a dispute over pay and the reinstatement of sacked workers.

Aviation union Hava-İş, which represents 14,000 of the airline’s 15,800 workers, is demanding the company rehire 305 staff dismissed after industrial action that grounded hundreds of flights in May last year.

“Our strike began at 3 a.m. and is continuing,” the union said on its website.

There was a heavy police presence at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, where members of Hava-Is gathered to hold a protest, while the airline issued a statement indicating no disruption to its services.

Members of the union, mainly those who were fired last May, have held a vigil outside the foreign arrivals terminal at Atatürk since the dismissals last year.

There was a heavy police presence at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, where members of Hava-Is gathered to hold a protest, while the airline issued a statement indicating no disruption to its services.

“All our employees stood up for their company and disregarded the strike,” the company said in a statement.

“Turkish Airlines is continuing its daily operations as planned with flights happening on time,” it added.
However, a union official said disruption would begin in the hours ahead.

“Most of the flights so far have been on time, but they have started to call colleagues who are joining the strike … Flights will begin to be delayed within a few hours,” a union official told Reuters.

Chelsea and Benfica compete for UEFA Europa League Final in Amsterdam, Rafael Benitez and blues and more experienced and favorite for trophy.

Spanish manager Rafael Benitez has a final chance to secure silverware at the end of a tumultuous six months in charge at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea take on Benfica in the final of the Europa League on Wednesday.

From the moment he took over from last year Champions League winner Robert di Matteo, Benitez was given a most hostile reception from a large section of Chelsea fans, who refused to put aside the rivalry he had with the Blues during his time as Liverpool manager.

Benitez has already achieved the primary objective of securing a place in the Premier League’s top four and at least a place in the Champions League qualifiers, but a trophy has so far eluded him.

Chelsea have had plenty of opportunities to get their hands on one this season, but they have fallen short in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup and the semifinals of both the FA Cup and Capital One Cup.

“This is the final and I want to win,” Benitez said, “If we can do it I will be really proud because we worked so hard in difficult circumstances. You have to give credit to all the people involved, the staff and the players.”

If Chelsea do claim victory in Amsterdam they will become the first club to lift the European Cup and the Europa League/UEFA Cup in consecutive seasons, in that order, as well as joining Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich as the only other sides to win all three main European trophies (Chelsea have twice won the Cup Winners’ Cup).

The match is arguably of even greater significance for Benfica, however. The famous Lisbon club, with two European cups to their name, have not won a European trophy in 51 years since the man that led to them to those triumphs, Bela Guttman, was dismissed and then vowed that Benfica would never again taste continental glory.

“Benfica created a name for themselves in the 1960s and 1970s,” current manager Jorge Jesus said,  ”It hasn’t been the same in recent years but we’ve rediscovered our luster, some of our old prestige. If we compare our recent European pedigree with Chelsea’s then obviously Chelsea are favourites. But a final is a final and we at Benfica have a different way of looking at it.”

Benfica’s most recent heartache, though, came at the weekend when Jesus’ side suffered their first league defeat of the season in their most important game, against Porto, which saw them relinquish their lead atop the Portuguese Liga.

Chelsea could have two former Benfica players in their side in the form of David Luiz and Ramires. One player that will not be in the Premier League outfit’s lineup, though, is Eden Hazard, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Chelsea and Benfica met in the quarterfinals of Europe’s premier competition last season when the Blues prevailed on their way to lifting the trophy for the first time.

Benfica vs Chelsea UEFA Europa League Final:Team News and Tactical Brief probable Line-ups

Benfica

Jorge Jesus doesn’t have any injury worries to contain with before this big game. Maxi Pereira, however, will miss out this match due to suspension after picking up a yellow card in the first of the second leg against Fenerbahce. Which means that Lorenzo  Malgarejo will play as the left back, while Almeida, who played as the left-back in the last match, will be shifted to the right-back.

Only one more change is expected to the line-up that start against Porto at the weekend. Ola John, who started that match, will be replaced by Benfica’s top scorer in the Europa League, Oscar Cardozo. This would mean Cardozo will play upfront, while Lima will drop in the hole behind him.

Jorge Jesus used a more attacking 4-3-3 formation against Fenerbahce in the second leg as his team required goals. One can expect him to change back to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation for the final against Chelsea as he will be more circumspect in this match. This change would mean that Matic and Perez will form the pivot in the front of the defence, while Gaitan will play as the left winger, with Salvio on the right. Garay and Luisao will form the center of the defense, although it must be noted that Benfica have failed to keep a clean sheet for the last four matches. In fact the Portuguese team have kept only one clean sheet in this year’s Europa League and that was back in March, against Bordeaux. So defense is a bit of a worry for Jorge Jesus and against a Chelsea side, who are very strong in attack, his back four will be tested once again. Hence the role of Perez and Matic will be crucial in this game as they they will be up against the trio of Oscar, Mata and Moses. Both Perez and Matic will need to cover the space in-between the wingers and the full backs as well, defensively.

But Benfica’s strength is their attack; the trio of Gaitan-Lima-Cardozo is capable of causing problem to any defence. Hence they will hope to score more than they concede.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-2-3-1): Moraes (GK); Almeida, Garay, Luisao, Malgarejo; Matic, Perez; Salvio, Lima, Gaitan; Cardozo

Chelsea

Chelsea, unlike Benfica, do have a lot of fitness concerns at the moment. The big news for them before this match was that of Eden Hazard being almost ruled out for the final, but the Belgian has traveled with the team and is expected undergo a late fitness test. Hazard has been a crucial part of Chelsea’s attack this season and the Blues will surely miss him, if he fails to recover from his injury. John Terry is expected miss his second European final in a row, and this time with an injury. Oriol Romeu is the only other long term injury concern.

Demba Ba is ineligible for this match after taking part in this competition with Newcastle United. There are also doubts about the fitness of Mikel and Ryan Bertrand, although the duo can make it to the bench in the final.

This means that Rafa Benitez is expected to make four changes to the side that took to the field against Aston Villa at the weekend. Ba will be replaced by Torres up front, who is incidentally Chelsea’s top scorer in the Europa League. Oscar will replace the injured Hazard, who might start on the right hand side of the trio behind Torres. Frank Lampard, who became the club’s top scorer with a brace this weekend, might find himself on the bench in this match as Rafa might look to start with Ramires and Luiz in the double pivot.

The only change in defence is that Ivanovic will replace the injured John Terry and will partner Cahill in the center of the defense. Chelsea’s defense, like Benfica, has kept only one clean sheet in this competition and that came back in February, in the first leg of their tie against Sparta Prague. Their defense will once again come under pressure from a Benfica side who are dangerous upfront.

The relatively inexperienced Azpilicueta will be up against Benfica biggest attacking threat, Gaitan, and his performance against him can be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome. Hence the right back will require help from Ramires and Luiz in dealing with his threat.

In attack Oscar is likely to start on the right. Mata in the center and Moses out left, but the trio will keep exchanging their positions throughout the match and that could prove to be their biggest strength. Mata would be drifting wide – to the left or right – while Oscar is expected to drift to a more central role. In fact the Brazilian seems to be more comfortable playing through the center. Chelsea could potentially target the inexperienced Lorenzo Malgarejo on the left hand side of the defence, which could also force back Gaitan to a certain extent as he will have to track back to help out his team mate down that side.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, Luiz; Oscar, Mata, Moses; Torres

Benfica vs Chelsea UEFA Europa League Final:Key Facts

1. The last time these two teams met, Chelsea came out on top 3-1 on aggregate in the Champions League last season.
2. Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo has scored in six of his team’s last 10 games against English opposition.
3. Chelsea have scored at least 2 goals in their last 5 matches in UEFA Europa League.
4. Both these teams have kept only one clean sheet in the competition so far.
5. If Benfica win the final, they will lift their first major European trophy since 1962.

Russia’s counterintelligence agency has detained a CIA agent in Moscow trying to recruit an officer of the Russian secret service, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said they found the man with various disguises, including wigs and sunglasses, as well as a large sum of money.

The alleged agent, who was identified as Ryan C. Fogle, was also in possession of “special technical equipment” and had written instructions for recruiting a Russian citizen, it was claimed.

A one-page letter reportedly offered the would-be recruit a payment of $100,000 (£65,300) for an interview, as well as up to $1m (£653,000) a year in return for information requested by the US.

The letter asked the recruit to write to a Google email address and wait one week for a reply.

The FSB claimed the alleged agent had been working undercover as a third secretary at the political department of the US embassy in Moscow.

Russian state television showed pictures of a man said to be Fogle, wearing a baseball cap and what appeared to be a blond wig, lying face down on the ground.

Another photo seems to show the same man sat inside an FSB office without his wig and hat.

Ryan Fogle inside Russian Federal Security Service FSB

In the background are various items, including a compass, knife, notepad and recording device, as well as bundles of 500 euro notes.

The alleged agent is said to have been handed over to American officials after being detained overnight.

Michael McFaul, the US ambassador to Russia, who was taking part in a question and answer session on Twitter when details of the alleged detention were announced, refused to speak about the claims.

He has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry, Reuters said.

The State Department in Washington also declined to comment.

However, official Library of Congress records show that a Ryan C. Fogle, of Virginia, was nominated to be a consular officer in the diplomatic service in February 2011.

The group leader Abubakar Shekau was seen in a video posted on You Tube showing women and children being held in a remote area of the country.

Mr. Abubakar Shekau also said that the group was behind the recent attacks in the north-east that claimed more than 240 lives in the past two weeks.

“We kidnapped some women and children, including teenage girls, in a single house in Damaturu, eight of our women and 14 children were arrested,” Mr. Shekau said.

Mr. Shekau added that “no-one in the country will enjoy his women and children” if the relatives of Boko Haram members were not released by the security officials.

Mr. Abubakar Shekau also confirmed that the group had carried out a series of attacks in recent weeks – including a raid on 7 May by about 200 heavily-armed men on Bama village in Borno State in the north-east.

“We are the ones that carried out the Bama attack and also some small operation in Baga, “None of our people were killed in Baga,” Mr. Shekau added.

The army had said it killed 30 Boko Haram members in Baga, while one soldier and six civilians also died but Mr. Shekau denied this claim by the military.

This latest crisis comes after President Goodluck Jonathan officially backed an amnesty talks with the militants by setting up a committee to start talks with the militants.

The committee will consider dialogue and disarmament in 60 days after which the report of the committee will be implemented.

The committee is made up of 25 members include military figures, academicians and politicians who primary duty will be to address the underlying causes of insurgencies and to find solutions to prevent them recurring again.

It is unclear what the government will do next whether to continue the amnesty talks with the militants or to stop and resort to force as a result of this latest development.

Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state across northern Nigeria, where most people are Muslims.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Kashmir is all destination tourism spot

The Tourism Minister of Indian administered Kashmir has asked Western and other countries to lift travel advisories and allow their citizens to visit the region.

Srinagar, May 14/Nationalturk- Terming Indian Kashmir as safe as any other part of the world, the Tourism Minister of Indian administered Kashmir has asked Western and other countries to lift travel advisories and allow their citizens to visit the region.

“Indian Kashmir is as safe as other parts of the world. The foreign countries should allow their citizens to visit the region and enjoy natural beauty bestowed on the region,” Tourism Minister of Indian administered Kashmir Ghulam Ahmad Mir said while interacting with a group of Canadian tourists, who were on a weeklong trip of the region.

He asked the Western and other nations to lift travel advisories barring their citizens from visiting the region.

He said Kashmir known as ‘paradise on earth’ is best suited for tourists to enjoy their holidays. “Kashmir is all season destination spot owing to its varied topography and abundant natural beauty with lush green spots and rich environs. We have created several tourist attractions with focus on highlighting adventure, golf, health and conventional tourism besides leisure and developed virgin tourism spots”.

‘Kashmir offers beautiful blend of natural beauty, hospitality’

“We offer a beautiful blend of natural beauty and hospitality. Kashmir has lots of adventure activities in winter. Gulmarg, which is one of the key destinations, offers Skiing, Heli-skiing, Gondola and many more. Similarly for spring, we are blessed with flowers and one of the major attractions is the Tulip garden in Srinagar, summer capital of Kashmir. For those who want to beat the heat, Kashmir can offer more than required in summers.   Whether it is the serene locations like Pahalgam, Sonamarg, or heavenly resorts like Dodpathri, Naranaag, Gangabal treks, or beautiful Mughal gardens and picturesque Golf resorts like Royal Springs Golf course Srinagar, Gulmarg  and Pahalgam Golf courses. Kashmir is a one grand tourism destination, Mir elaborated,” the minister said.

Maintaining that Kashmir was the centre of spiritual learning, he said, “It has been blend of different cultures of Buddhism, Sufism or Shaivism. In arts and crafts, nature has blessed us in this sphere uniquely and our craftsmen have shown their talent and intellect wonderfully over centuries now”.

The record number of Indian and foreign tourists visited Indian Kashmir last year. The government is hopeful that more tourists would visit the region this year owing to prevailing of ‘peace” in the region.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

The release of the latest book from best selling author Dan Brown, Inferno, has seen fans queuing outside the Waterstones flagship London branch as it opened early to sell the first signed copies of the book in the UK.

Dan Brown’s new novel, Inferno, is “clunky, but clever” and the American author’s “charmless, tuneless prose” won’t stop it becoming the year’s best-selling book, early reviews suggest.

Inferno is the fourth book by Brown to feature Robert Langdon, a fictional Harvard professor of religious iconology. It draws inspiration from Dante’s epic poem The Divine Comedy, an allegorical vision of the afterlife that Dan Brown describes as “one of history’s most celebrated writings”.

What’s interesting about Inferno is that Brown introduces a “new and welcome moral ambiguity to his work”, says Kerridge. Zobrist may talk like a stereotypical James Bond villain, but Brown “repeatedly implies” that there is something to be said for a comparably drastic approach to solving the global population crisis.

Brown makes his reader think the race to identify and nullify the virus – a frantic chase that switches from Florence to Istanbul – is the main game. Then, with a “wicked cunning that even those of us who labour through his charmless, tuneless prose could hardly gainsay,[he] pulls several rugs from underneath his reader”.

Inferno, set in Florence, revisits Dr Robert Langdon, the main character in previous Brown novels, Angels and Daemons and best seller the Da Vinci Code.

Langdon is an American expert on classical symbols and art and the latest outing sees him tracking clues across Florence linked to Dante’s Inferno.

While fans were keen to get their hands on copies of the first book from the best selling author in four years, the reviews have been mixed, praising the thriller’s fast pace but quick to condemn the similarities with previous outings.

John Howells from Waterstones, defended the new novel saying, “the books are just readable, these are thrillers. They are great fun to read and if you just take them as that then you’ll have a fantastic time.”

Besiktas continues to seek to new manager and reaching an agreement with former boss Sunderland Northern Irishman Martin O’Neill.

Besiktas Administrative Coordinator and Administrative Manager for Semih Usta , Onder Ozen said in London  Sunderland coach who managed the left last March with the famous Northern Irish Martin O’Neill discuss and reach agreement for the new season.

Besiktas reached an agreement in principle on all the news from the O’Neill, but the final decision of the administration Chairman Fikret Orman and Besiktas management Martin ‘Neill sympathetic to the name of the leaked information.