Chinese woman named world's youngest billionaire

BEIJING: A 24-year-old Chinese woman with stakes worth $1.3 billion in a real estate firm, has become the world's youngest billionaire, replacing Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz.

Kei Perenna Hoi Ting, daughter of Ji Haipeng, chairman and CEO of Chinese real estate developer Logan Property, is a non-executive director of the firm and holds 85% stakes in it worth $1.3 billion, state-run China News Service said.

A graduate from the University of London, Perenna Kei lives in Hong Kong.

Logan Property Holdings is run by companies and a family trust associated with Perenna.

The firm headquartered in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen focuses on the development of mid and high-end residential housing.

Australians kick-start New Year's Celebrations: Sydney Agog

*Fireworks herald 2015 /AAP

Four Arrested Over Kidnapping Of Albino Girl In Tanzania

Police in Tanzania say they have arrested four people over the kidnapping of an albino girl in the north of the country, where many are killed and their body parts sold as lucky charms.
Four-year-old Pendo Emmanuelle Nundi was snatched on Saturday from her home in the Mwanza region by attackers armed with machetes, regional police chief Valentino Mlowola told state television.
"We have arrested four people, including the girl's father. We are still in the process of interrogating them so we can find out where the girl is - if she is still alive," the official said, adding the attackers may have been tipped off by neighbours.
At least 74 albinos have been murdered in the east African country since 2000, according to United Nations experts. After a spike in killings in 2009, the government placed youngsters in children's homes in a desperate effort to defend them.
A hereditary genetic condition which causes a total absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes, albinism affects one Tanzanian in 1,400, often as a result of inbreeding, experts say. In the West, it affects just one person in 20,000.
In August a UN rights expert warned that attacks against albinos were on the rise because Tanzania's October 2015 presidential election was on the horizon, encouraging political campaigners to turn to influential sorcerers for support.
Albino body parts sell for around $US600 ($A650) in Tanzania, with an entire corpse fetching $US75,000.
AFP

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Football: Beautiful Game Raises The Bar In 2014

WORLD CUP 2014

Brazil World Cup had some exhilarating moments, breathtaking action, stunning reverses and a gripping script. It also had colossal controversies that threatened to sully the beautiful game

GOALS GALORE: With 171 goals (not counting penalty shootouts), the 2014 World Cup saw an average of 2.67 goals per game, equaling France 1998 as the highest-scoring WC since it moved to a 64-game format. And there were some spectacular ones too. James Rodriguez's effort against Uruguay was deemed as the best by FIFA. Close behind were Robin van Persie's flying header against Spain and Tim Cahill's thunderous volley against the Dutch.

GERMAN STEAMROLLER: Germany's 7-1 humiliation of five-time champions and hosts Brazil will remain an indefatigable memory - part of German folklore and Brazilian nightmare. But the match itself, in which eventual champions Germany went 5-0 up in a space of 18 first-half minutes, will remain an instance of total domination and unabashed capitulation of a sort never before witnessed in a World Cup semifinal.

KLOSE SHOT: As Germany dismantled Brazil in the semifinal, spoke by spoke, lost in the carnage at a shell-shocked Estadio Mineirao was the fact that in scoring Germany's second goal, striker Miroslav Klose set a new all-time record for goals scored in the World Cup by a single player with 16 --one more than the previous record of 15 held by former Brazil striker, Ronaldo.

VAN GAAL'S SWITCH: Louis van Gaal cemented his position as a tactical genius when he decided to switch goalkeepers right before The Netherlands' penalty shootout against Costa Rica. It raised more than a few eyebrows, including those of regular 'keeper Jasper Cillessen but coming off the bench, backup goalie Tim Krul succeeded in getting inside the skin of Costa Rican players and keeping their efforts out of the net. Costa Rica returned home, the Oranje progressed and somewhere in Old Trafford, the decision to replace to David Moyes with Van Gaal was made.

'CTRL+S' HOWARD: In the last of the second-round matches, the USA faced an onslaught from supremely talented Belgium, but the Europeans were continuously denied by goalkeeper Tim Howard, before finally succumbing in extra-time. The US custodian's tally of 15 saves is the highest number made by a goalkeeper in a World Cup match since records started being taken in 1966. His performance also sprung a spate of Internet memes and Howard became part of social media folklore.

BRAZIL'S HUMILIATION: An entire nation's dream died on that fateful night at Belo Horizonte. Germany mauled hosts Brazil 7-1 condemning the latter to their first competitive home defeat in 39 years. It was not just a loss, it was the ultimate humiliation of Brazilian football. Many mourned its demise. The home side's defence, discipline and passion was totally absent on a night that will always haunt the the South American nation. The aura of the five-time world champions is gone forever.


Oscar of Brazil is consoled by head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after 1-7 defeat in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semifinal against Germany in Belo Horizonte on July 8, 2014. (Getty Images)

NEYMAR'S SPINE: Colombian defender Juan Zuniga kneed Neymar in the back and broke Brazil's spine in the quarterfinals. The flamboyant striker lay prone on the ground in unbearable pain having suffered a fractured vertebrae. A couple of inches higher could have paralysed Neymar and ended his career for good. The fans chanted Neymar's name and the team held aloft his No. 10 shirt prior to the semifinal kickoff against Germany but the trauma that followed proved just how much Brazil missed their marquee striker.

GHANAIAN ANTICS: The Ghana team refused to train just days before their final group match against Portugal because of a row over appearance fees. The Ghana govt stepped in and sent more than $3 million in cash by airplane to Brazil to pay the players. Ghana expelled two of their players following allegations of physical and verbal attacks in the camp. Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng were both suspended by the Ghana Football Association.

REFEREE DEMOTED: Referee Yuichi Nishimura was demoted to fourth official after his controversial decisions during the opening game between Brazil and Croatia. Nishimura incurred the wrath of the Croatians after awarding a soft penalty to the hosts, failing to punish a Neymar elbow on Luka Modric with a red card, and disallowing what looked to be a perfectly legitimate Croatian goal.

EURO LEAGUES

Real got the decima in Spain, while Man United went into a freefall in England. Europe was buzzing all the time...

LA DECIMA: Finally, Real Madrid earned their 10th Champions League title - after a wait since 2002. After years of spending fortunes, the trophy found its way to the Bernabeu. It couldn't have been sweeter for Cristiano Ronaldo. He was signed to win this one five years ago. And the mystical moment arrived in Lisbon, where he had burst into prominence.

MESSI GOES ON AND ON: The wizard's club form and personal form are running on parallel tracks. Barcelona ended up trophy-less last season and is now chasing Real at the winter break but one just can't seem to stop Lionel Messi from scoring. His record-breaking hat-trick saw him surpass the all-time top scoring record in the La Liga, held by Telmo Zarra (251 goals).

ATLETI, THE THIRD FORCE: Atletico Madrid bucked the trend by winning the Spanish League, snubbing the domination by Real Madrid and Barcelona. Under Diego Simeone's leadership, Atletico managed to win the title in front of a packed Camp Nou.

GOALS GALORE IN PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester City and Liverpool both ended the 2013-2014 English Premier League season with a goal tally in excess of 100. This was the first time the league witnessed two clubs cross the century-mark in the same season.

TRANSFER HIGH: Luis Suarez and James Rodriguez fetched a combined sum of £138 million for their respective clubs. The controversies surrounding Suarez's "appetite" for staying out of trouble did not detract Barcelona from pursuing the Uruguayan for £75m. Spanish rivals Real Madrid swooped in on James Rodriguez (£63m), whose cause was aided by his brilliant performances in the FIFA World Cup.

UNITED'S DOWNFALL: The post-Alex Ferguson era was a nightmare for Manchester United, who failed to qualify for a place in Europe for the first time since 1982. David Moyes, who had received the backing of his predecessor, failed to get the best out of the players at his new club and was eventually sacked with four games to play in the season.

SERIE A PICKS THE WRONG ONE: Italian football federation chose Carlo Tavecchio over Demetrio Albertini as president, the former winning 63 per cent of the votes. Tavecchio is a career politician with five criminal convictions ranging from forgery to tax evasion. No wonder Italian football is languishing where it is now and no sign of languishing where it is now and no sign of improvement is noticeable, Juventus' strong show notwithstanding.

MARIO AT IT AGAIN: Mario Balotelli shot himself in the foot, once again! He posted an image of video game character Super Mario on a social networking site that included a message which read, "Be like Mario! He is an Italian plumber created by Japanese people, who speaks English and looks like a Mexican. He jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew." He apologized, of course.

RACISM AT ITS PEAK: Atalanta fans threw bananas at AC Milan full-back, Kevin Constant. This incident was widely regarded by many as one of the worst moments in Italian football during the 20132014 season.

TITO LOSES THE BATTLE: Ex-Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova lost his battle against cancer at 45. He had earlier fought off a malignant tumour in 2011 but was unable to fight it this time. Under him, Barcelona it this time. Under him, Barcelona had equalled Real Madrid's record of points in a season when they finished with an amazing 100.

LET'S HAVE ITALIAN: Luis Suarez is no stranger to controversy. Having bitten his opponents on a football field twice before, the Uruguayan finally thought it fit to sink his teeth on the World Cup stage. And he chose Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini as his victim. After initial denial, he finally admitted his guilt. FIFA later banned him from all footballing activities for four months and suspended him for nine international matches, including World Cup fixtures.  -TOI

Sports: Rory McIlroy ends year as top player

Rory McIlroy made it a career total of 60 weeks as world number one on Monday with the final golf rankings of the year.  The Northern Irishman started the year as world number six, but after wins in the British Open in July and in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the start of August he was back at the top.  He cemented that position with his fourth major title win at the US PGA Championship and ended the year almost three ranking points clear of second-placed Henrik Stenson of Sweden.  Tiger Woods, who was top-ranked at the start of the year, slumped to 32nd due to a run of injuries and related problems with his swing.  Masters champion Bubba Watson is the top-ranked American at fourth with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama the top Asian at 16th. 
Official World rankings at the end of 2014:  
1. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 11.04pts 2. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 8.13 3. Adam Scott (AUS) 7.71 4. Bubba Watson (USA) 7.27 5. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 6.70 6. Justin Rose (ENG) 6.69 7. Jim Furyk (USA) 6.62 8. Jason Day (AUS) 5.81 9. Jordan Spieth (USA) 5.75 10. Rickie Fowler (USA) 5.47 11. Matt Kuchar (USA) 5.11 12. Martin Kaymer (GER) 4.86 13. Billy Horschel (USA) 4.78 14. Phil Mickelson (USA) 4.47 15. Graeme McDowell (NIR) 4.16 16. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.12 17. Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 4.02 18. Zach Johnson (USA) 3.83 19. Dustin Johnson (USA) 3.78 20. Chris Kirk (USA) 3.76

"Memorable" Moments From the 2014 World Cup

Every 4 years the FIFA World Cup captures the attention of the entire globe. I've compiled some of the most epic moments - everything from last second goals to choreographed celebrations.

1. Greece's Papastathopoulos Hits the Equalizer in Stoppage Time: 

Greece hadn't scored a goal for the entirety of the 90 minute regulation time.  The teams had just entered the extra stoppage time when Sokratis' perfectly placed kick ties the game for Greece!  

Greece would eventually go on to win the game in a shootout.
2. Pablo Armero's Goal Sparks Amazing Group Dance It's really fun to watch Colombia score goals because they have half-a-dozen choreographed dances prepared! Watch their first goal from the Colombia vs Greece game to see what I mean.
3Lionel Messi's Goal at 90'+1.

After 90 minutes of scoreless play, Argentina and Iran had entered a 4 minute stoppage time.  With only 3 minutes left before a draw, Argentine forward (and team captain) Lionel Messi crushed the hopes of team Iran with a brilliant shot from just outside the penalty area.  

4.Laser Pointer on the Goalie! 

 "As Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev went up to try and break up a cross, he had what appeared to be a laser shined in his face. Algeria's Islam Slimani ended up heading the ball in to knot the match at one in the 60th minute."

5.Portugal vs USA Last Second Goal: 

If you are a fan of USA you might want to skip this one.  With 30 seconds remaining during the match between Portugal and USA, Portugal's Silvestre Varela takes a perfect pass from Cristiano Ronaldo to score the game tying goal.  Americans everywhere were left stunned as the game ended in a tie.

6. Luis Suarez Bites Italian Player Giorgio Chiellini   

By now you have likely already head about Luis Suarez' appetite for football players.  Check out this video to see him nearly take a chunk out of an opposing footballer.  And it turns out, this isn't his first time using his chompers to disrupt a game!

7. Ghana Celebrates With Epic Dance

At minute 63, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana scores Ghana's second goal of the night to take the lead.  Check out the choreography right after the goal!

8. Robin Van Persie's Dive Becomes an Internet Phenomenon

"The Dutch striker scored the most impressive goal of the tournament (so far) with a diving header against Spain on June 13. The dazzling noggin-first shot helped the Netherlands secure a 5-1 win and a place for van Persie in Internet Photoshop history."

8.

 

Rolene Strauss Crowned Miss World

 Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss waves to the audience after being crowned Miss World 2014. She's flanked by the first runner-up, Miss Hungary Edina Kulcsar, left, and second runner-up, Miss United States Elizabeth Safrit, during the grand finale of the Miss World pageant in London on Sunday, December 14.

Names Of Mascots For Rio 2016 Olympics, Paralympics Announced

 A picture taken on Nov. 24, 2014 shows the mascot of Rio 2016 Olympic Games Vinicius (L) and the mascot of the 2016 Paralympic Games Tom in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Announced on Dec. 14, 2014, the mascot for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro has been named Vinicius, and the Paralympics mascot will go by the name of Tom. The names honor Brazilian musicians and partners Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim.

This billionaire just paid $4 million for a Nobel Medal only to give it back

This post is in partnership with Time. The article below was originally published at Time.com.
One of the richest men in Russia, Alisher Usmanov, has come forward as the anonymous buyer of James Watson's Nobel medal, which was sold for more than $4 million at an auction at Christie's in New York last week.
Usmanov, who is worth an estimated $15.9 billion, has now revealed he will return the piece to Watson who shared the 1962 Nobel prize in medicine for discovering the structure of DNA, alongside Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins.
This was the first time a living recipient of the Nobel Prize has sold their medal. Watson told the Financial Times in November that he had been spurned by the scientific community and made to feel like an "unperson" since he gave an interview in 2007 in which he suggested that black people were inherently less intelligent than white people.
Watson has said he needs the money but would also give some of the proceeds to different research institutions and charities and that he hopes to re-enter public life as a result.
"A situation in which an outstanding scientist sells a medal recognizing his achievements is unacceptable," Usmanov said in a statement.
"It is important for me that the money that I spent on this medal will go to supporting scientific research," Usmanov added, "and the medal will stay with the person who deserved it."

Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi accept Nobel Peace prize

PAKISTANI schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest ever Nobel laureate after receiving the Peace Prize in Oslo, sharing it with Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi.
“A young girl and a somewhat older man, one from Pakistan and one from India, one Muslim, the other Hindu; both symbols of what the world needs: more unity. Fraternity between the nations!” said Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel committee.
 Malala, 17, who was given the prestigious award in Oslo City Hall overnight, became a global icon after she was shot and nearly killed by the Taliban in October 2012 for insisting that girls had a right to an education.
Mr Satyarthi, 60, was recognised by the Nobel committee for a 35-year battle to free thousands of children from virtual slave labour.
Malala was 15 when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head as she travelled on a school bus in response to her campaign for girls’ education.
Although she almost died, she recovered after being flown for extensive surgery in Birmingham, England.
She has been based in the city with her family ever since, continuing both her education and activism.
Mr Satyarthi’s organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Movement to Save Childhood) prides itself on liberating more than 80,000 children from bonded labour in factories and workshops across India and has networks of activists in more than 100 countries.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) there are about 168 million child labourers around the world.
Nobel winners receive eight million Swedish kronor ($1.28 million), which is shared in the case of joint wins.

Malala, Satyarthi given Nobel Peace Prize

MALALA Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India have received the Nobel Peace Prize for risking their lives to fight for children's rights.

THE 17-year-old Malala, the youngest ever Nobel winner, and Satyarthi, age 60, collected the award at a ceremony on Wednesday in the Norwegian capital to a standing ovation.
Saying that all children have a right to childhood and education instead of forced labour, Nobel committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said "this world conscience can find no better expression than through" this year's winners. The Nobel awards in medicine, physics, chemistry and literature are set to be presented in Stockholm later on Wednesday. The award ceremonies are always held on December 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.

Rugby:Eddie Jones calls on Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola to help Japan’s World Cup preparations

JAPAN’S national rugby team coach Eddie Jones has sought the counsel of Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola to incorporate the Spanish football manager’s tactics into his rugby selection.
According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, the former Wallabies coach made several trips to Germany to meet with the former Barcelona player and coach, whom he described as the best soccer manager in the world.
Jones decided to contact Guardiola to seek technical advice in anticipation of the Rugby World Cup that will be held in Britain next year, where Jones’ goal is to reach the quarter-finals.
Jones’ aim was to get tips on how to make his team tactically more flexible so as to facilitate changing formations as the game progresses.
“Rugby and soccer are very similar in that you always want to move the ball into space,” Jones said.
“Bayern Munich and his previous team, Barcelona, played the most fantastic passing game you have ever seen.
“I really think we can improve greatly with adjustments in the way we train.”

‘If You Scream, No One Comes’

Children were raped, beaten and drugged at Mangrove Yoga Ashram, say victims at Royal Commission into child sexual abuse 

IN the foothills of Mangrove Mountain, some went in search of peace at a yoga ashram, instead their children were drugged, raped and beaten.

Disturbing details have been revealed of the abuse suffered by children in the 1970s and 80s at a Royal Commission into child sexual abuse at the Mangrove Yoga Ashram on the NSW Central Coast, Australia.
The ashram north of Sydney was founded by a disciple of the Indian guru who established the Satyananda Yoga movement, which helped spread the practice around the world.
The commission has heard from nine witnesses, including an account last week from one victim who was stripped naked when she was seven years old and held down while the skin between her breasts was cut by a swami. He then licked the blood and had intercourse with her during an initiation ceremony.
Some of the most shocking testimony has come from the “handmaiden” of the abusive yoga master and spiritual leader Swami Akhandananda.
Shishy, who had legal guardianship of children at the retreat in the 1980s, was completely controlled by Swami Akhandananda, bringing young girls to the swami for sexual initiation, which she believed was for their “spiritual growth”.
Former child residents claimed that Shishy, who was second-in-charge at the ashram, slapped them so hard it affected their hearing and eyesight and on one occasion the force slammed their heads against a wall.
On Monday she denied this but admitted she did slap children and brought young girls to the swami for sexual initiation, which she believed was for their “spiritual growth”.
However, Shishy said she was also the victim of shocking abuse. She told the commission that she had to drink Akhandananda’s urine as part of a traditional contraceptive method and her vagina was slashed with nail scissors. The yoga master also sexually assaulted her with a double-barrelled shotgun.

 

Olympics' swimming, triple jump and race walking under threat

Some Olympic events,  such as race walking and some swimming events, are under threat after new rules were agreed by the IOC.
Triple jump and synchronised swimming are also sports identified as vulnerable under the changes approved by the IOC as part of a sweeping reform of the Olympics.
Australia's Jared Tallent has won silver at the last two Olympics in the 50km walk and with Nathan Deakes Australia has been on the dais in the 20-kilometre walk in two of the past three Olympics.
Australia also has a talented triple - and long - jumper in Henry Frayne, who jumped a personal best 17.23 metres two years ago as a 22-year-old before injury and who now is returning to fitness is a medal chance for Rio.
The IOC approved a change to cap the total number of athletes at a summer games at 10,500 and 310 events instead of a 28-sport limit.
The changes will be not be introduced in time for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but they appear likely to foreshadow the return of baseball, softball and squash for the 2020 Games in Tokyo given the popularity of baseball in particular in Japan.
Karate and surfing could also be introduced as Olympic sports as the IOC seeks to broaden the sports appeal and to attract younger sports fans. But for each event or sport added another existing sport must go.
"This is a major breakthrough," Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said. "We were at a dead-end situation with 28 sports."
Asked which events could make way for new sports, he replied: "Synchronised swimming and maybe triple jump."
Sebastian Coe, head of the British Olympic Association and IAAF vice-president, immediately sought to insulate triple jump from attack, saying: "Triple jump is a sacrosanct sport in track and field."
He also defended race-walking but acknowledged there was pressure on athletics saying: "There are roughly 10,500 athletes in an Olympics and we [athletics] take roughly 2200 - a fifth of all competitors and 47 different disciplines. Does that mean track and field needs to be vigilant about protecting its events then the answer is almost certainly 'yes it will'."
Other IOC members are understood to believe there are too many marginally different swimming events and there is need for reform there. Michael Phelps was able to win eight gold medals in one Games in 2008 due to the large number of similar swimming events.
Julio Maglione, president of swimming's international federation FINA, said: "I don't know what will happen, this is the truth, it's a difficult moment.
"I suppose that it's a problem we discuss in the future, we don't know what's going to happen with us, athletics, gymnastics."
In other rule changes - part of the greatest shake-up in the Olympics since 1999 - it was agreed that Games will be able to staged in more than one city or even in different countries in the future as the IOC sought to cut the increasingly prohibitive costs of hosting an Olympics.
with agencies

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/olympics-swimming-triple-jump-and-race-walking-under-threat-20141209-123ixg.html#ixzz3LQBOoZCy

Olympics Should be For Amateurs

Adam Scott looking forward to teeing off in Rio but thinks Olympics should be for amateurs 

ADAM Scott would happily forfeit his prized Olympic spot in 2016 if it meant golf’s much heralded return was for the world’s best amateurs instead.The world No.3 dropped the bombshell at last night’s official dinner before tomorrow’s start to the Australian PGA on the Gold Coast 

The Olympic event in Rio de Janeiro is trumpeted as a tournament for 64 top pros.

Ever the practical mind, Scott said he felt uncomfortable with the fit for golf.
When American pro Boo Weekley said the Olympic event should be for amateurs, Scott endorsed his view.
“People watch us (as pros) play 45 weeks a year,” Scott said.
“If you really wanted to grow the game you’d have the Olympics for amateurs.”
The defending Australian PGA champion said earlier at a private cocktail party that he has a huge regard for the Olympic ideals.
“Rio is not something I’ve thought a lot about, but it is something I have a desire to be part of,” Scott said.
“I’m not going to change my focus ... it will be on the four majors.
“The Olympics will not be my priority. I’ll prefer going to see the guys running fast.

SPORTS:Kosovo Is 205th Country To Join Olympic Games At Rio 2016

THE International Olympic Committee have given official recognition to Kosovo allowing its athletes to take part in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The IOC executive on Tuesday recognised the former Serbian province, which declared its independence in 2005, in October.
“This is one big day,” Besim Hasani, president of the Kosovo Olympic Committee, told the IOC session.
“This is the beginning of a new era for the Olympic movement in Kosovo.”
“Now they can start to prepare for Rio,” IOC president Thomas Bach said after the unanimous decision was agreed by the full 104-member assembly.
Serbia refuses to accept the independence of Kosovo, where NATO-led air strikes were used in 1999 to stop an offensive by Serbian forces against ethnic-Albanian separatists.
Bach said that Serbia had accepted Kosovo’s membership “in the interests of the athletes.”
Kosovo is now the 205th member of the IOC and its 50th member from Europe.
Kosovo’s Olympic committee has 30 sporting federations as members and six — table tennis, archery, judo, yachting, weightlifting and modern pentathlon — are full members of international federations. Seven more are close to being recognised.
Originally published as Kosovo is 205th country to join Games

2015 Copa América: Brazil drawn in Group C alongside Colombia, Peru and Venezuela

Brazil have been drawn in Group C alongside Colombia, Peru and Venezuela for the 2015 Copa América, which is held in Chile in June and July. 

The Seleção, who have won the tournament eight times, start their campaign against Peru at Estadio Municipal Germán Becker in Temuco on 14th June.

They then face Colombia in Santiago’s Estadio Monumental three days later, before returning to Temuco to meet Venezuela on 21st June.

To be guaranteed a spot in the knock-out stages, Brazil need to finish in the top two, through the two best third placed teams will also progress.

For Dunga’s side, the Copa América offers a first chance for redemption after the disappointing end to this summer’s FIFA World Cup, while four years ago in Argentina, they also under performed with a quarter-final exit to eventual runners up Paraguay on penalties.

Despite their mixed recent form in competitive tournaments however, Dunga’s last spell in charge of Brazil yielded victory at the 2007 Copa América, where they beat Argentina 3-0 in the final.

To have a chance to avenge that defeat, the Albiceleste will have to overcome holders Uruguay, as well as Paraguay and Jamaica in Group B, while hosts Chile are up against Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia in Group A.

2015 Copa América draw
Group A

Group B

Group C

NEWS: Pope Tells Europe To Accept Immigrants

POPE Francis has demanded that Europe craft a unified and fair immigration policy, saying the thousands of refugees coming ashore need acceptance and assistance, not self-interested policies that risk lives and fuel social conflict.
FRANCIS made the comments on Tuesday to the European Parliament during a brief visit meant to highlight his vision for Europe a quarter-century after St John Paul II travelled to Strasbourg to address a continent still divided by the Iron Curtain.
Greeted with a lengthy standing ovation at the start and finish of his speech, Francis said he wanted to bring a message of hope to Europeans distrustful of their institutions, burdened by economic crisis and spiritually adrift in a culture that he said no longer values the dignity of human beings. "A Europe which is no longer open to the transcendent dimension of life is a Europe which risks slowly losing its own soul," he said. He called for legislators to promote policies that create jobs and accept immigrants, saying: "We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery!" The Argentine Jesuit has frequently spoken out about the plight of migrants seeking a better life in Europe, and travelled to the tiny island of Lampedusa in 2013 to show solidarity with the thousands of migrants who arrive and to honour those who have died trying. Italy, home of the Vatican, has borne the brunt of the burden of rescuing the migrants, though recently the European Union's border agency stepped in to help. On Tuesday, Francis warned that the absence of a coherent EU migration policy "contributes to slave labour and continuing social tensions." He said Europe will only be able to confront immigration-related conflict by "enacting adequate legislation to protect the rights of European citizens and to ensure the acceptance of immigrants."

Kellie Maloney’s Horrific Plastic Surgery Reaction

*After:Getty

*Before/GETTY

KELLIE Maloney, formerly known as boxing promoter Frank Maloney, is lucky to be alive after her facial reconstruction surgery went horribly wrong.
The 61-year-old, who is around 18 months into her transition period to change gender, revealed her mortifying injuries.
She said she feared her head was “going to explode” after the traumatic cosmetic surgery ordeal left her bleeding from the eyes and moments from death.
ot only did the complications land her in intensive care fighting for life she says they also made her look “like Frankenstein’s monster”.
Transsexual Maloney, who had gone under the knife to make her face look more feminine, said, “I was bleeding out of my eyes and I was inunimaginable pain”.
“Then I just felt my head inflating like a balloon. It was getting bigger and bigger by the second, I could hardly see. I feared it was going to explode.”
The heavy internal bleeding — from a shocking ­reaction to the surgery at a clinic in Belgium two weeks ago — caused her head to swell to twice its size and almost stopped her breathing.
Doctors then spent the next 10 hours fighting to save her life.
Maloney, who has three children, is living as a woman and has already undergone hormone therapy, electrolysis to remove excess body hair, counselling and voice coaching.
She had previously undergone surgery in Spain so had no concerns going into her latest surgery which was an operation on her nose, eyelids and cheeks, as well as a facelift.
Doctors have said the reason for her shock reaction is thought to be because of Asprin tablets she had taken to thin her blood after suffering a heart attack.
This is believed to have stopped her surgery wounds from healing properly, which sparked the complications and bleeding.
And while she has been warned that her blood is low on platelets, and must endure regular visits to doctors to ensure she is recovering properly she has been allowed to leave the Belgian hospital and is back home recovering in Maidstone, Kent, with her family.
The doctors are also confident that she will make a full recovery and will be pleased with the final results.
And despite the trauma she suffered, this has not put her off continuing her quest to fully transition into a woman, with Maloney saying she is still determined to have the final operation to become a woman, and is set to have a breast augmentation operation and gender reassignment surgery next at a private clinic.

Mascot of Rio 2016 Olympic Games unveiled in Brazil

 The mascot of Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games pose for a photo with young students in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nov. 24, 2014. The unveiling ceremony of the mascots was held here on Monday. The mascot Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic was originated from the animals and plants in Brazil respectively. A poll to decide their names will be opened after the unveiling of the two mascots

SPORTS:New Pro Football League Tackles Cricket-Mad India

Cricket is practically synonymous with sports in India, but it is about to get some competition in the form of the country's first serious professional football league.
The Indian Super League, or ISL, has kicked off and is the talk of the nation. The live telecast of the opening match on Oct. 12 drew 74.7 million viewers, an order of magnitude larger than the typical sporting event. Over the first week, the total audience for the new league was reported to be 170 million. The media and fans are asking whether India could become an emerging football nation on a par with China and the U.S.

 

 

     An executive with FIFA, international soccer's governing body, visited India in mid-October. In an interview with local media, he pointed to India's huge population as proof the country could support two major professional sports. He believes ISL has a fair chance of grabbing the attention of some of the country's 1.2 billion people who are not devoted exclusively to cricket.
     Media company Star India and an affiliate of conglomerate Reliance Industries, were a co-founders of ISL. Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, the country's richest man, has said there is new and widespread enthusiasm for football since the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which points to the game's potential as a cash cow.
Star power
Match tickets at large stadiums in India sell for 100-3,500 rupees ($1.76-$61.57). This makes watching a live professional match much cheaper than in most of the rest of the world: 100 rupees buys five or six cups of coffee in a typical Indian cafe. "People under 20 are the most familiar with football, and ticket prices are set to be affordable for them," said an ISL spokesman. By contrast, tickets for Indian Premier League pro cricket matches are more expensive, costing up to 12,000 rupees, and venues are always packed.
     For the inaugural season, ISL is putting top priority on making the matches fun to watch, essentially requiring its clubs to hire foreign players. The money teams are splashing out has attracted many international stars of the pitch who are admired by fans worldwide but have passed their prime.
     Former Italian national team member Alessandro Del Piero, for instance, joined the Delhi Dynamos Football Club on a contract paying 110 million rupees ($1.64 million). Former French national star Robert Emmanuel Pires and Swedish peer Fredrik Ljungberg, who once played for the Shimizu S-Pulse in the Japan Professional Football League, or J.League, have laced up their cleats for Indian clubs.
     The same is true for coaches. Brazilian superstar and former head coach of the Japan national team Zico now skippers FC Goa. He said he did not come to India as a tourist, but to introduce the Japanese football model and help raise the technical skills of Indian football players.
     But the ISL has a long way to go if it is to foster serious Indian football talent. The country's FIFA ranking is currently 159th out of 209 members worldwide. It is reportedly bidding to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Just as J.League raised the quality of Japanese national squad, the ISL may do the same for India. Traditional football powers may not have much to fear yet, but that could change.

2015 Afcon aftermath:Uzokwe calls for grass-root base Home Eagles

By Eddie Akalonu
Following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the African cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea next year, Ex-international Evans Uzokwe has said that the country will have no option than a return to building a national team made up wholly of players based here in Nigeria, saying it is a means to ending the stigma of being held hostage by players based abroad. As a former player, my first observation of the Eagles was that five or six days are too short a time to mould a team and play. I had predicted we may not qualify for Afcon because it was devoid of sentiment and honest I saw a team that was in too much of a hurry in every game that we played and in the process were incoherent in defense, mid-field and attack “They lacked character, unity, there was no team cohesion and I saw that each player presented the attitude and style of the country in the club he plays. And if a coach lacks technical skill to mould an array of players into a unit, definitely there is problem,”Uzokwe, who rose to professional career high as Head of Service of Imo State Civil Service after stints at the defunct P and T Vasco da Gama of Enugu and Spartans of Owerri, warned football administrators this way “we had always depended on miracles to achieve certain things. Right now it is very obvious to us we can no longer live by miracles in football. We just must build, we must plan what we want to achieve. That is exactly what any country which has (football) as agent of youth development and empowerment carry on. We should do the same.  “my suggestion is, if we can go back to the past practice of building a team made up of players from grassroots and top clubs around the country, it would alleviate some problems we have, it would us fashion the Nigerian own football- character and pattern, so that when there is need to play we can easily invite some players from outside the country to team up with the home based and play. We will not depend 100 percent on players coming from abroad.

CAF/FIFA Instructor, Kigigha blames Eagles Nations Cup Ouster on NFF, Keshi players

By Eddie Akalonu

CAF/FIFA Referees Fitness Instructor, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Felix Kigigha has told the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, coach Stephen Keshi and his technical assistants to accept responsibility for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea next year. Speaking to Vanguard Sports, Kigigha, who described the Eagles performance in the qualifying series as unacceptable and lamentable, said despite warnings by concerned Nigerians as himself, Felix Owolabi and fans, NFF members rather agreed not to work for national interest but engaged in self aggrandizement. “Some of us voiced our observations about defects and problems of the national team. NFF failed to plan, that both NFF leadership and Stephen Keshi had approached the whole issue in a nonchalant manner and this flowed down to the players. In fact, our problem started soon after the World Cup in Brazil. There was no post- mortem of our participation in that competition which would have given us a direction, what to do and amount of resources to marshal out.”  

“But those in administration acted as if Nigeria was Brazil, Germany and Argentina and others fused into a team that is invincible in Africa which of course we are not. I am really blaming them because when they had enough time to put things right, they rather were more concerned in getting elected into office. The Stephen Keshi facto was there too. He did not act as a professional all the time. So I knew that given earlier results in the qualifiers, even if we had beaten South Africa, it was only due to respect for us not about superiority.”

Asked what needed to be done now to push the game up, ACP Kigigha said “that still boils down to NFF to give us a football road map and this must contain every aspect of developing ant promotion of the game. If they do that as a priority, then we can talk of qualifying for the next AFCON and may World Cup”

LATEST NEWS:Marathoner Begs For Cash To Fly South Sudan Flag At Olympics

NAIROBI: South Sudan marathon runner Guor Mading Maker has been forced to resort to crowdfunding to raise his civil war-torn nation's flag for the first time at the Olympics.
Maker ran under the Olympic colours at the 2012 London Games because his country had only just won its freedom from Khartoum after decades of war.
But there is little chance of securing funding from South Sudan for the Rio Games in 2016 after war broke out again there last December. Since then tens of thousands have been killed and aid agencies say the country is on the brink of famine.
Maker is seeking $25,000 to achieve his dream, with the money enabling him to train in neighbouring Kenya's high-altitude Rift valley and bring some fellow South Sudanese athletes with him.
"To achieve my goals I need to follow the right programme, in the right environment, and above all have financial assistance for the next two years," 30-year-old Maker said.
"A little donation can make big difference," he said in a message on the crowdfunding website gofundme.com. "I believe with your kind support, I could help bring a long lasting unity to the people of South Sudan through sport."
Currently based in the United States, Maker came 47th in the London 2012 marathon as an independent Olympian -- under the name Guor Marial -- with a time of 2:19:32, and has a personal best of 2:12:55.
At the time of the London Games, South Sudan had not yet been accepted as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"I returned from the Olympic Games with great experience and determination to train hard for the World Championship in 2015 and the 2016 Olympic Games," he said.
"With enough funding, I can go to Kenya and focus on training until the Olympic Games. With more funding, I can bring along five to six South Sudanese runners to train with me."
Those who have donated so far include Meb Keflezighi, an Eritrean-born American and winner of the 2014 Boston marathon and Olympic silver marathon medallist in 2004.
Like thousands of others, Maker fled fighting during the 1983-2005 war that paved the way for South Sudan's independence, one of a generation dubbed the "Lost Boys". He was forced to flee his home village in 1993, and was granted residence in the United States in 2001.
Maker visited South Sudan for the first time since leaving last year, and -- despite fearing he was an orphan -- was reunited with his mother after two decades without contact.
Sporting stars who hail from South Sudan include the late Manute Bol, equal tallest ever player for the National Basketball Association (NBA) at seven foot seven inches tall (231 centimetres), as well as Luol Deng, who plays for Miami Heat.
Fellow South Sudanese "Lost Boy" and middle distance runner Lopez Lomong, now a US citizen, was the flag bearer for the US Olympic team in 2008.
The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21, 2016.

Spain’s Duchess Of Alba Leaves $5 Billion Fortune To Her Children: Nothing To Husband Alfonso Diez

*The Dutchess and husband: AFP

HER kids were worried when Spain’s Duchess of Alba married a toyboy in 2011. Her will however shows all six will be looked after while he gets nothing.
The Spanish royal, who was the most titled in the world, has given each of her five sons and one daughter a palace each.
They will also share the rest of her three-million-pound ($5 billion) fortune, along with her eight grandchildren.
Friends, relatives and wellwishers paid their respects to the duchess, also known as ‘Cayetana’, after she died following a battle with pneumonia.
Her wealth includes a dozens of properties, 50,000 pieces of artwork and 18,000 rare books.
However her 64-year-old husband Alfonso Diez will not receive anything after signing away any rights before their October 2011 wedding.
The coupling caused a huge rift between the duchess and her children, who believed that Diez was just after her money.
“Alfonso doesn’t want anything. All he wants is me,” she said at the time.
Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia FranciscaFitz-James Stuart y Silva, was known for her flamboyant lifestyle and her Guinness Book of Records’ honour as the world’s most titled person.
The duchess was arelative of Winston Churchill and shared toys with England’s future Queen Elizabeth while living in England as a girl.
She was 14 times a Spanish grandee, five times a duchess, once a countess-duchess, 18 times a marchioness, 18 times a countess and once a viscountess, according to the entry.

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT:Aussie Bras A Smash Hit With No. 1 Serena Williams

THE world’s No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player, Serena Williams, has been signed as the new ambassador for Australian bra company Berlei.
Williams told Confidential she was a long-time fan of the brand after being initially introduced to the bras by her mother, tennis
coach Oracene Price, a decade ago, when Oracene bought a Berlei bra while visiting Australia.
“I’ve been a fan of Berlei long before I started working with the brand. My mom discovered the brand in Myer on a trip to Australia 10 years ago and I have been wearing their sports bras ever since,”
                                                                            she told Confidential while on location in Miami shooting a commercial for Berlei.
Williams — a favourite of celebrity mags thanks to her incredible figure — said stripping down to play the part of lingerie model was not an issue.
“I’m a normal woman — I can get selfconscious. But I think that is just natural for women to feel that way,” she said.
“In our society we’re often led to believe we have to look a certain way but I have learned to be proud of my curves and to embrace them.
“It’s important to love who you are and realise that you’re beautiful, no matter what society says and the pressure they put on you to look a certain way.”

Sports Life:

Sports Life

Apparently four-legged 100 metre running is a thing and Katsumi Tamakoshi is good at it

NEWS: China Hospital Gives Men Chance To Experience Pain Of Childbirth

A hospital in eastern China is offering fathers-to-be a chance to experience the pain of childbirth after several new moms complained they got little sympathy from their partners.

Free sessions are held twice a week at Aima maternity hospital in Shandong province and about 100 men have signed up to be tortured. Most are expectant dads but there are thrill seekers too among the volunteers for "taster sessions".

For the simulations, pads attached to a device are placed above the abdomen, giving electric shocks that induce pain. The test subjects writhe in agony for up to five minutes as a nurse gradually raises the intensity on a scale of one to ten.
Song Siling, who is trying for a baby with his girlfriend, shut his eyes and grimaced as the needle on the electrode monitor inched forward with a beep.

"It felt like my heart and lungs were being ripped apart," said Song, who made it to level seven before frantically waving to the nurse to turn off the system. Others dropped out within minutes when they couldn't take the pain.

Despite their obvious discomfort, the on-duty nurse said the simulations could never match the torment of actual childbirth.
"Still, if men can experience this pain, then they'll be more loving and caring to their wives," said Lou Dezhu.

Wu Jianlong, who braved the pain right up to level 10, says the experience radically altered his views on childbirth.
"Because all women have children and it usually takes quite a long time, I had thought of it as being something really natural, something
really normal that they can get through," he said.

Wu, whose wife is three months pregnant, yelled in pain and clenched his fists before giving in and begging the nurse to stop - he had reached the maximum limit by then.

Unlike in the West, Chinese men are often not in the room when their partners or wives give birth. Some state-run hospitals do not allow expectant dads to enter, even if they want to.

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-hospital-gives-men-chance-to-experience-pain-of-childbirth/article1-1288585.aspx#sthash.SHT4QDkh.dpuf

A hospital in eastern China is offering fathers-to-be a chance to experience the pain of childbirth after several new moms complained they got little sympathy from their partners.

Free sessions are held twice a week at Aima maternity hospital in Shandong province and about 100 men have signed up to be tortured. Most are expectant dads but there are thrill seekers too among the volunteers for "taster sessions".
For the simulations, pads attached to a device are placed above the abdomen, giving electric shocks that induce pain. The test subjects writhe in agony for up to five minutes as a nurse gradually raises the intensity on a scale of one to ten.
Song Siling, who is trying for a baby with his girlfriend, shut his eyes and grimaced as the needle on the electrode monitor inched forward with a beep.
"It felt like my heart and lungs were being ripped apart," said Song, who made it to level seven before frantically waving to the nurse to turn off the system. Others dropped out within minutes when they couldn't take the pain.
Despite their obvious discomfort, the on-duty nurse said the simulations could never match the torment of actual childbirth.
"Still, if men can experience this pain, then they'll be more loving and caring to their wives," said Lou Dezhu.
Wu Jianlong, who braved the pain right up to level 10, says the experience radically altered his views on childbirth.
"Because all women have children and it usually takes quite a long time, I had thought of it as being something really natural, something
really normal that they can get through," he said.
Wu, whose wife is three months pregnant, yelled in pain and clenched his fists before giving in and begging the nurse to stop - he had reached the maximum limit by then.
Unlike in the West, Chinese men are often not in the room when their partners or wives give birth. Some state-run hospitals do not allow expectant dads to enter, even if they want to. - See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-hospital-gives-men-chance-to-experience-pain-of-childbirth/article1-1288585.aspx#sthash.SHT4QDkh.dpuf

Tapeworm Lived In 50-Year-old UK Man’s Brain For Four Years

A rare 10cm-long tapeworm lived in a man’s brain for four years before being detected

SCIENTISTS in Britain have removed and studied a rare tapeworm that lived in a man’s brain for four years, researchers say.
The “10cm ribbon-shaped” parasite travelled five centimetres from the right side of the brain to the left.
The tapeworm causes sparganosis, an inflammation of body tissues that can cause seizures, memory loss and headaches when it occurs in the brain.
The 50-year-old man went to his doctor in 2008 complaining of headaches, seizures, memory loss and that his sense of smell had changed, The Telegraph reported. Over the next four year the man was tested for a number of diseases including HIV, lime disease and syphilis.
Surgeons removed it and the patient, of Chinese decent who lives in East Anglia, is now “systemically well”, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said on Friday.
It was the first time the tapeworm, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, was reported in Britain. Only 300 cases have been reported since 1953.
The tapeworm is thought to be caught by accidentally eating small infected crustaceans from lakes, eating raw amphibian or reptile meat, or by using a raw frog poultice which is a Chinese remedy for sore eyes.
“We did not expect to see an infection of this kind in the UK, but global travel means that unfamiliar parasites do sometimes appear,” said Effrossyni Gkrania-Klotsas of the department of Infectious Disease at Addenbrooke’s NHS Trust.
“Our work shows that, even with only tiny amounts of DNA from clinical samples, we can find out all we need to identify and characterise the parasite,” Gkrania-Klotsas added.
The doctor said the DNA study underlined the importance of a global database of worm genomes, to help identify and treat parasites.
“This worm is quite mysterious and we don’t know everything about what species it can infect or how. Humans are a rare and accidental host. for this particular worm. It remains as a larva throughout the infection. We know from the genome that the worm has fatty acid binding proteins that might help it scavenge fatty acids and energy from its environment, which may be one the mechanisms for how it gets its food,” Dr Hayley Bennett told The Guardian.
“This genome will act as a reference, so that when new treatments are developed for the more common tapeworms, scientists can cross-check whether they are also likely to be effective against this very rare infection.”

IOC member Gumel Returns as president Nigeria Olympic Committee

 Former Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) president and IOC member, Habu Gumel, has been returned back to office following elections into the committee held in Asaba, Delta State. Gumel, who had held the office of treasurer 1997 to 2001 when he became president and had office for eight years (Two terms of two years each) ,only defeated incumbent president, Sani Ndanusa. It will be recalled that it was Ndanusa who ousted him from office four years ago.. Gumel got 19 votes to Ndanusa’s 17 to become the new NOC president.

In other results, incumbent secretary general, Tunde Popoola polled 17 votes to Banji Oladapo’s 16 to retain his position, just as Johnny Hamakin beat Dans Adokie (3)and Gbenga Ashiru (8) to the deputy secretary general position.

Tony Ubani retained his position as the body’s public relations Officer by beating Mrs. Nwankwo by 31 votes to 5, while Bappa Aliyu Misau defeated Professor Makanjuola by 17 votes to 16 for deputy secretary general position..

. 'I'm Too Dark To Rent A Home, Says 'Briggs

*Skin colour a bar to renting in MoreeLike many people she knows, Kelly Briggs asked a white friend to rent the house she lives in after six months of applying as an Aboriginal woman and getting nowhere.

"I'm too dark," she said of the failed attempts to rent a home in Moree, a town in north-western NSW, with her two teenage children.The 34-year-old reformed drug addict, who has a diploma in business governance, previously had a steady job two years ago and has been trying to find a new one ever since.

"I'm just at the point where I'm applying for receptionist positions," she said.
Ms Briggs is not surprised by the findings of the landmark Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report released on Wednesday.
The report found hospital admissions for intentional self-harm increased 48 per cent between 2004-05 and 2012-13.
She is among the statistics. Seven years ago she was admitted to hospital for self-harm when she returned from Brisbane to her home town of Moree and tried to find employment.
"It's just this really deep, deep feeling of you don't belong and no matter what you're doing, nothing's going to change. You feel like a non-person," Ms Briggs said of the experience.
"I just couldn't see any way out."
She has since been diagnosed with a mental health condition and, while she had a stable upbringing in which both parents worked, said she had experienced racism all her life.
"My first run-in with racism was preschool," Ms Briggs said. "Racism in Moree is so entrenched that people don't see it.
"People were calling me 'blackie', 'Abo' of course. A little girl told me I was dirty."
She puts the increasing rates of self-harm among Aboriginal people to entrenched disadvantage and a lack of jobs and money.
The people who work with the growing indigenous prison population are not shocked by the mammoth 57 per cent increase in the adult imprisonment rate between 2000 and 2013.
Changes to bail laws and parole and probation, as well as mandatory sentencing and a lack of legal resources, were increasingly bringing people already living in poverty and at a social and economic disadvantage into contact with the law, Shane Duffy, the chairman of the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, said.
"Tough on crime" policies were also lengthening court lists in remote areas and making it harder for alleged offenders to comply with bail conditions.
"Court lists are blowing out and it does tend to lend itself to a sausage factory," Mr Duffy said.
He said others with mental health problems were waiting in prison on remand for up to 18 months while a report about their condition was completed.
Debbie Kilroy, the chief executive of prisoner advocacy group Sisters Inside, said a growing number of indigenous women were being imprisoned for breaching domestic violence orders, particularly in northern Australia.
Some spoke English only as a second language and could not read or write, making it difficult to defend themselves or explain a history of violence towards them, she said.
"It's clear that Aboriginal women are being targeted with laws and policies," she said. "[And] they don't have the access to education to deal with the legal profession."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/skin-colour-a-bar-to-renting-in-moree-20141119-11pwnn.html#ixzz3JXRBKRkt

 

Japan Arrests Widow With Seven Dead Partners

A 67-year-old millionairess has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning her husband with cyanide as it emerged six former partners had already died, in Japan's latest apparent "black widow" case.
Chisako Kakehi has been the beneficiary of a combined Y800 million ($A8.44 million) over the past two decades, Jiji Press said - insurance money and other assets she received after the seven men's deaths.
Husband number four Isao Kakehi fell sick suddenly at home and was confirmed dead at a hospital in December last year, less than two months after the couple married.
An autopsy found highly toxic cyanide compounds in his blood.
That came after the September death of a 75-year-old boyfriend, who fell suddenly ill after the couple ate together at a restaurant, Jiji said.
Kakehi's dalliance with death began in 1994 when her first husband passed away at the age of 54.
In 2006, her second husband, whom she had met through a dating agency, died of a stroke aged 69, while the third marriage ended in 2008 with the death of her 75-year-old partner, Jiji reported.
A boyfriend, believed to have been suffering from some form of cancer, died a year later, and in 2012 her then-fiance met his fate after collapsing while riding a motorbike.
Traces of cyanide were detected in his body, media reports said.
Kakehi was arrested on Wednesday by police in Kyoto on suspicion of murdering her latest husband. She has denied any involvement in his death.
"We suspect she did it for money," a police investigator on the latest death said without giving details of the amount involved.
Police are now working on the theory that she could have been behind the deaths of at least some of the other six.
"We can't say how many now.... Given their advanced age, we have to proceed carefully to judge whether their deaths were actually the result of foul play or not," the investigator said.
If she is found to have been involved in the deaths of numerous partners, Kakehi will become the latest example in Japan of a "black widow", named for the female spider that devours its mate after coupling.
In 2012, Kanae Kijima was sentenced to hang for the murders of three men, aged 41, 53 and 80, she met through internet dating sites.
Kijima, who was at one time a paid-for mistress, poisoned her victims with carbon monoxide by burning charcoal briquettes after drugging them with sleeping tablets.
She is in jail awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the supreme court.
Another woman, former bar hostess Miyuki Ueta, is also waiting on the outcome of a supreme court appeal against a death sentence for killing two men.
AFP

Pistorius didn't love Reeva: Steenkamp

THE mother of the model shot dead by Oscar Pistorius has revealed she suffers from nightmares about her final moments.
IN an emotional interview on Wednesday, June Steenkamp spoke of her anguish at seeing images in court of the athlete covered in her daughter Reeva's blood after he killed her.
She said she did not believe Pistorius loved Miss Steenkamp, 29, claiming he saw her as a "trophy". Pistorius, 27, was found guilty of culpable homicide last month and jailed for five years but he could be out of prison in 10 months. Mrs Steenkamp told BBC Radio 5 Live the thought of her daughter's last moments in a toilet cubicle in Pistorius's luxury home on Valentine's Day last year is "still there". She said: "We have nightmares about it all the time. That has been the hardest part to get through - that she would have been expecting God to come and save her and where are we? "We couldn't do anything to help her and now he comes along and does this dreadful, dreadful, horrible crime. It's just too much for us to even think about what she was going through in that bathroom. "She had no escape." She recalled the moment she learned of her daughter's death from a detective. "He said 'there has been an accident, she's been shot'. I said 'you better tell me if she's dead or alive' and he said 'I'm very sorry, she's passed away'. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it." She said the couple had been arguing "all the time" which she thought was unusual for a new relationship. "That was a slight warning but I didn't know. She kind of hid it from us in the beginning." She said they shared a "very close" relationship and the death had left her and husband Barry "devastated". "Nothing except her being here will help," Mrs Steenkamp said. "I feel very angry when I think what he did to her - a wonderful person - and just shot her like that. "Something went wrong - we will never know unless he (Pistorius) decides to talk about it." She said she had forgiven Pistorius, but added: "He has taken everything from us. She will never have our grandchildren. She will never have a wedding. She will never have a career. "Why her? Why didn't he just let her go?" She expressed doubt that the couple, who began dating in around November 2012, had been physically intimate. "I just felt that I don't think so...I don't know. I don't understand their relationship at all." Asked if she thought Pistorius loved her daughter, she said: "No I think she was just a trophy." Mrs Steenkamp has written a book about her ordeal, titled Reeva: A Mother's Story.

Nigeria Olympic Committee Elections: Gumel Poised To Re-Invent Moribund Committee

The bid by Habu Ahmed Gumel to return to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) as its president is now seen as the tonic to revamp the once vibrant committee.
According to followers of the Olympic movement in the country, his bid to reclaim the headship of the committee at its elective congress in Asaba on Thursday is a clarion call to duty -- to steer back a ship that had gone adrift.
In the last four years, there has been a seeming lack of coordination in the leadership of the committee.
The committee had largely been seen as a divided house, torn apart by internal squabbles that pitched the president against the secretary-general.
``The squabble, which polarised the entire committee, turned out a deviation from the norm because the in-fighting marred most of the executive committee sessions,’’ noted the chairman of a sports association who pleaded anonymity.
``Even the workers in the committee’s secretariat are poorly motivated as they are owed salaries for months.’’
A look at the secretariat complex shows that all has not been well. Even the 100 KVA generator installed during Gumel’s era has gone dysfunctional and the secretariat that used to be the envy of visitors to the National Stadium, Lagos, has lost the glory.
Perhaps, the way the leadership muzzled its way into the executive committee paved the way for the current situation. It was largely seen that the leadership circumvented all known legal means to come into office.
For instance, a provision in the NOC Constitution that an aspirant to the NOC presidency must belong to the International Federation (IF) in executive capacity for four years was not followed.
Nigeria’s failure at the London 2012 Olympic Games was traced to poor coordination by the NOC which muddled up the accreditation process.
``The joint NOC/sports ministry ad hoc secretariat during the Games failed to function and that was where the NOC was expected to provide leadership,’’ said a secretary in one of the sports associations.
The trend continued at the last Commonwealth Games in Scotland where the failure to pay allowances to sports federation chairmen left many of them stranded.
Another stigma trailing the incumbent executive is the failed bid to lease a landed property in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, but for the caveat on it.
An insider said the Lagos State Government, the donor of the land, put the caveat, insisting that it must not be resold or leased as it was donated toward promoting Olympism and its ideals in the country.
With the pedigree of Gumel as an IOC member, a vice president of the International Volleyball Federation and a council member of the Association of Olympic Committees, Nigeria stands to benefit from his wealth of experience.
As a close ally of the current IOC President, Germany's Thomas Bach, his return to the position will rekindle hopes while restoring the integrity of the NOC.
Born on April 1, 1949, Gumel has been a member of the IOC since 2009.
A statement released on Nov. 16 said no fewer than 16 persons had been cleared for the eight executive positions to be contested on Thursday.
It is expected that the election will be peaceful as there are no indications that the rancour that attended the last election will be witnessed in Asaba.

LIFE

This guy has been fired 300 times
THIS man has been hired and fired from 300 jobs over the past decade. You could almost say he’s made a career out of it.
Mike Rowe, host of the popular Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs and the upcoming CNN show Somebody’s Gotta Do It, took to Reddit earlier this week to dish the dirt on what went on behind the scenes.
From mafia-controlled factories to how he kept in shape during filming, here are some of the best questions and responses.
THE MAFIA
Q: What dirty jobs did you always want to do but the network or producers wouldn’t let you do?
“The segments I was most interested in doing but found the most resistance around was that of a rendering facility. Aside from the fact that ‘rendering facilities’ are by their very definition optically horrific, there was another concern that I had not considered.
“That concern can be spelled out with the following letters. M-O-B. That’s right — the mob is still involved in a surprising number of rendering facilities. Why the mob has such a rich history in garbage-related industries and rendering-related industries is a conversation beyond my pay grade.
“I only know how relieved I was to finally find a rendering outfit that was not owned or operated by the Cosa Nostra. That facility was in Northern California. And they were called North State Rendering.
“To this day, I’m impressed with how brave they were in their decision to let us provide our viewers with an unvarnished look at what it takes to turn a dead cow into several hundred pounds of chicken feed.”
SHOCKING JOB
Q: What job shocked you the most by finding out how awful it really was?
“Many jobs appear bad at a glance, only to get much worse at a second glance. And some jobs simply get worse and worse with every subsequent glance, which is why (of course) many people watch the program with their eyes closed.
“I was never in a position to close my eyes, and consequently, I enjoyed a front-row seat to a great variety of pits, and holes, that most people simply don’t know exist. One brief example might be the interior of an ocean buoy.
“In the Coast Guard, buoy tenders are responsible for hoisting these giant steel contraptions out of the ocean, and refurbishing them.
“In this case, ‘refurbishment’ means crawling into a woefully inadequate tube not much larger than the space taken up by your shoulders, and wiggling your way like a worm into the shadowy depths whereupon you begin to remove the barnacles and various other forms of nautical life with a stick or some other improvised tool.”
KEEPING FIT
Q: Do you follow an exercise/weightlifting routine?
“For a while, when I agonised over maintaining the illusion of fitness, I committed myself to a routine that centred around burpees.
“Also known as the Prison Workout, burpees require one to drop from a standing position into a squat. Then you kick your legs backward, and do a push-up. Then, you return to the squatting position. Then, you leap into the air as high as you can. Then you do it again.
“And again. And again. Until you are either a) No longer fat, or b) Vomiting uncontrollably. The end.”

 

Want To Live To Be 80: This Is How
For Nick Iliopolous, the key to longevity is salad, sea, sex and sun.
The 83-year-old has been sunning himself in the same spot on the Bronte foreshore for the past 20 years.
The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) suggests many more octogenarians will soon be able to join him.

For the first time in history, Australian men can expect to live past 80.
The breakthrough, revealed on Thursday, means that Australia has joined an elite group of countries.
Among them are Switzerland, Japan and Iceland, where both men and women can expect to live past their 80th birthday.

Illustration: Cathy Wilcox

It comes as no surprise to Mr Iliopolous, formerly of Mount Olympus.
His routine has prepared him for what he believes will be his penultimate decade.
"The secret is salad. Only tomatoes and lettuce," he said. "Walk for one hour a day and then back to the beach."
Mr Iliopolous said he was well-regarded among beachgoers for his healthy octogenarian physique.
"People always want to photograph me, they say 'look at my hair, look at my colour'."
He believes the other secret is getting married.
"A wife will keep you around longer," he said.
But men took their time to catch up to women, ABS's director of demography, Denise Carlton, said.
"Australian women pushed past the 80-year mark back in 1990, so it's taken men nearly a quarter of a century," Dr Carlton said.
"But having crossed the elusive 80-year threshold in the 1990s, improvements in expected lifespan for women has since slowed down, increasing by around four years over the period; it's 84.3 now."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/life-expectancy-for-australian-males-surges-past-80-for-first-time-20141106-11hsvb.html#ixzz3IIlgBvN2