FIFA president gives World Cup 9.25 out of 10

RIO DE JANEIRO: FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday lavished praise on the World Cup in Brazil, saying it had been a "very special" event.

"What makes the World Cup so very special this time is the quality of the football, the intensity of the games," said Blatter, adding FIFA gave the tournament 9.25 out of ten.

"This World Cup on the field of play was exceptional," he added.

Blatter saluted the passion and intensity of the 32 teams in the event which culminated in Germany beating Argentina in the final on Sunday to win their fourth title.

"There was not one single match which didn't have this intensity," Blatter told reporters, while conceding that no tournament could ever be perfect.

"It's more than emotion and passion -- it is a drama," said Blatter, who was presiding over his fifth World Cup as the head of football's world governing body.

He said that after an explosive first phase, teams had become more tactical, but that the tournament had been one of the most attractive ever, with a joint record 171 goals scored.

Blatter admitted he had been "a little bit surprised" to see Argentine star Lionel Messi selected as best player after his fine early form tailed off during the knockout stages, but added "his goals were decisive" in the group stage.

Blatter also said the event had been notable for its spirit of fair play but said football had to continue to strive ever harder to erase racism.

Brazil's Local Organizing Committee said it calculated that some 700,000 foreign visitors had visited Brazil in June alone -- 132% more than the same month last year when Brazil hosted the eight-team Confederations Cup.

Strong integration

Prior to the World Cup Brazil had predicted 600,000 foreign visitors for the World Cup as a whole.

Deputy Sports Minister Luis Fernandes said one of the resons why the event had gone so well, after initial concerns at construction delays and poor infrastructure, was strong integration between organizers and the government.

In the months leading up to the event, there had been widespread fears that protests against the reported $11 billion cost of the Cup would mar the competition.

Protests during the Confederations Cup warm up in June of last year drew a million people on to the streets.

Sumber : Astro Awani
Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/fifa-president-gives-world-cup-9-25-out-of-10-39858?cp

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UN to vote on MH17 disaster resolution

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council is expected to consider Monday a resolution demanding that pro-Russian separatists provide "full and unrestricted access" to the crash site of a downed jet in Ukraine.

The document, proposed by Australia and co-sponsored by countries like France, also calls on all actors in the region to fully cooperate in an international probe of the incident.

It demands that all military activities, including by armed groups, be "immediately ceased in the immediate area surrounding the crash site to allow for security and safety of the international investigation."

A vote was set for Monday at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT).

Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has the right to exercise its veto power to scrap the resolution.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is believed to have been blown out of the sky Thursday by a surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 passengers and crew. Among the dead are 28 Australian citizens.

The measure "condemns in the strongest terms" the actions that caused the plane to crash.

It demands that armed groups controlling the area "refrain from any actions that may compromise the integrity of the crash site... and immediately provide safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the site and surrounding area for the appropriate investigating authorities."

While not mentioning Russia specifically, it "calls on all states and actors in the region to cooperate fully in relation to the international investigation of the incident."

The text also urges countries to respect international civil aviation safety rules "in order to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, and demands that all states and other actors refrain from acts of violence directed against civilian aircraft."

Sumber : Astro Awani
Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/un-to-vote-on-mh17-disaster-resolution-40340?cp

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MH17: Stop supporting violent separatists, David Cameron tells Russia.

UNITED STATES:

Like the horror of Lockerbie in 1988 when I was a young man, the images of the burnt-out Malaysian plane, 298 victims and their personal effects strewn across the wheat fields and villages around Grabovo in eastern Ukraine will never leave me.

Ten of our own citizens died; we grieve for them this weekend. So too did 27 Australians, including members of a family who had previously lost relatives on flight MH370; 43 Malaysians and 192 Dutch citizens also died — a huge blow to our friends and allies. We stand shoulder to shoulder with those countries and with all those affected by this outrage.

But alongside our sympathy there is also anger. Anger that this could happen; anger that a conflict that could have been stopped by Moscow has been fomented by Moscow; anger that some in the West, instead of finding the resolve to deal with this issue, have simply hoped it would go away.

We must establish the full facts of what happened. But the growing weight of evidence points to a clear conclusion: that flight MH17 was blown out of the sky by a surface-to-air missile fired from a rebel-held area.

If this is the case then we must be clear what it means: this is a direct result of Russia destabilising a sovereign state, violating its territorial integrity, backing thuggish militias and training and arming them.

We must turn this moment of outrage into a moment of action. Action to find those who committed this crime and bring them to justice. But this goes much wider than justice.

In Europe we should not need to be reminded of the consequences of turning a blind eye when big countries bully smaller countries. We should not need reminding of the consequences of letting the doctrine of “might is right” prevail. We should not need to be reminded of the lessons of European history.

But we do. For too long there has been a reluctance on the part of too many European countries to face up to the implications of what is happening in eastern Ukraine.

Sitting around the European Council table on Wednesday evening I saw that reluctance at work again.

Some countries, with Britain at the forefront, have consistently pushed for action that reflects the magnitude of the long-term threat. They tend to be the countries with the closest physical proximity to Russia and the most direct experience of what is at stake. Their own independence and nationhood have come at a high price. They never forget it. But others seem more anxious to make this a problem to be managed and contained, not a challenge to be met and mastered.

Elegant forms of words and fine communiqués are no substitute for real action. The weapons and fighters being funnelled across the border between Russia and eastern Ukraine; the support to the militias; the half-truths, the bluster, the delays. They have to stop.

Some international crises are insoluble. Not this one. If President Vladimir Putin stops the support to the fighters in eastern Ukraine and allows the Ukrainian authorities to restore order, this crisis can be brought to an end. Of course there must be proper protections for Russian-speaking minorities. These issues can be addressed. But the overriding need is for Russia to cease its support for violent separatists.

If President Putin does not change his approach to Ukraine, then Europe and the West must fundamentally change our approach to Russia.

This is not about military action, plainly. But it is time to make our power, influence and resources count.

Our economies are strong and growing in strength. And yet we sometimes behave as if we need Russia more than Russia needs us and the access we provide to European markets, European capital, our knowledge and technological expertise.

We don’t seek a relationship of confrontation with Russia. But we must not shrink from standing up for the principles that govern conduct between independent nations in Europe and which ultimately keep the peace on our continent.

So let us be clear about what needs to happen.

First, there must be immediate access to the crash site and the crime scene must be preserved. The remains of the victims must be identified, treated with proper respect and dignity and returned to their families. There must be a ceasefire. And there must be a full investigation into what happened. Russia will have plenty of information about these events which it must make fully available — and straight away.

Second, Russia must immediately halt supplies and training for the rebels. They do not represent the people of Ukraine. Without Russian support they will wither.

Finally, we must establish proper long-term relationships between Ukraine and the European Union; between Ukraine and Russia; and, above all, between Russia and the European Union, Nato and the wider West.

What form that relationship takes rests on how Russia responds to this appalling tragedy. Russia can use this moment to find a path out of this festering, dangerous crisis. I hope it will do so. But if that does not happen then we must respond robustly.

Nearly 25 years ago Britain hosted the Nato summit that ended the Cold War and began the process of ushering Russia back into the councils of the world.

In six weeks’ time Britain will host a Nato summit in Wales at which the relationship with Russia will again take centre stage. It is up to Russia which path that relationship now takes.

British Prime Minister David Cameron shares his view on the MH17 tragedy on his Facebook page.

The Malaysia Airline passenger plane flight MH17 operated by Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam  to Kuala Lumpur crashed in Eastern Ukraine on Thursday. The flight was carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board.

Sumber: Astro Awani
Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/mh17-stop-supporting-violent-separatists-david-cameron-tells-russia-40334?cp

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