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Violent clashes between Brazilian football fans stopped a football match for more than an hour. The violence erupted 17 minutes into the first half after the home team Atletico Paranaense opened the scoreboard 1-0 against opponent and Rio de Janeiro team Vasco.
According to authorities, four fans were injured in the fighting, three of whom were taken to the hospital. One injured fan had to be taken away by helicopter. Fighting also reportedly broke out outside the stadium on Sunday but the majority of the violence occurred in the stadium.
The game, which eventually resumed, ended in a 1-0 for Atletico Paranaense. The result drops Vasco from the first to second division.

"The security of users' data is critical, which is why we've invested so much in encryption and fight for transparency around government requests for information," says Google CEO Larry Page. "This is undermined by the apparent wholesale collection of data, in secret and without independent oversight, by many governments around the world."
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer says that "it is time for the United States government to act to restore the confidence of citizens around the world," a sentiment echoed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who believes that the government "should take this opportunity to lead this reform effort and make things right."http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/12/9/5190996/tech-companies-call-for-nsa-reform

Eight of the biggest companies in technology have united to speak out against the NSA's leaked surveillance programs and demand sweeping reforms. AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter, and Yahoo have all signed a letter to President Obama and Congress that The Hill reports will run in national print ads on Monday.
"We understand that governments have a duty to protect their citizens," begins the letter. "But this summer's revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide." The letter also appears on a new website, Reform Government Surveillance, which further outlines the group's positions.
"This summer's revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide."
Most of these companies signed an open letter back in October calling for changes in the way the NSA operates, and all of them have backed bills allowing them to reveal more about government data requests, but the Reform Government Surveillance campaign is more populist and explicit about exactly what the companies expect from authorities in the future.
The coalition calls for five principles behind surveillance reform: limiting governments' authority to collect users' information, oversight and accountability, transparency about government demands, respecting the free flow of information, and avoiding conflicts among governments.
Marissa Mayer: US Government should "act to restore the confidence of citizens around the world"

Like a true Trojan, Mandela did not believe it was Uhuru after rescuing his country from colonialism. In fact, he believed the battle had just entered a new phase, which he could not afford to watch from the sideline. Thus, he had observed that his life after his release from the Apartheid dungeon was to collaborate with others in driving the emerging democratic South Africa to greater heights. His words, “I have walked that long road to freedom, I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I daren’t linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.”http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/politics/item/28100-the-mandela-poser-for-nigerian-politicians.html

That is when I joined the African National Congress, and that is when the hunger for my own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of my people.” Little wonder that when he had rough days and excruciating set back, he remained bluntly unrepentant, uncompromising, daring and dogged even during his battle with death. But, how many members of the Nigerian political class can boast of such virtue?
Mandela was lion-hearted; a virtue that ensured that he led his countrymen to the Promised Land. He realised that his kinsmen were in chain everywhere, especially the Blacks were being treated as second class citizens in their homeland and in spite of their being in the majority. Even at the risk of his life, he stood by principle, conquering fear and insisting on his demand that South Africa must be reinvented like any other democratic nation. He was a typical apostle of what some have described as the politics of possibility. One of his famous quotes attests to this when he stated, “During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

One of the greatest moments in the life of Mandela was when in November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 18 Nelson Mandela International Day, the date he was born. It was the first time UN would confer such honour on a person. Part of the UN declaration reads, “Mandela’s fame rests on his role as a revolutionary leader, who spent nearly seven decades of his life in the struggle against white minority rule and for a free and democratic non-racial society. His greatness lies in the fact that he is a visionary, a democrat and international political leader who exercises his influence and leadership with humility and respect for his colleagues and opponents alike. He is, above all, a man who is stubborn in his resolve to fight all forms of discrimination, injustice and inequality.” Isn’t this another food-for-thought for the Nigerian political class?
Those who have scripturally said Mandela did not died may be correct in some sense. To them, the man has only transited after faithfully fulfilling his mission on earth. It is their conviction Mandela deployed all his endowments in fighting for the cause of mankind. In return, the whole world is abuzz with celebration; a sort of celebration driven by people, not hired, crowds, thugs, militants, ethnic jingoists and tribal warlords under the control of intoxicants. From the beginning of the sweet bitter struggle, Mandela had a clear-cut of where he was going and his ultimate desire and goal. He left the following quote as part of his epitaphs. “I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked like I did.

His visit was historic and symbolic, as Mandela had become a metaphor for leadership. He had come to symbolise hope, poise, endurance and principle. Indeed, he was the metaphor for leadership. For Nigeria, he was more than a source of inspiration, given the near prostrate state prolonged military rule had reduced Nigeria. The height of the tyranny and wickedness of the Nigerian political class was the twist of events that accompanied the criminal annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election globally acknowledged as the freest and fairest in the annals of the country. The annulment had thrown a blanket of gloom and uncertainty on the most populous Black nation. While some principled elements in of the society had took up the gauntlet to challenge the establishment for undermining the overwhelming wish of Nigerians to elect who governed them, a few predators among the political class shamelessly colluded and collaborated with the military oligarchy to perpetuate the illegality and employed the crudest means to force the pill down the throat of the democracy-thirsty majority.
Today, Mandela is being celebrated, and not mourned by almost the entire seven billion human population in the world. The celebration is electrifying because of his doggedness and character as a politician. He came, touched lives and reshaped the such that the human race can never be the same again. But could the situation would have been totally different, were Mandela a Nigerian when June 12 was annulled?

The defiant and iconoclastic leader belongs to the tribe of George Washington, who history records, as having shaped America at its birth, leading the various states to form the United States of America. Though tough, Washington was described as persistent, organised and knew what his priorities were.
Mandela can also be grouped with late Abraham Lincoln, another fomer American president, who was a man of strong character, as he was an epitome of honesty, persistence, determination and courage. There is also a parallel between Mandela and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, otherwise called Mahatma Gandhi. Both men were great ambassadors of their people who believed they could help their countries to surmount a similar difficult.
The former believed he could assist India to free itself from colonialism. A man known to have had a great influence on the life of Mandela, Ghandi’s main characteristics were resilience, knowledge, people-skills, motivational approach and leading by example.
While on the earthly sojourn, Mandela also had a direct encounter with Nigeria beyond the fact that the West African country became the conscience of the world in the war that culminated in the collapse of the apartheid regime that clamped Mandela into jail for 27 years. Savouring the air of freedom, Mandela decided to embark on a tour of, particularly those countries that stood firm during the war on the minority rule in the South Africa. The tour took him to a number of African countries, including Nigeria, Tunisia, Mozambique, Libya, Ghana, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). His visit was to express his profound gratitude to those who had supported the African National Congress (ANC) during the years of struggle and to sustain pressure for democratic transformation in South Africa.

Several whales believed to be part of a pod that was stranded in Everglades National Park were found dead in the lower Florida Keys on Sunday, national wildlife officials said, raising the number of fatalities to 22 in the last week.
Wildlife workers discovered the latest 11 dead whales just after 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon on Snipe Point, roughly six miles north of Sugarloaf Key, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official Blair Mase.
The pod of 51 short-finned pilot whales was first found by a fishing guide near Tuesday in the shallow waters off Highland Beach, a remote section of the Everglades.
When park rangers responded, they discovered six whales dead on Wednesday morning, and another four had to be euthanized, according to the NOAA. Another whale died on Thursday.
Mase said crews and veterinary teams will try to determine the cause of the deaths — and if any disease was a factor.
"We expected this may happen," Mase said, according to NBC Miami.She added that the marine mammals did not show evidence of trauma.
Officials do not know the location or status of the remaining whales. The animals were last seen alive Friday, according to the Associated Press.
The short-finned pilot whale is known for its close-knit social groups: If one whale gets stuck or stays behind, the others are likely to stay or even beach themselves as well. Pilots are among the smaller of the whale species, with adult males reaching up to 18 feet in length and females 12 feet.http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/08/21820681-11-more-whales-believed-to-be-part-of-stranded-pod-found-dead-in-florida-keys?lite

A major crisis looms in the Adamawa state branch of Nigeria’s All Progressives Congress over who should control the party structures in the state.
The conflict is between, Governor Murtala Nyako, a new member of the party, and old members, Brig. General Buba Marwa and Markus Gundiri, both of whom ran against Nyako in the 2011 governorship race, on the platforms of CPC and ACN, which have now fused as APC.
Nyako, who just joined from the PDP faces resentment of the two big men of the party for attempting to hijack the party.Today, both Gundiri and Marwa were scheduled to address a press conference in Yola on the crisis, but they were stopped by APC’s interim chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.
Journalists who were already at the venue of the Press Conference, according to a Thisday report, expecting the organisers to give reasons for convening the conference were stunned when the news reached them that the national leadership of APC has instructed the two aligning groups not to go ahead with the press conference.
A source in one of the groups told Thisday that the press conference was intended to inform the leadership of APC that they would not allow Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state to take over the structure of the party as the leader of the party.
The APC faces similar crisis of fusion in Kwara and Kano.http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/12/08/crisis-looms-in-adamawa-apc/

Trait No. 10: A real man can defend himselfYou know what’s missing in the world today? Leaderswho have had to fight their way to the top. No joking, look at the head of any business that’s circling the toilet bowl, and I’ll show you a bosswhose parents' power and money kept him from ever learning things the hard way.
Every successfulcapohas been on the wrong end of a beatdown — be it with words or be it with a set of A. Testonis. But those futurecaposgot up again and again, until they knew how to stand their ground

Trait No. 9: A real man keeps his house in order
Have you ever been inside the boss’ house? There ain’t no undershirts on the floor, and there sure as hell ain’t no unpaid bills being used as beer coasters. No ruler can rule over a territory if he isn’t already the master of his own home.You have to make sure you rule your own house..
Here's the last trait of a real man...

Trait No. 4: A real man doesn't gossipA real man follows omerta; he keeps his mouth shut. He shelters information and rations his words. A real man does not reveal more than he has to and doesn't engage in girlie talk about others. A real man doesn't discuss things he doesn't know about or people he has never met.
Trait No. 5: A real man's word is his bondWhen a real man makes a promise, he keeps it. If he can't keep a promise, he doesn't give his word. A real man would rather die than break his word. A real man knows that his words are as powerful as his actions, and that they must be taken at face value. That is why he rations them (see above).
Trait No. 6: A real man strives to be a role modelA real man respects himself and others at all times, unless, of course, he has been disrespected. A real man sets an example for his disciples, and especially for his children. I never bring my work home, so my children only know me as their father and not as a waste management executive. You should do the same; a real man sets the tone for his children and keeps them from discovering that he has weaknesses.
Trait No. 7: A real man makes his own fortuneA real man doesn't settle for handouts or charity when it comes to his personal fortune. A real man isn't satisfied with papa's money. He spits on Lady Luck and decides his own destiny. A real man who inherits goods from his forefathers takes his inheritance and turns it into 10 times what it was.
Trait No. 8: A real man doesn't look like a womanA real man doesn't have piercings and long hair, and he doesn't shave his chest. Manicures, however, are acceptable. Massages from female attendants are also tolerated. A real man knows that, outside of his barber, all his personal hygiene needs must be taken care of by a woman.
A real man has at least three suits (with a mandatory pinstriped one) that cost more than a roomful of escorts. A real man wears a suit at least three times a week. Any man who doesn't know how to tie a tie should hand in histesticoliimmediately.

Trait No. 3: A real man knows the importance of familyA real man will keep his family strong and pass on his ancestors' history and traditions. A real man knows that his children are God's gift and should be treated as such, even if he disciplines them from time to time.
A real man must also remember his otherFamily, his organization. In my world, both my family and my Family hold the same importance; I protect them both with all my might. If you have aFamily, don't forget where your loyalties lie and who has your back when you need it.

nekaa: [b][/b] CRAP! that's aw I will describe this post. Thank you.

You ain't the only on viewing

Trait No. 1: A real man is strongA real man doesn't cry, doesn't moan, doesn't complain, doesn't get sick, and doesn't need to go to the doctor every time he sneezes. A real man makes decisions and lives with the consequences. A real man accepts responsibility for his actions and his words. A real man is firm. If life is a b*tch, a real man will slap it and move on.
A real man is macho. A real man is tough. A real man doesn't show emotions. A real man is the backbone of his familyand doesn't have time to be weak. If spiders scare you, you'll never be a real man.
Trait No. 2: A real man is focusedA real man knows the difference between what's important and what isn't. A real man doesn't waste time on stupidities that don't bring him any profit. Sure, there are things you can do as a hobby — I like to shoot ducks — but it must have a purpose. The purpose of my hobby is to improve my aim, and I don't have to tell you whether or not that's a useful thing in my line of work.
A real man focuses on power, money and family. He doesn't focus on sex. Sex comes as a result of having power, money and a wife (and if she doesn't satisfy you, there are plenty of other women who will, especially when you are powerful and rich).

A real man makes decisions and lives with the consequences.To build a great house, you need a strong foundation upon which to assemble all the other pretty things. To build a great man, you also need a solid foundation upon which to add all the other little things that set the real men apart from thestronzos.Let's not piss around,thestuff inside matters mostThere are many ways to define a man, and different people have different definitions, so I'm going to skip all that crap and tell you the only thing you need to knowThere are many ways to define a man, and different people have different definitions, so I'm going to skip all that crap and tell you the only thing you need to know

Lets pray our country makes it through the group stages..

Second round
28 June 2014
Second-round 1:
Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B,
Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte, 17:00
28 June 2014
Second-round 2:
Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D,
Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro,
21:00
29 June 2014
Second-round 3:
Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A,
Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, 17:00
29 June 2014
Second-round 4:
Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C,
Arena Pernambuco, Recife, 21:00
30 June 2014
Second-round 5:
Winner Group E v Runner-up Group F,
Estadio Nacional, Brasilia, 17:00
30 June 2014
Second-round 6:
Winner Group G v Runner-up Group H,
Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, 21:00
1 July 2014
Second-round 7:
Winner Group F v Runner-up Group E,
Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 17:00
1 July 2014
Second-round 8:
Winner Group H v Runner-up Group G,
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, 21:00
Quarter-finals
4 July 2014
Quarter-final 1:
Winner Second-round 1 v Winner
Second-round 2, Estadio Castelao,
Fortaleza, 21:00
4 July 2014
Quarter-final 2:
Winner Second-round 5 v Winner
Second-round 6, Estadio do Maracana,
Rio de Janeiro, 17:00
5 July 2014
Quarter-final 3:
Winner Second-round 3 v Winner
Second-round 4, Arena Fonte Nova,
Salvador, 21:00
5 July 2014
Quarter-final 4:
Winner Second-round 7 v Winner
Second-round 8, Estadio Nacional,
Brasilia, 17:00
Semi-finals
8 July 2014
Semi-final 1:
Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner
Quarter-final 2, Estadio Mineirao, Belo
Horizonte, 21:00
9 July 2014
Semi-final 2:
Winner Quarter-final 3 v Winner
Quarter-final 4, Arena de Sao Paulo,
Sao Paulo, 21:00
Third-place match
12 July 2014
Loser semi-final 1 v Loser semi-final 2,
Estadio Nacional, Brasilia, 21:00
World Cup Final
13 July 2014
Winner semi-final 1 v Winner semi-
final 2, Estadio do Maracana, Rio de
Janeiro, 20:00

Group F
15 June 2014
Argentina v Bosnia-Hercegovina,
Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro,
23:00
16 June 2014
Iran v Nigeria, Arena da Baixada,
Curitiba, 20:00
21 June 2014
Argentina v Iran, Estadio Mineirao, Belo
Horizonte, 17:00
21 June 2014
Nigeria v Bosnia-Hercegovina, Arena
Pantanal, Cuiaba, 23:00
25 June 2014
Nigeria v Argentina, Estadio Beira-Rio,
Porto Alegre, 17:00
25 June 2014
Bosnia-Hercegovina v Iran, Arena
Fonte Nova, Salvador, 17:00
Group G
16 June 2014
Germany v Portugal, Arena Fonte
Nova, Salvador, 17:00
16 June 2014
Ghana v USA, Arena das Dunas, Natal,
23:00
21 June 2014
Germany v Ghana, Estadio Castelao,
Fortaleza, 20:00
22 June 2014
USA v Portugal, Arena Amazonia,
Manaus, 20:00
26 June 2014
USA v Germany, Arena Pernambuco,
Recife, 17:00
26 June 2014
Portugal v Ghana, Estadio Nacional,
Brasilia, 17:00
Group H
17 June 2014
Belgium v Algeria, Estadio Mineirao,
Belo Horizonte, 17:00
17 June 2014
Russia v South Korea, Arena Pantanal,
Cuiaba, 23:00
22 June 2014
Belgium v Russia, Estadio do Maracana,
Rio de Janeiro, 23:00
22 June 2014
South Korea v Algeria, Estadio Beira-
Rio, Porto Alegre, 17:00
26 June 2014
South Korea v Belgium, Arena de Sao
Paulo, Sao Paulo, 21:00
26 June 2014
Algeria v Russia, Arena da Baixada,
Curitiba, 21:00

Group C
14 June 2014
Colombia v Greece, Estadio Mineirao,
Belo Horizonte, 17:00
14 June 2014
Ivory Coast v Japan, Arena
Pernambuco, Recife, 23:00
19 June 2014
Colombia v Ivory Coast, Estadio
Nacional, Brasilia, 17:00
19 June 2014
Japan v Greece, Arena das Dunas,
Natal, 23:00
24 June 2014
Japan v Colombia, Arena Pantanal,
Cuiaba, 21:00
24 June 2014
Greece v Ivory Coast, Estadio Castelao,
Fortaleza, 21:00
Group D
14 June 2014
Uruguay v Costa Rica, Estadio Castelao,
Fortaleza, 20:00
15 June 2014
England v Italy, Arena Amazonia,
Manaus, 02:00
19 June 2014
Uruguay v England , Arena de Sao
Paulo, Sao Paulo, 20:00
20 June 2014
Italy v Costa Rica, Arena Pernambuco,
Recife, 17:00
24 June 2014
Italy v Uruguay, Arena das Dunas,
Natal, 17:00
24 June 2014
Costa Rica v England, Estadio Mineirao,
Belo Horizonte, 17:00
Group E
15 June 2014
Switzerland v Ecuador, Estadio
Nacional, Brasilia, 17:00
15 June 2014
France v Honduras, Estadio Beira-Rio,
Porto Alegre, 20:00
20 June 2014
Switzerland v France, Arena Fonte
Nova, Salvador, 20:00
20 June 2014
Honduras v Ecuador, Arena da Baixada,
Curitiba, 23:00
25 June 2014
Honduras v Switzerland, Arena
Amazonia, Manaus, 21:00
25 June 2014
Equador v France, Estadio do Maracana,
Rio de Janeiro, 21:00

Fixtures
(All kick-off times are British Summer
Time)
Group A
12 June 2014
Brazil v Croatia, Arena de Sao Paulo,
Sao Paulo, 21:00
13 June 2014
Mexico v Cameroon, Arena das Dunas,
Natal, 17:00
17 June 2014
Brazil v Mexico, Estadio Castelao,
Fortaleza, 20:00
18 June 2014
Cameroon v Croatia, Arena Amazonia,
Manaus, 20:00
23 June 2014
Cameroon v Brazil, Estadio Nacional,
Brasilia, 21:00
23 June 2014
Croatia v Mexico, Arena Pernambuco,
Recife, 21:00
Group B
13 June 2014
Spain v Netherlands, Arena Fonte
Nova, Salvador, 20:00
13 June 2014
Chile v Australia, Arena Pantanal,
Cuiaba, 23:00
18 June 2014
Spain v Chile, Estadio do Maracana, Rio
de Janeiro, 23:00
18 June 2014
Australia v Netherlands, Estadio Beira-
Rio, Porto Alegre, 17:00
23 June 2014
Australia v Spain, Arena da Baixada,
Curitiba, 17:00
23 June 2014
Netherlands v Chile, Arena de Sao
Paulo, Sao Paulo, 17:00

The opening game of the 2014 Fifa
World Cup will see hosts Brazil play
Croatia on 12 June, 2014.
Group A
Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B
Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C
Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D
Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E
Switzerland, Ecuador, France,
Honduras
Group F
Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran,
Nigeria
Group G
Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H
Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea