UNHRC Resolution Against Sri Lanka Thursday March 27,2014

On Thursday March 27,2014, the UN Human Rights Council(UNHRC) adopted a resolution co-sponsored by 41 countries, which allows the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) to monitor progress and undertake a comprehensive investigation into atrocities committed in the months before the end of the war in May 2009

23 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 12 against and 12 abstained from voting.

The UNHRC adopted the resolution that mandates an international inquiry into allegations of major human rights violations in Sri Lanka during the last seven years of the war with 23 countries voting in favour of the document in the 47-nation strong body.
While 12 countries including Pakistan, Maldives, Cuba,Venezuela, China, Russia voted against and
12 member-states abstained from voting, including India, Indonesia and Japan.

41 co sponsors have signed on to the US led resolution on Sri Lanka to promote human rights, reconciliation and accountability, including Albania,* Austria, Belgium,* Bulgaria,* Canada,* Croatia,* Cyprus,* Denmark,* Estonia, Finland,* France, Georgia,* Germany, Greece,* Hungary,* Iceland,* Ireland, Italy, Latvia,* Liechtenstein,* Lithuania,* Luxembourg,* Mauritius,* Montenegro, Netherlands,* Norway,* Poland,* Portugal,* Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis,* Sierra Leone, Slovakia,* Spain,* Sweden,* Switzerland,* the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America (* Non-member states of the UNHRC).
The resolution seeks to set up an international probe into alleged war crimes committed by both sides during the last seven years of the war.


Pakistan proposed the removal of a key paragraph of the resolution which details the role of the OHCHR, but the council voted against its removal.

Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Sri Lanka's UN envoy, "categorically and reservedly" rejected the resolution in a strongly worded statement, which did not address any of the allegations.
"The resolution will not only constitute a serious breach of international law but also sets a precedence on the sovereignty of nations," said Ariyasinghe.

Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had recommended that the 47-nation council authorise the investigation, saying Sri Lanka has made "little progress" towards ensuring accountability for alleged atrocities and war crimes committed during the 26-year civil war against the Tamil fighters.
At least one lakh people died during the war, which ended when government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels who said they faced discrimination from the Sinhalese majority.

The vote required a simple majory from the council's members.

An international investigation would allow witnesses to testify after domestic inquiries failed to carry out credible investigations, Pillay told the council in Geneva on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka, however, has rejected the US-led call for accountability and sternly rejected Pillay's report, calling it biased, inaccurate and amounting to "needless interference" in the country's affairs.
Sri Lankan UN envoy Aryasinha told the countries supporting the resolution not to "put spokes in the wheel" of the government's reconciliation efforts before Thursday's vote.

Pervez Musharraf indicted for treason Monday March 31,2014

For the first time, a former chief of army staff and President of Pakistan was indicted by a special court for high treason on Monday March 31,2014 for imposing emergency and subverting the Constitution.

General (retd) Pervez Musharraf pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. 

Justice Faisal Arab who heads the special court asked Justice Tahira Safdar to read out each of the five charges to Musharraf who appeared even before the court time at 9.30 am in a wall of security.

The court had issued non bailable arrest warrants to be executed if he failed to appear today of his own volition.

Justice Arab said the law was clear and under Article 6 of the Constitution the charges have to be read out to the accused. Under Article 6 of the Constitution, "Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason

" The Parliament shall by law provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason. Pervez Musharraf was charged with issuing an unconstitutional and unlawful order on November, 3, 2007 at Rawalpindi as Chief of the Army Staff, called the "Proclamation of Emergency Order, 2007" which held the Constitution in abeyance. He subverted the Constitution and committed the offence of high treason punishable under section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973.

Pervez Musharraf has also been charged with issuing the Provisional Constitution Order No.1 of 2007 which empowered the President to amend the Constitution from time to time, apart from suspending Fundamental Rights enshrined in Articles 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 25 of the Constitution. On the same day he issued an Oath of Office (Judges) Order, 2007 whereby an oath was introduced in the Schedule which required a judge to abide by the provisions of the Proclamation of Emergency dated November 3, 2007 and the Provisional Constitutional Order of the same date. This order resulted in the removal of numerous judges of the superior courts including the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Musharraf is also being charged for amending the Constitution and some of its provisions and subverting it.

Supreme Court of India(SCI)Appoints Sunil Gavaskar as Interim BCCI President to Run 2014 IPL Season 7 Friday March 28,2014

The Supreme Court of India(SCI) on Friday March 28,2014 appointed the former India skipper, Sunil Gavaskar, as the interim president of the board to discharge the functions of the Indian Premier League 2014 until its final order on the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.

A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Ibrahim Kalifulla, however, permitted both Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals to participate in this year’s IPL that commences on April 16.

“We make it clear that we have not passed any order preventing any player or any team from participating in the IPL tournament 2014.”

“Considering the fact that Mr. Sunil Gavaskar was a cricket player of great repute and eminence, a captain of the Indian cricket team and has wide experience in cricket-related activities, we appoint him president of the BCCI in relation to IPL 2014,” it observed. 

The SC directed that other responsibilities of the board be performed by BCCI vice-president Shivlal Yadav.

The Bench said, “We also direct that till we deliver the judgment, none of the employees of India Cements Limited or its associate companies [except cricket players or commentators] will perform any of the duties assigned to them by the BCCI.”

Supreme Court of India(SCI)commutes Bhullar’s death sentence Monday March 31,2014

The Supreme Court on Monday March 31,2014 commuted the death sentence of 1993 Delhi bomb blast case convict and Khalistani terrorist Devinderpal Singh Bhullar to life term on the ground of delay in deciding his mercy plea and his medical condition.

A 4-judge bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam granted life to Bhullar on the ground of delay on the part of the government in deciding his mercy plea and also on the basis of his present medical condition. 

The bench, also comprising justices R.M. Lodha, H.L. Dattu and S.J. Mukhopadhaya, passed the order on a curative petition filed by Bhullar’s wife Navneet Kaur.

She pleaded before the court to relook into its verdict, in which Bhullar’s plea for commuting the sentence was rejected, in view of its recent judgment where it was held that delay in deciding mercy plea can be a ground for commutation of death penalty. 

Note

Bhullar was convicted and awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in New Delhi in September 1993, which killed nine persons and injured 25 others, including then Youth Congress president M.S. Bitta.

The bench had on January 31 stayed Bhullar’s execution and had agreed to review its judgment by which it had rejected the 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict’s plea to commute his death sentence to life term. 

It had issued notice to the Centre and Delhi government on a curative petition and had also directed the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), where Bhullar is being treated, to file a medical report on the condition of the death row convict who is alleged to be suffering from mental illness. 

The SC  had on March 26, 2002 dismissed Bhullar’s appeal against the death sentence awarded by a trial court in August 2001 and endorsed by the Delhi High Court in 2002.

He had filed a review petition which was also dismissed on December 17, 2002. Bhullar had then moved a curative petition which too had been rejected by the apex court on March 12, 2003.

The SC had on January 21,2014 said that inordinate and inexplicable delay by government in deciding mercy plea of death row convicts can be a ground for commuting their sentence

BJP expels Jaswant Singh for 6 years Saturday March 29,2014

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday March 29,2014 expelled its senior leader Jaswant Singh for six years for not withdrawing his candidature from Barmer seat in Rajasthan.

Jaswant Singh will now contest elections as an Independent against BJP's Colonel Sonaram Choudhary and Harish Choudhary of the Congress.

2013-14 UEFA Champions League QF First Leg Wednesday April 02,2014

8 clubs from 4 countries qualify for QF's

• Spain provided 3 teams -FC Barcelona,Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid
• England  provided 2 teams -Chelsea and Manchester United
• Germany provided 2 teams -Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund
• France provided 1 team -Paris Sain Germain

Road to the QF's

• FC Barcelona beats Manchester City Aggregate Goals 4-1
• Real Madrid beats Schalke Aggregate Goals 9-2
• Atletico Madrid beats AC Milan Aggregate Goals 5-1
• Chelsea beats Galatasaray Aggregate Goals 3-1
• Manchester United beats Olympiakos Aggregate Goals 3-2
• Bayern Munich beats Arsenal Aggregate Goals 3-1
• Borussia Dortmund beats Zenit St Peterburg Aggregate Goals 5-4
• PSG beats Bayer Leverkusen Aggregate Goals 6-1

The first-leg games will be played on April 1 and 2,2014 with the second-leg clashes scheduled for April 8 and 9,2014




Real Madrid Vs Borussia Dortmund@19.45

Real Madrid beats Borussia Dortmund 3-0

Goal Scorers - Gareth Bale(3),Isco(27)and Cristiano Ronaldo(57)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 14th Champions League goal this season

• Cristiano Ronaldo (from 8 games in 13-14)
• Lionel Messi (from 11 games in 11-12)
• Ruud van Nistelrooy (from 11 games in 02-03)
• Jose Altafini (from 9 games in 62-63)

• Also in his 100th Champions League game Cristiano Ronaldo matched Alfredo Di Stefano’s haul of 49 goals in the European Cup.

Gareth Bale slots the ball past Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller for opening goal

 Real Madrid's Isco scores the second goal against Dortmund

 Cristiano Ronaldo scores the 3rd goal for Real Madrid

Squads

Real Madrid
Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Coentrao, Modric, Alonso, Isco (Illarramendi 71), Bale, Benzema (Morata 75),Ronaldo (Casemiro 80)

Borussia Dortmund
Weidenfeller, Piszczek (Schieber 67), Hummels, Papastathopoulos, Durm, Kehl (Jojic 74), Sahin, Grosskreutz,Mkhitaryan (Hofmann 64), Reus, Aubameyang.

Paris Saint Germain Vs Chelsea@19.45

PSG beats Chelsea 3-1
Goal Scorers
For PSG -Ezequie Lavezzi 4, Luiz 62 og,Javier Pastore 90

For Chelsea -Eden Hazard(27th minute penalty)

 PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out for two to three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the first leg of Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 Champions League win over Chelsea.

2013-14 UEFA Champions League QF First Leg Tuesday April 01,2014

8 clubs from 4 countries qualify for QF's

• Spain provided 3 teams -FC Barcelona,Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid
• England  provided 2 teams -Chelsea and Manchester United
• Germany provided 2 teams -Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund
• France provided 1 team -Paris Sain Germain

Road to the QF's

• FC Barcelona beats Manchester City Aggregate Goals 4-1
• Real Madrid beats Schalke Aggregate Goals 9-2
• Atletico Madrid beats AC Milan Aggregate Goals 5-1
• Chelsea beats Galatasaray Aggregate Goals 3-1
• Manchester United beats Olympiakos Aggregate Goals 3-2
• Bayern Munich beats Arsenal Aggregate Goals 3-1
• Borussia Dortmund beats Zenit St Peterburg Aggregate Goals 5-4
• PSG beats Bayer Leverkusen Aggregate Goals 6-1

The first-leg games will be played on April 1 and 2,2014 with the second-leg clashes scheduled for April 8 and 9,2014


FC Barcelona Vs Atletico Madrid@19.45

Atletico v Barca so far this season

• Spanish Super Cup first leg: Atletico 1-1 Barcelona
• Spanish Super Cup second leg: Barcelona 0-0 Atletico (Barca win on away goals)
• La Liga: Atletico 0-0 Barcelona

 

The match ended in a 1-1 draw
Goal Scorers
For Atletico Madrid -Diego(57)

For FC Barcelona -Neymar(71)

Atletico Madrid's goal-keeper Thibaut Courtois pulled off 3 brilliant saves as FC Barcelona came back from a goal down in the Camp Nou but could not force a win
Thibaut Courtois,the Belgian Goal-keeper held firm making dramatic saves from Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi
The first half was the tale of two injuries with neither Diego Costa nor Gerard Pique making it to half-time.

Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa, who was a doubt before the game, suffered a pulled hamstring and was replaced by Diego

FC Barcelona's Gerard Pique landed heavily after an aerial battle with Costa and suffered a pelvic contusion and was replaced by Marc Bartra

Squads

FC Barcelona

Pinto, Dani Alves, Pique (Bartra 12), Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas (Alexis 68), Neymar, Messi, Iniesta. 

Atletico Madrid

Courtois, Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, Filipe Luis, Turan (Rodriguez 77), Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Villa (Sosa 70), Diego Costa (Diego 29).

Manchester United Vs Bayern Munich@19.45
 

Bayern Munich and Manchester United in 2013-14

Guardiola		Moyes
43	Played	47
36	Won	26
2	Lost	13
5	Draws	8
84	Win %	55

Pep Guardiola and David Moyes shake hands ahead of the match

The match ended in a 1-1 draw
Goal Scorers
For Manchester United -Nemanja Vidic(58)

For Bayern Munich -Bastian Schweinsteiger(67)

Squads

Manchester United
De Gea 6, Jones, Ferdinand 6.5, Vidic 7, Buttner 6 (Young 74, 6), Valencia 6, Carrick 6.5, Fellaini 4.5, Giggs 5 (Kagawa 46, 6),Rooney 6.5, Welbeck 7.5 (Hernandez 84).
Bayern Munich
Neuer 7, Rafinha 6.5, Javi Martinez 4.5, Boateng 5.5, Alaba 6.5, Robben 8, Lahm 6, Schweinsteiger 7, Ribery 7, Kroos 6 (Gotze 74, 6), Mueller 6 (Mandzukic 6, 63).

England's All-White Nike World Cup Kits Revealed

Steven Gerrard, Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere model the new kit

England's home and away World Cup kits have been revealed by Nike 73 days before the Brazil finals

 

UN's IPCC Report On Climate Change

Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,'' IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri told at the launch of the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) in Yokohama, Japan

Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, said the report, the most comprehensive to date, said it showed that "now, ignorance is no longer a good excuse" for inaction to tackle the threat.

The wide-ranging report says climate change is now affecting

• Affecting global poverty
• Changing coastlines
• Destroying, and rarely benefiting, food systems
• Causing animal extinctions
• Fuelling riots over food prices
• Damaging worldwide security
• Destroying homes, even in England and Wales
• Causing wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornados and droughts

In seven years after the first report from the UN, climate change is no longer a looming threat to future generations, the panel of experts said. It is a reality for human beings in 2014.