SIx In The Morning Tuesday July 1

1 July 2014 Last updated at 08:06

Israel: Hamas 'will pay price' after teenagers found dead

Israel has vowed retribution against Hamas, the militant Palestinian group it accuses of the kidnap and murder of three teenagers.

The bodies of Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach were found on Monday evening, after they had been missing for more than a fortnight.

Israel PM Benyamin Netanyahu said: "Hamas is responsible and Hamas will pay." Hamas denies any involvement.

Israel launched more than 30 air strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight.

The strikes came in response to 18 rocket attacks on southern Israel from Gaza since Sunday night, the Israeli military said.

Israeli troops also flooded into the Palestinian town of Halhul. The bodies were found under a pile of rocks near the town. An Israeli official said it appeared the teenagers were shot soon after their abduction.

Hong Kong students plan 24-hour occupation of Central business district

Occupy Central protest aims to follow possible 500,000-strong 1 July pro-democracy rally against Bejing's policies

• Jonathan Kaiman in Hong Kong
• theguardian.com, Tuesday 1 July 2014 08.02 BST

Hong Kong students are preparing an unauthorised overnight "occupation" of the territory's Central business district following a massive protests scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, which is expected to be the biggest in recent memory,.

Two student groups – Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students – plan to mobilise at least 1,000 students to flood Chater Road, a major thoroughfare in Central, from Tuesday night until early Wednesday morning.

"This will be a demonstration of a peaceful act of civil disobedience, to give Hong Kong residents faith in this kind of movement," said Alex Chow, 23, the general gecretariat of the Hong Kong Federation of Students.

Ukrainian forces launch full-scale attack on pro-Russian separatists as ceasefire ends

Both sides have accused the other of violating the truce which only partially paused the fighting

ROB WILLIAMS

 

 

Tuesday 01 July 2014

Ukrainian forces have launched a full-scale military attack against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, just hours after a fragile truce officially ended.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had earlier ended a unilateral ceasefire vowing: "We will attack, we will free our land."

Government officials said rebel bases and strongholds were under attack from aircraft and artillery.

In a website statement early this morning President Poroshenko, who had already extended the cease-fire from seven to 10 days, said his decision was "a response to terrorists, rebels, looters," and all those he said are "paralyzing the economy of the region." 

The stories of 12 Japanese abducted by North Korea

 

By MARI YAMAGUCHI8 hours ago

 A 13-year-old schoolgirl walking home after badminton practice. A 28-year-old restaurant employee sent by his boss to Vienna. A young couple on a date, driving to the beach to see the sunset. They are among at least 17 Japanese — possibly many more than that — who were abducted by North Korea more than three decades ago.

The apparent reasons included training agents in Japanese language and social norms, or stealing identities so the agents could masquerade as Japanese for espionage and terrorism aimed mainly at South Korea.

North Korea allowed five to return in 2002, but the fate of the others remains unclear. In talks with Japan in Beijing on Tuesday, North Korea is expected to detail plans to investigate what happened to them, a possible step toward their eventual repatriation to Japan.

Iraq lawmakers convene to form new government in battle with 'caliphate'

BY NED PARKER

BAGHDAD Tue Jul 1, 2014 4:46am EDT

(Reuters) - Newly elected Iraqi lawmakers convene on Tuesday, under pressure to name a unity government to keep the country from splitting apart after an onslaught by Sunni Islamists who have declared a "caliphate" to rule over all the world's Muslims.

The meeting of the new legislature in Baghdad's fortified "green zone" could spell the end of the eight-year rule of Shi'ite Islamist Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, with foes determined to unseat him and even some allies saying he may need to be replaced by a less polarizing figure.

Iraqi troops have been battling for three weeks against fighters led by the group formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Fighting has raged in recent days in former dictator Saddam Hussein's home city, Tikrit.

Argentina fans 'invade' Brazil with new chant

Rude song fuels historic football rivalry between South American giants, as thousands of Argentinians take to Sao Paulo. David Poort

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Brazil's authorities were put on notice last week after the World Cup's first football riots broke out in Belo Horizonte, where hundreds of Argentinian hooligans clashed with security forces.
 
The Argentinians caused substantial damage in the streets of the central host city, but that was not the focus of the media coverage of the riots. What caught Brazil's attention was a new song that the Argentinians were chanting, which has since caused a stir in Brazilian media.
 
Brasil, decime qué se siente, tener en casa tu papa - Brazil, tell me how it feels, to be bossed around in your own home. The song continues with references to past football victories against Brazil and a warning that Brazil will see [Lionel] Messi later in the World Cup. It ends with another bold statement: Maradona is greater than Pelé.