Nelson Mandela is 95

Nelson Mandela is spending his 95th birthday in hospital in Pretoria, as events take place around the world and in South Africa in his honour.

The former president and anti-apartheid leader has been critically ill with a recurring lung infection since 8 June.

South African President Jacob Zuma, who visited Mr Mandela in hospital, said he was "encouraged" by his progress.

South Africans have been urged to mark Mr Mandela's 67 years of public service with 67 minutes of charitable acts.

Why will Chelsea offer Juan Mata or David Luiz in Exchange for Wayne Rooney?

I just read it on BBC Sport News, that Machester United has rejected Chelsea offer of £10m in cash, plus a player in the person of either Juan Mata or David Luiz in exchange for Wayne Rooney.

If that is true my question is, why will Chelsea offer one of their best two player in exchange for Wayne Rooney.

France Economy 

President Francois Hollande says recovery has started in France's struggling economy, which entered a recession this year and record-high unemployment.

Tyson Gay tests positive for banned substance

American sprinter Tyson Gay has tested positive for a banned substance and has pulled out of next month's World Championships.

Gay, the world's second fastest man over 100m, said he was notified by the US Anti-Doping Agency on Friday that his A sample from an out-of-competition test in May had returned a positive.

DRESS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESS

Dress the way you want to be address, was one of the famous quote by the late Arch. Benson. Life is a product of how you package yourself. Don't live yourself for others to package, no one know you more than you know yourself. Vivid example, Check out David and his brother on the battle field with Goliath.
If you give your self for others to package, there is every possibility of you be undervalue. There is something special about you as a person, the earlier you know that the more productive you will become in life. To every product the producer is the one who place the value. iPhone value is determine by iPhone company likewise with Samsung, HTC, Nokia etc. You are God offspring He has said "you are wonderfully and prayerfully made," does that define your value? Before you walk out of that room today don't put on anything that you think will undervalue who you are as a person, make sure you check properly before you put on those clothes.

Football

The midfielder is desperate to lift the trophy on home soil with Brazil in 2014 but wants to focus on performing for his club to make the squad

EXCLUSIVE
By Tiago Domingos

Luiz Gustavo believes his upcoming season with Bayern Munich will be key to his performances with Brazilat next summer's World Cup.

The 25-year-old won the treble with the German club in a silverware-strewn 2013 and was subsequently part of the Brazil squad which triumphed in last month's Confederations Cup.

Gustavo's main craving in the coming 12 months is to become a world champion under Luiz Felipe Scolari and he hopes that Brazil can take a leaf from Bayern's book by learning to build on their successes.

"The main goal [for the next season] is to win the World Cup," the midfielder told Goal. "But for that to happen I need to really focus on the work I do at Bayern.#

"Being concentrated and working hard every day is the way to winning titles with Bayern and consequently to be with the national team.

"I always say that no player has a contract with their national team. That’s why we need to make sure that we’ll always be doing well. I recognise that this group that won the Confederations Cup is one step ahead from everyone else, but no one is guaranteed to be at the World Cup.

"[Under new Bayern boss Pep Guardiola] the challenges are still the same. We have to win everything we conquered last season and more - the Club World Cup and the Super Cup against Chelsea too."

Church of England creating 'pagan church' to recruit members

The Church of England is trying to recruit pagans and spiritual believers as part of a drive to retain congregation numbers.

hire for the Summer Solstice Photo: Lewis Whyld/PA

By Radhika Sanghani

9:03AM BST 21 Jun 2013

120 Comments

According to The Telegraph....

The church is training ministers to create “a pagan church where Christianity [is] very much in the centre” to attract spiritual believers.

Ministers are being trained to create new forms of Anglicanism suitable for people of alternative beliefs as part of a Church of England drive to retain congregation numbers.

Reverend Steve Hollinghurst, a researcher and adviser in new religious movements told the BBC: “I would be looking to formulate an exploration of the Christian faith that would be at home in their culture.”

He said it would be “almost to create a pagan church where Christianity was very much in the centre.”

The Church Mission Society, which is training ministers to “break new ground”, hopes to see a number of spiritual people align themselves with Christianity.

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Andrea Campenale, of the Church Mission Society, said: “Nowadays people, they want to feel something; they want to have some sense of experience.

“We live in reflective England where there’s much more of a focus on ourselves. I think that is something we can bring in dialogue with the Christian society.”

The Church Mission Society’s webpage advertising their pioneer training scheme states: “Wherever in the world the mission of Jesus goes on, the church needs pioneer mission leaders to break new ground.”

The news comes as spiritual seekers celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge today.

Pagans and druids will gather to watch the sun rise following the longest day of the year, celebrating at the historic monument.

The new move could see famous druids such as druid leader Arthur Pendragon move to Anglicanism.

More than 20,000 people gathered at Stonehenge today ahead of a £27 million transformation of the site.

The huge gathering of people marked the event in a "positive, friendly atmosphere" as they waited for the sun to come up, but cloudy skies prevented them from basking in a beautiful sunrise.

Superintendent Matt Pullen from Wiltshire Police said: "Solstice 2013 has been a great success with approximately 21,000 people celebrating in the positive, friendly atmosphere as they waited for sunrise.

"The weather held but unfortunately the cloud cover was too dense to see the sun come up."

Loraine Knowles, Stonehenge director at English Heritage, said that although Stonehenge never failed to impress visitors, the setting of the stones had marred people's appreciation and enjoyment of the site.