World reacts to death of Cuba's Fidel Castro

Yahoo – AFP, November 26, 2016

Castro's ashes will be buried in the southeastern Cuban city of Santiago on
December 4 after a four-day procession through the country, a statement from the
state executive said (AFP Photo/Adalberto Roque)

Paris (AFP) - The death of Cuba's Fidel Castro prompted reaction across the spectrum Saturday with some world leaders describing him as a friend and ally, while rights groups recalled his repression of basic freedoms.

Here are some responses to the death of the 90-year-old Cold War icon, whose life was defined by his resistance to the capitalist United States.

Barack Obama

"History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him," said the US president, who made a landmark visit to Cuba in March after diplomatic ties between the two nations were restored.

Donald Trump

The US president-elect called Castro a "brutal dictator", but made no overt mention of earlier threats to roll back a historic rapprochement.

"Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights," Trump said in a statement.

Vladimir Putin

"The name of this distinguished statesman is rightly considered the symbol of an era in modern world history," the Russian president said.

"Fidel Castro was a sincere and reliable friend of Russia."

Xi Jinping

China's president hailed Castro in a message read out on state television. "The Chinese people have lost a good and true comrade," he said.

"Comrade Castro will live forever. "

Nicolas Maduro

The Venezuelan president, Cuba's main ally in the region, said on Twitter: "It is up to us to continue his legacy and carry his flag of independence."

Bashar al-Assad

"The great leader Fidel Castro led his people's and his country's struggle against imperialism and hegemony for decades," said the Syrian president, hailing Castro's "legendary resistance" to the US embargo against Cuba.

Syria has faced a barrage of US and EU sanctions over its brutal civil war.

Pope Francis

The Catholic world leader sent a message saying he was "praying to the Lord that he may rest in peace".

Ban Ki-moon

"Under former president Castro, Cuba made progress in the areas of education, literacy and health," the UN secretary-general told journalists.

Mikhail Gorbachev

"Fidel stood up and strengthened his country during the harshest American blockade, when there was colossal pressure on him and he still took his country out of this blockade to a path of independent development," Interfax news agency quoted the former Soviet leader as saying.

Jacob Zuma

The South African president gave one of the warmest tributes, saying: "President Castro identified with our struggle against apartheid. He inspired the Cuban people to join us in our own struggle.

"As a way of paying homage to the memory of President Castro, the strong bonds of solidarity, cooperation and friendship that exist between South Africa and Cuba must be maintained and nurtured."

Francois Hollande

Castro embodied Cuba's revolution in both its "hopes" and its later "disappointments", the French president said in a statement.

Narendra Modi

India's prime minister sent his "deepest condolences" to Cuba.

"Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century. India mourns the loss of a great friend," Modi tweeted.

Mohammad Javad Zarif

Castro was "a unique figure who fought against colonialism and exploitation" and was "a model of the fight for independence by oppressed nations", said Iran's foreign minister, the Fars news agency reported.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Brazil's once hugely popular leftist president Lula mourned Castro's death as equivalent to losing a brother.

"His spirit of combativeness and solidarity nourished dreams of liberty, sovereignty and equality," he said.

Rodrigo Duterte

For the Philippines' president, Castro distinguished himself by "standing up against the West and imperialism".

Communist Vietnam

Vietnam's official Communist news agency hailed Castro as "a great leader" who was "the shining reflection of the independence and revolutionary movements of countries in Latin America and around the world".

Mahmud Abbas

"He was a fierce defender ... of justice in the world," said the Palestinian president.

Diego Maradona

The Argentine football legend lamented Castro's death saying, "I'm terribly sad as he was like a second father."

Amnesty International

The London-based human rights organisation said the state of free expression in Cuba was Castro's "darkest legacy".

"Castro's achievements in improving access to public services for millions of Cubans were tempered by a systemic repression of basic freedoms," Amnesty said.

Updated world reactions to the death of Fidel Castro (AFP Photo/Sophie 

Ramis, Iris Royer de Vericourt, Nicolas Ramallo)

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Kryon Q&A

QUESTION (2005): Dear Kryon: I read in a spiritual article that Fidel Castro's mission is to show how to do things without money, that this is the reason why he and the tropical revolution have been kept alive. Is that true? If not, then why didn’t Cuba change when Eastern Europe changed? Has Fidel Castro been working for the light or is he a part of the old energy?

Answer: This leader is of the old energy, but was needed for the time. The real reason was to bring the Soviet Union close to your shores in order to help with the year 2000 Armageddon scenario that didn’t happen. His earthly masters would have played a very important part in Cuba with the nuclear war you didn’t have.

That’s the whole reason, and now he exists as a relic of what didn’t happen. His society is poor, and the culture is not elevated or pleased with itself. This energy will change soon… sooner than you think. Then you will see a Cuba that has been “hiding” for a very long time, and also realize the unbalance and cultural richness that has been there all along.

"Recalibration of Knowledge" – Jan 14, 2012 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Channelling, God-Creator, Benevolent Design, New Energy, Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Reincarnation, Gaia, Old Energies (Africa, Terrorists, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela ... ), Weather, Rejuvenation, Akash, Nicolas Tesla / Einstein, Cold Fusion, Magnetics, Lemuria, Atomic Structure (Electrons, Particles, Polarity, Self Balancing, Magnetism), Entanglement, "Life is necessary for a Universe to exist and not the other way around", DNA, Humans (Baby getting ready, First Breath, Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem Cells, Rejuvenation), Global Unity, ... etc.) - (Text Version)

"... I want you to watch some countries. I don't have a clock [this statement is Kryon telling us that there is no time frame on his side of the veil, only potentials]. I'll just tell you, it's imminent [in Spirit's timing, this could mean as soon as a decade]. I want you to watch some countries carefully for changes. You're going to be seeing changes that are obvious, and some that are not obvious [covert or assumptive]. But the obvious ones you will see sooner than not - Cuba, Korea [North], Iran, of course, and Venezuela. I want you to watch what happens when they start to realize that they don't have any more allies on Earth! Even their brothers who used to support them in their hatred of some are saying, "Well, perhaps not anymore. It doesn't seem to be supporting us anymore." Watch the synchronicities that are occurring. The leaders who have either died or are going to in the next year or so will take with them the old ways. Watch what happens to those who take their place, and remember these meetings where I described these potentials to you.

The Old Energy is Alive, But Not Happy

I want to tell you something: Old energy dies kicking and screaming. Old energy does not surrender, ever. Old energy simply dies hard and slow. There will be hold-outs for a long time. There will be those who are convinced that the only way to get what they want is to create drama, war, and fear. They continue to want to spring up in places you felt were safe, and to pull you backwards with them. They hate the fact that the earth is going soft on them, and they continue to rattle their sabers, make threats, and make news doing it. They're not the majority, Human Being, but often they are the loudest. When you walk around in perfect health and you are feeling great except for your sore toe, what do you think about? Your SORE TOE! So then you watch your media talk about sore toes for endless hours, and you get depressed. I know you understand the metaphor. ..."

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“ … Spirituality (Religions)

Number one: Spirituality. The systems of spiritual design on your planet are starting to change. This is not telling you that certain ones are going to go away. They're simply going to change. Some of the largest spiritual systems, which you would call organized religion on the planet, are shifting. They're going to shift away from that which is authority on the outside to authority on the inside. It will eventually be a different way of worship, slowly changing the rules while keeping the basic doctrine the same.

The doctrine of the Christ has always been to find the God inside. The teachings were clear. The examples of the miracles were given as an example of what humans could do, not to set a man up for worship as a God. So when that has been absorbed, the teaching of the Christ can remain the teaching of the Christ. It simply changes the interpretation. 

The teachings of the great prophets of the Middle East (all related to each other) are about unity and love. So once the holy words are redefined with new wisdom, the Human changes, not the words of the prophets. In fact, the prophets become even more divinely inspired and their wisdom becomes even more profound.

You're going to lose a pope soon. I have no clock. Soon to us can mean anything to you. The one who replaces him may surprise you, for his particular organization will be in survival mode at that point in time. That is to say that fewer and fewer are interested in starting the priesthood. Fewer and fewer young people are interested in the organization, and the new pope must make changes to keep his church alive. That means that his organization will remain, but with a more modern look at what truly is before all of you in a new energy. It is not the fall of the church. It is instead the recalibration of the divinity inside that would match the worship that goes on. It's a win-win situation. The new pope will have a difficult time, since the old guard will still be there. There could even be an assassination attempt, such is the way the old energy dies hard. That is number one. Watch for it. It's a change in the way spiritual systems work. It's a realignment of spiritual systems that resound to a stronger truth that is Human driven, rather than prophet driven.…”

Summit of the Americas opens with historic handshake

Barack Obama and Raul Castro shook hands at the opening of the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, marking the first time in more than 50 years that a US and Cuban leader have attended an official event together.’

Deutsche Welle, 11 April 2015

US President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro shook hands on Friday at a summit in Panama, a public gesture of mutual respect as the pair seek torestore diplomatic ties.

"At the Summit of the Americas this evening, President Obama and President Castro greeted each other and shook hands," said Bernadette Meehan, spokesperson for the National Security Council.

A White House official said, however, the pair did not have a "substantive conversation."

Castro's attendance marks the first time that Cuba has taken part in the Summit of the Americas in its 21-year history.

It also marked the first time that a US and Cuban leader had attended an official gathering together since relations between the two nations broke down in 1961.

The opening ceremony of the Summit
of the Americas in Panama City

Heads of state and government from the region, including Obama and Castro, will address the two-day event.

Feel-good factor

Before the talks opened, Castro could be seen laughing and chatting with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and his wife on his arrival.

Obama also appeared to be in good spirits when he entered shortly after the Cuban leader, smiling and waving before turning to talk to Varela.

DW Washington correspondent Richard Walker retweeted the moment the two leaders shook hands at the start of the event:

The handshake of Panama. Captured by @madeleintlSUR #CumbreDeLasAmericas #cumbrePanama #ObamaCastro pic.twitter.com/z2Mxmk5IaD
— Richard Walker (@rbsw) 11 april 2015

A formal state dinner is scheduled to follow the opening ceremony.

A historic direct meeting between the two is planned on Saturday, the second and final day of the summit.

Diplomatic roadmap

In December, Obama and Castro agreed to open the door to diplomacy and begin the process of improving relations.

However, Cuba had insisted that it be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism before things could move forward, something which the US State Department said this week was "under review."

Earlier Friday, Obama met with Cuban dissidents as part of a civil society forum.

"As the United States begins a new chapter in our relationship with Cuba, we hope it will create an environment that improves the lives of the Cuban people," he said.

"Not because it's imposed by us, the United States, but through the talent and ingenuity and aspirations, and the conversation among Cubans from all walks of life," he added.

The summit, held every three years, has a central theme this year of "Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas."

lw/cmk (AFP, dpa)

US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro shake hands

 during their meeting at the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama,

Saturday, April 11, 2015. The leaders of the United States and Cuba held their

 first formal meeting in more than half a century on Saturday, clearing the way

 for a normalization of relations that had seemed unthinkable to both Cubans

and Americans for generations. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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"Recalibration of Knowledge" – Jan 14, 2012 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Channelling, God-Creator, Benevolent Design, New Energy, Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Reincarnation, Gaia, Old Energies (Africa, Terrorists, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela ... ), Weather, Rejuvenation, Akash, Nicolas Tesla / Einstein, Cold Fusion, Magnetics, Lemuria, Atomic Structure (Electrons, Particles, Polarity, Self Balancing, Magnetism), Entanglement, "Life is necessary for a Universe to exist and not the other way around", DNA, Humans (Baby getting ready, First Breath, Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem Cells, Rejuvenation), Global Unity, ... etc.) - (Text Version)

“…  I want you to watch some countries. I don't have a clock [this statement is Kryon telling us that there is no time frame on his side of the veil, only potentials]. I'll just tell you, it's imminent [in Spirit's timing, this could mean as soon as a decade]. I want you to watch some countries carefully for changes. You're going to be seeing changes that are obvious, and some that are not obvious [covert or assumptive]. But the obvious ones you will see sooner than not - Cuba, Korea [North], Iran, of course, and Venezuela. I want you to watch what happens when they start to realize that they don't have any more allies on Earth! Even their brothers who used to support them in their hatred of some are saying, "Well, perhaps not anymore. It doesn't seem to be supporting us anymore." Watch the synchronicities that are occurring. The leaders who have either died or are going to in the next year or so will take with them the old ways. Watch what happens to those who take their place, and remember these meetings where I described these potentials to you. …”

"The End of History" -  Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)

" ... South America and the New Energy

South America is starting to consider the same thing. My partner was just there and I allowed him to see the energy of the potential future in that land.

I would like to paint history for you regarding South America. There was a time when every single country had a dictator. Less than 15 years ago, they had failing economies and currencies that were worthless. Trouble and strife and killings were the norm. Marauding drug lords openly killed in the streets and corruption was everywhere. Even the politicians created fear and many disappeared overnight, never to be seen again. Today it isn't that way. Today, there is an ongoing stability as one country after another brings a new, positive, stable energy to their cultures. So, without a concentrated effort by any kind of multi-national leadership or direction, how could this have changed in only 15 years?

Within the entire continent, there's only one dictator left. What's happening? If you think that's amazing, there is a move afoot that you're not going to hear about yet. But they're discussing it right now, so let me tell you what they're thinking. "What would happen if we took these countries and eliminated the borders?" Sound familiar? They're talking about it. In back rooms where nobody is reporting it, they're saying, "What about a plan of eventually having one currency from the top of Columbia to the bottom of Chile? And we would be strong and we would be unified." And dear ones, I'm here to tell you, that it's going to work, and it might not take 50 years. Soon the one dictator will be gone, and the unification can begin.

There's a shift happening on this planet ...."

Pope hails Iran accord, urges end to 'absurd violence' in Easter message

Yahoo – AFP, Jean-Louis De La Vaissiere, 5 April 2015

Pope Francis speaks from the central loggia of St Peters' basilica during the

 "Urbi et Orbi" blessing for Rome and the world following the Easter Mass in the

Vatican on April 5, 2015 (AFP Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis appealed Sunday for an end to "absurd violence" in hotspots around the world and said the international community must not stand by in the face of the "immense humanitarian tragedy" in Syria and Iraq.

In his traditional Easter message, the 78-year-old pontiff said he was praying for those killed in armed conflict, including the students massacred by Somali gunmen at a university in Kenya.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims huddled under a sea of umbrellas in a rain-soaked St Peter's Square to hear the pope deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and World) blessing, broadcast live to dozens of countries.

Pope Francis greets the crowd from the

 popemobile after the Easter Mass at

 St Peter's square in the Vatican on

April 5, 2015 (AFP Photo/Gabriel Bouys)

In his third Easter message since his election as pope in 2013, the head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics prayed "for peace, above all, for Syria and Iraq, that the roar of arms may cease".

He called on the international community to "not stand by before the immense humanitarian tragedy unfolding in these countries and the drama of the numerous refugees" created by the two conflicts.

He also prayed for the victims of Thursday's attack in Kenya that left 148 people dead, with survivors sayng the militants spared Muslim students but taunted Christian and Jewish students before killing them.

"I think in particular of the young people who were killed last Thursday at Garissa University College in Kenya," he said.

Earlier Francis greeted pilgrims personally as he rode through the flower-bedecked square aboard his open Popemobile after presiding over Easter mass.

The most important and joyous moment of the Catholic calendar, Easter celebrates the day when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead.

Pope Francis greets the crowd from 

the popemobile after the Easter Mass 

at the Vatican on April 5, 2015 (AFP

Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

Speaking from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, Francis also said the framework nuclear accord reached Thursday between Iran and six major world powers inspired hope for "a definitive step toward a more secure and fraternal world".

The Argentine pope pleaded for "absurd bloodshed and all barbarous acts of violence" in Libya to be halted, and voiced his "desire for peace, for the good of the entire people" in war-battered Yemen and Ukraine.

Without referring to a particular hotspot, Francis said: "Those who bear within them God's power, his love and his justice, do not need to employ violence."

Be 'respectful, ready to help'

He prayed for "all who have been kidnapped, and for those forced to abandon their homes and their dear ones" in armed conflict and attacks by extremists in Nigeria and South Sudan as well as parts of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition, he urged "peace and freedom for the many men and women subject to old and new forms of enslavement on the part of criminal individuals and groups (and) for the victims of drug dealers... And we ask peace for this world subjected to arms dealers."

Pope Francis greets the crowd from

 the popemobile after the Easter Mass

 at the Vatican on April 5, 2015 (AFP

Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

Francis also sounded his trademark appeal to the rich and powerful to care for the world's poor and downtrodden, saying: "The world proposes that we put ourselves forward at all costs, that we compete."

Instead, Christians should "seek to live in service to one another, not to be arrogant, but rather respectful and ready to help," he said.

Sunday's Easter observances capped a long and demanding Holy Week that left Francis at times appearing tired.

On Friday he presided over the traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession at Rome's Colosseum evoking the last hours of Jesus's life.

The day before Francis celebrated two masses -- one for priests, and the other at Rome's Rebibbia prison, where he washed the feet of 10 inmates symbolically evoking Christ's humility -- a theme he took up again on Sunday.

"To enter into the mystery, we need to 'bend down', to abase ourselves," Francis said.

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Argentine President Fernandez accused of covering up 1994 bombing

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has been accused of covering up of Iran's alleged involvement in the 1994 attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Eighty-five people were killed in the attack.

Deutsche Welle, 13 Feb 2015

Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita said on Friday that he will launch an investigation into President Cristina Fernandez's potentially having covered up alleged Iranian involvement in a 1994 bombing.

Much of the case was built by former prosecutor Alberto Nisman. He, however, was found dead last month the day before a congressional hearing regarding the accusations against Fernandez.

"An investigation will be initiated with an eye toward substantiating ... the accusations and whether those responsible can be held criminally responsible," said a document published by Pollicita, who said there was enough evidence to continue looking into Nisman's complaint against Fernandez.

Nisman, who had been investigating the attack on the community center for 11 years, was mysteriously found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment with a gunshot wound to the head.

The 51-year-old's death was initially labeled as suicide, but suspicion has fallen on the Fernandez government, which has come under fire ever since. Fernandez said last month that she believed Nisman's death was part of a plot to mire her government in scandal.

Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and two other pro-government politicians were also charged on Friday in connection with the alleged cover-up of the attack on the Jewish community center.

The accusation will now go to the judge in the case, Daniel Rafecas, who will decide whether Fernandez must to make a statement.

As Argentina's president, Fernandez cannot be tried without being stripped of her immunity. She is, however, due to leave office at the end of this year.

ksb/sms (Reuters, AFP, AP)

Argentina appoints new judge as Kirchner visits China

Argentina's judiciary has appointed a Holocaust studies judge to take over the probe into Buenos Aires' 1994 Jewish center bombing. Daniel Rafecas will replace prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was fatally shot last month.

Deutsche Welle, 5 Feb 2015

Rafecas, whose studies have earned him awards from three Argentine Jewish groups, takes over after revelations that Nisman had wanted President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner arrested for allegedly trying to shield Iranian bombing suspects.

Kirchner, who's due to complete her trade trip to China on Thursday, raised eyebrows on Wednesday with a controversial tweet in which she mimicked Chinese accent stereotypes.

Many recipients accused her of making a racist tweet.

She later apologized, saying that she currently faced "ridiculousness" that could only be "digested with humor."

Draft warrant found

While arriving in China on Tuesday, the Argentinean prosecutor looking into Nisman's mysterious death, Viviana Fein, admitted that a draft warrant for Kirchner's arrest, dated June 2014, had been found in Nisman's apartment.

Nisman, 51, was found dead in his apartment bathroom in Buenos Aires on January 18, hours before he was due to brief Argentine lawmakers on the 1994 bombing that left 85 people dead and 300 wounded.

Four days before that briefing he had filed a 300-page report accusing Iran of ordering the attack via the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah and claiming that Kirchner and other senior Argentine officials had shielded Iranian suspects in exchange for oil.

Fein told a press conference on Wednesday that she had cancelled a planned vacation from mid-February to proceed with her probe uninterrupted.

Kirchner, who has been president since 2007, has vehemently denied accusations in the widening affair.

Two Argentine nuclear plants planned

In Beijing on Wednesday, Argentine and Chinese officials signed 15 trade agreements.

Kirchner said two nuclear power plants would be built in Argentina with transfer of technology from China.

China is also helping Argentina build infrastructure such as dams and railways.

Beijing recently helped Buenos Aires stabilize its peso with a currency swap as Argentina struggles to shore up its foreign reserves.

China has pledged multibillion investments in Latin America over the next five years as part of its drive to boost its influence in the region.

ipj/bk (AP, AFP, dpa)

Argentine prosecutor found dead after linking alleged Iran plot to president

A prosecutor who accused the Argentinian president of a cover-up to avoid investigating Iranians suspected of a 1994 terrorist attack has been found shot dead. Alberto Nisman was due at a closed hearing on Monday.

Deutsche Welle, 19 Jan 2015

Special prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found shot dead in the bathroom of his Buenos Aires apartment late on Sunday, authorities said.

Nisman, 51, was appointed 10 years ago by late Argentinian President Nestor Kirchner to investigate the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in the capital that killed 85 people.

Last week, Nisman accused current President Cristina Fernandez, Kirchner's widow, of back channel deals with Iran so as to avoid investigating the attack. A legal suit he filed accused Fernandez of working to absolve the Iranian officials accused of orchestrating the attack.

Nisman was due to testify on Monday in a closed-door hearing with Congress over his claim.

"The president and her foreign minister took the criminal decision to fabricate Iran's innocence to sate Argentina's commercial, political and geopolitical interests," Nisman said last week. He said the deal was meant to foster trade between the two countries - providing oil to Argentina in exchange for grain exports.

Alberto Nisman

Argentina and Iran agreed in 2013 to establish a "truth commission" that would create a legal report about those implicated in the 1994 attack, and then interview them in Tehran. The deal limited questioning to five suspects namedin Interpol alerts, including former Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi.

The attack remains unsolved.

Apartment door locked from the inside

Nisman's body was found after his security detail, unable to reach him by phone or at his front door, alerted his family. Nisman's mother called a locksmith after the door was found locked with a key inserted into the deadlock on the inside of the apartment.

"Alberto Nisman was found dead on Sunday night in his flat on the 13th floor of the tower Le Parc, in the Buenos Aires district of Puerto Madero," the Argentine Security Ministry said in a statement.

"Next to Nisman's body ... a 22-calibre handgun was found, together with a bullet casing."

An autopsy will be carried out in the coming days.

Israel's foreign ministry expressed "deep sorrow" over Nisman's death.

jr/bw (Reuters, AP, dpa)

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Even out of sorts, Messi could still carry Argentina

After a tricky club season at Barcelona, Lionel Messi's role for Argentina was in some doubt ahead of Brazil. It's still a mystery two games in: Messi has had two quiet matches, but has scored two splendid goals.

Deutsche Welle, 22 June 2014

Being classed as the second-best player on the planet could only count as a failure for one man: four-time World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi. After Messi locked out the award from 2009 through 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo beat the Barcelona man to the grand individual prize in 2013.

Messi has been largely anonymous,
with some key exceptions

By his own meteoric standards, Messi had a "poor" season for Barcelona. He scored a "meager" 41 goals in 46 appearances, or one every 91 minutes. The Argentina captain also made the headlines by pulling up to vomit on a few occasions for Barca in the domestic season.

And frankly, we're yet to see Messi at his best for Argentina in Brazil. The German commentary team calling Argentina's opener sounded almost amused when the number 10 fired a free-kick hopelessly high over the bar in the second half.

"That was Messi's game so far in a nutshell" was the verdict, as fans returned the ball from Row Z.

A moment of magic

And then the man nicknamed "the atomic flea" in Catalonia went nuclear, just for a few seconds.

Messi picked the ball up in midfield, linked with a fellow forward in a neat one-two, sprinted across Bosnia's back line, sidestepped a tackle, and curled an unstoppable shot in off the post. This Messi magic put an otherwise lackluster Argentina two goals ahead - a cushion they would ultimately need as substitute Vedad Ibisevic scored a late consolation. Off form, Messi still won the game for Argentina.

Another subdued performance against a resolute Iran was accompanied by exactly the same treatment from Messi. In stoppage time, after Carlos Queiroz's men had given a robust defensive effort against the heavy Latin American favorites, Messi won Argentina the game.

All 11 Iranians were behind the ball, seeking to cling onto the possibility of a 0-0 draw. Yet, Messi made just enough space for himself on the edge of the box to unleash another left-footer that curled beyond the reach of the keeper.

Make room for the left-footer, curl it beyond the keeper: Messi's tried
and tested recipe

Lionel Messi was not the stand-out performer of the day in the way that Karim Benzema was against the Swiss or Luis Suarez was against England - but yet again he secured his side three points.

Two goals in two "mediocre" appearances, that's precisely the scoring rate Messi offered Barcelona even in this disappointing campaign. It nearly helped his club to Spain's La Liga title, and a goal a game - whatever Messi's form - could take Argentina all the way to the final in Rio.

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