Neymar Ruled Out of FIFA World Cup With Fractured Vertebrae

Brazil will battle Germany in the FIFA World Cup semifinal without Neymar's support as the striker suffered a serious injury during the match against Colombia.

Neymar grimaces in pain after the Brazilian striker was injured late in the team's quarter-final match against Colombia at the FIFA World Cup on July 4, 2014.

Fortaleza: Brazil will be without star striker Neymar for the remainder of the FIFA World Cup, after he fractured his vertebra late in the team's 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia on Friday.

Neymar was carried off the pitch on a stretcher and appeared to be in considerable pain.

Colombia defender Juan Zuniga kneed the 22-year-old Neymar in a crunching tackle and the Barcelona player was stretchered off in agony in the closing minutes of the game in Forteleza. 

The injury and the suspension of captain Thiago Silva for the semi-final against Germany overshadowed a sensational David Luiz goal that sealed victory in one of the most physical games seen at this World Cup.

A hospital exam "showed he suffered a fracture of the third vertebra" in his back, team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar told reporters.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari fumed that Neymar has been "hunted" throughout the tournament and that no punishment was given for the tackle on him.

"I have been saying for three matches that Neymar has been hunted, but all the other countries say it is not true and it is only their players that are hunted."

Silva was booked for a second time in the tournament for impeding a clearance by Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina.

But in Zuniga's case "there was not even a yellow card and Thiago got a yellow card for nothing," Scolari said.

Brazil are in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 12 years, but Scolari, who has vowed his side will win their sixth World Cup, now faces a major crisis.

Silva put Brazil ahead after seven minutes and Luiz scored a sensational 30 metre free kick to give Brazil victory.

Colombia's James Rodriguez extended his lead as the tournament's top scorer with his sixth goal in five games from the penalty spot after Julio Cesar brought down Carlos Bacca.

But Colombia now leave and Brazil must now prepare without Neymar and key defender Silva for only their second World Cup meeting with Germany in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday. The Germans beat France 1-0 earlier in the day.

Luiz's goal was another special moment in the World Cup.

"Today It was great because I hit the exact point where the ball can go many ways and it is difficult for the goalkeeper," said Luiz.

And the Paris St Germain defender said Brazil had the replacements in Dante and Henrique to cope with the absence of his club teammate Silva.

"We have two players that are great players and that have prepared to play just like Thiago and myself.

Colombia also complained about Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.

"The referee did not help," said Rodriguez who suffered in marking but was himself booked for a tackle on Brazil's Hulk.

- Brazil roared on -

Roared off on by a fervent home crowd, the hosts made a fast start and were ahead inside seven minutes.

Just as in their last 16 clash with Chile, a Neymar corner kick finished at the back post and Silva escaped defender Carlos Sanchez to bundle the ball home.

Silva then had defensive duties as he got the slightest of touches to Juan Cuadrado's drive to turn it behind as Colombia tried to react.

Colombia could have fallen further behind as Ospina got down well to parry Hulk's effort before making a more comfortable save from Oscar.

Chances at both ends dried up in the second-half, despite the game still being played at a frenetic pace.

Brazil were dealt a huge blow when Silva was booked for barging into Ospina as he sought to clear the ball. Scolari covered his head in his hands.

Brazilian nerves were settled in the 69th minute when Luiz sent a wonderful dipping free-kick high past Ospina from fully 30 metres.

Yet, Colombia were back in the game 10 minutes from time when substitute Carlos Bacca was upended by Julio Cesar inside the area.

The Brazil goalkeeper was lucky just to see a yellow card from Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo. But he could do nothing to stop Rodriguez rolling home his sixth goal of the tournament from the resulting penalty.

Scolari's men saw out the final few minutes, but disaster struck when Zuniga's knee hit Neymar's back two minutes from the end of a game which saw dozens of heavy handed challenges.

Video Credits: NDTV

Indian Tourism Ministry launches a mobile app to help users explore 16 Indian cities

New Delhi:  The Ministry of Tourism has launched a mobile application to enable its users to independently travel and experience 16 cities in the country.

The self-guided tour application 'Incredible India Walking Tours' was launched by the Ministry in collaboration with Genesys International Corporation and will cover 16 Indian cities including Agra, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Coastal Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, Pune and Surat.

The facility will be extended to 36 cities by December, 2015.

The app enables users to sightsee free of cost at their own pace and convenience, with the help of walking tours curated by travel experts.

"We are extremely excited about this because it is the first time an app can enable users to discover India on their own. It's free, easy to use and, most importantly, comes with 360 degree street views and information put together by a panel of experts. It's like having a local take you by the hand and show you his city, at your convenience," Tourism Minister Sripad Naik said.

The application, however, is only available on Blackberry mobile handsets. It runs on all BlackBerry 10 handsets including the Z3, Z10, Z30, Q5 and Q10 phones.

An Android version of the free application is also in the works and is expected to be announced in coming weeks, said a senior Tourism Ministry official.

Two Punjabi murdered in Philippines

NRI Sabha Canada: Two Punjabi murdered in Philippines: ਕਪੂਰਥਲਾ , 17 ਜੂਨ - ਫਿਲਪਾਈਨਜ਼ ਗਏ ਕਪੂਰਥਲਾ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਨਾਲ ਸਬੰਧਿਤ ਦੋ ਨੌਜਵਾਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਨੀਲਾ 'ਚ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਮਾਰ ਕੇ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਦੁਖਦਾਈ ਖਬਰ ਮਿਲੀ...

Two Punjabi murdered in Philippines

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Helicopter Jailbreak: 3 Inmates Escape Orsainville Detention Centre in Quebec

MONTREAL -The search has widened for three Quebec inmates who used a helicopter to escape from jail on Saturday evening.

Quebec provincial police say they have alerted authorities across the province and elsewhere.

Sgt. Ann Mathieu says police are reluctant to provide many details about their investigation for fear the escapees could be monitoring media reports.

Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, another police spokeswoman, said Saturday police were working with surrounding airports and Quebec’s Valcartier military base to help track down the chopper.

The men fled from the Orsainville Detention Centre in suburban Quebec City shortly before 8 p.m. with the help of a green-coloured helicopter,  Quebec provincial police said.

For the second time in just over a year, inmates used a helicopter to make a brazen escape from jail in Quebec.

Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a police spokeswoman, said the helicopter flew west from the provincial detention centre, perhaps toward Trois-Rivieres or Montreal.

"We (are working with) a few partners like the airports of Quebec City and surrounding areas, the military bases and, of course, there's a ground search in the event that the helicopter is located," Bilodeau said late Saturday.

Provincial police Sergeant Ann Mathieu said the chopper put down in a courtyard of the detention centre then quickly took off again heading west.

Mathieu, however, said police were reluctant to reveal much else about their investigation for fear the escapees could be monitoring media reports.

The escapees were identified as Yves Denis, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 49.

The three men were being held at the detention centre waiting to stand trial, it was not immediately clear what charges they were facing.

Police released photos of the three men on social media and appealed to the public for help, but warned anyone who spotted them not to approach and immediately contact police.

The Orsainville Detention Centre, about 10 kilometres from the centre of Quebec City, can hold up to 710 offenders.

In 2010, it was the scene of a fire and a violent skirmish that ended with two inmates dead and another six rushed to hospital.

It was also the scene of a riot in February 2008, which was apparently triggered by a smoking ban at the facility.

Saturday's helicopter escape had similarities to another bold jailbreak last year.

Two inmates made a similar jailbreak from a St-Jerome, Que. prison in March 2013.

A helicopter pilot was forced at gunpoint to fly to the prison on a Sunday afternoon.

Two inmates at the facility, which is about 60 kilometres from Montreal, climbed a rope ladder into the hovering helicopter and fled.

The two escapees and the two men accused of hijacking the chopper were picked up by police in Mont-Tremblant, about 85 kilometres away, within a few hours of the escape.