Immigration to Germany from other European Union countries hit a new record of over 685,000 people last year, led by Romanians, Poles and Bulgarians, Die Welt daily said today, citing official figures.
	A total of 685,485 EU citizens arrived in Germany in 2015 while 303,036 left for a net increase of 382,449, the paper reported, saying it had access to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
	Germany's economic success and relatively low unemployment has drawn people from the EU's poorer members in search of work and better lives.
	Romanians topped the list of new arrivals in Germany last year with nearly 175,000, followed by Poles with almost 150,000 and Bulgarians with just over 70,000, Die Welt said.
	Promises to limit immigration from other EU states played a key role in the campaign for Britain's membership referendum, which delivered a shock victory last week for the "leave" camp.
	In April, Germany tabled a proposed law to drastically limit EU migrants' .

EU migration to Germany hits record high: report

PTI Automatic

Austria's interior minister said today he was "ashamed" after the country's highest court declared the result of May's presidential election null and void because of widespread procedural "sloppiness".
	Friday's ruling by the Constitutional Court invalidating the outcome of the May 22 election means that Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party (FPOe) will have another shot at becoming the EU's first far-right president.
	I am "disappointed, ashamed.... The fact that this sloppiness and breaking of the law took place has shaken me massively," Wolfgang Sobotka told Oe1 public radio, adding that he felt "embarrassed".
	The court's ruling, triggered by an FPOe legal challenge, found that postal votes in 14 areas -- or 78,000 votes -- were opened too early or by unauthorised persons, and so could in theory have been tampered with.
	Since this represented more than double the independent ecologist Alexander Van der Bellen's winning margin of just 31,000 votes, the court said that the election ...

Austrian interior minister 'ashamed' after vote annulled

Two people were killed and 18 were wounded today in the southwestern Somali town of Baidoa in a mortar attack by suspected Shabaab jihadists, a senior official said.
	"Shebab militants fired mortar shells late last night, striking different neighbourhoods in Baidoa," the governor of Bay region, Abdirashid Abdullahi, told AFP.
	"The casualty number reached about 20, two of them died and eighteen others were hospitalized, five of them with minor injuries."
	There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-affiliated group blamed for a string of bloody attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya.
	Witnesses told AFP that most of the shells landed in civilian areas close to Baidoa's airport, where the biggest Ethiopian base in the AMISOM mission is located.
	AMISOM -- the African Union Mission in Somalia -- is tasked with shoring up Somalia's internationally-backed but fragile government.
	"There were several blasts near the airport but most of them landed (on) ..

'Shabaab mortar fire' kills two in Somalia

The death of a Jordanian child brought the toll from this week's Istanbul airport attack to 45, media reported today, as a scare sparked fresh jitters in Turkey's biggest city.
	Ankara has pointed blame at the Islamic State group for Tuesday's gun and suicide bomb rampage at Ataturk international airport.
	Dogan news agency reported that four-year-old Jordanian national Rayyan Mohammed, one of more than 200 people injured in the attacks, had died in hospital.
	The Istanbul governor's office said 52 people were still in hospital, including 20 in intensive care.
	The child's death came as a man sparked chaos by shouting "Suicide bomber!" in a crowded Istanbul market on Saturday, with the city still reeling from the attacks.
	One woman was lightly injured in the panic in Umraniye, a working-class neighbourhood on Istanbul's Asian side. Police were called to the scene.
	The airport carnage was the latest in a string of deadly attacks to hit Turkey in the past year blamed on either IS ...

Istanbul airport attack toll rises to 45

Lewis Hamilton sped through the rain and sunshine with perfect timing in his Mercedes on Saturday to secure pole position for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.
     In a dramatic and incident-packed qualifying session, the defending three-time world champion judged his speed and tyre-selection to perfection in the changing conditions to claim the prime starting spot with a best lap in one minute and 7.922 seconds.
     It was his second successive pole in Austria, his fifth of 2016 and the 54th of his career.
     His Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg was second fastest, but the German will start Sunday's race with a five-place grid penalty after a gearbox change following his crash in practice on Saturday morning.
     "That was a really fun session," said Hamilton. "The first time I have driven in the wet here. It's incredible how fast it dries up. It's like driving through fog!
     "It was very, very slippery, but it was drying up corner by corner - at the end it 

Hamilton on pole again for Austrian GP

Russia ordered its military today to draw up measures to increase the safety of the airspace over the Baltic Sea, after a string of incidents and near-misses that has ratcheted up tensions between NATO and Moscow.
	Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu commanded the military to develop "a system of trust measures that would increase flight safety in the Baltic Sea region," a ministry statement said.
	Russia's NATO-member Baltic neighbours have accused Moscow of regularly violating their airspace in recent months and flying with switched-off transponders, devices that allow radars to identify planes and prevent collisions.
	Russian planes have also been accused of dangerous manoeuvres in the Baltic, with one particularly close call in April, when a Russian Sukhoi jet flew less than 15 metres from a US destroyer.
	However, Moscow has also made its own accusations, notably against US spy planes invisible to Russian radars that then have to be visually identified by warplanes.
	Russian President 

Russia orders safety overhaul in tense Baltic airspace

Joe Root top-scored with 93 as England made 324 for seven in the fifth and final one-day international here today.
     Together with Jos Buttler, who made a typically rapid 70, he put on 109 for the fifth wicket.
     Off-spinner Danushka Gunathilaka, best known as a batsman, took a career-best three for 48 as Sri Lanka looked to restore some pride, having already lost the series at 2-0 down.
    	Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews opted to bowl first after winning the toss on a green-tinged pitch.
	England won Wednesday's fourth ODI at The Oval by six wickets, with opener Jason Roy scoring a superb 162 on his Surrey home ground.
     Roy again looked in good touch in making a run-a-ball 34 either side of a rain-break.
	But there was to be no third hundred this series after his 112 not not out at Edgbaston, with Roy hoisting paceman Suranga Lakmal to deep square leg.
	Vince, opening in place of the injured Alex Hales, marked his maiden ODI innings with a stylish fifty.
	But two balls ..

Root leaves Sri Lanka with stiff chase

Philippine police have killed 10 people with suspected links to drugs since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, authorities said today, in a brutal start to his controversial war on crime.
	Duterte was sworn into office on Thursday after a landslide win built largely on a pledge to kill thousands of suspected criminals in a relentless law-and-order crackdown he said was needed to stop the Philippines becoming a narco-state.
	Police in Bulacan province neighbouring Manila said they launched an anti-drug trafficking blitz on Thursday, the day Duterte took office, that claimed nine lives.
	"We are just following the marching orders of our new chief of the Philippine National Police," Bulacan police spokeswoman Senior Inspector Linel Solomon said.
	She said the nine died in seven encounters, insisting police were forced to kill them because the suspects fought back.
	Another drug suspect was also shot dead after he used a gun during a raid on his home in the central city of Dumaguete ..

Philippine police kill 10 in Duterte's war on crime

First innings scoreboard in the
fifth one-day international between England and Sri Lanka at here today:
     England
	Roy c Perera b Lakmal                  34
	Vince st Chandimal b Gunathilaka       51
	Root b Pradeep                         93
	Morgan c Mendis b Gunathilaka          20
	Bairstow c Shanaka b Gunathilaka       22
	Buttler b Bandara                      70
	Woakes not out                         17
	Plunkett run out (Pradeep)              9
	Extras: (lb-4, w-4)                     8
     Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs)              324
     Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-108, 3-137, 4-182, 5-291, 6-314, 7-324
     Bowling: Lakmal 10-0-65-1, Bandara 10-0-83-1, Pradeep 8-0-59-1, Gunathilaka 10-0-48-3, Prasanna 10-0-52-0, Mendis 2-0-13-0.

Cardiff, Jul 2 (AFP) First innings scoreboard in the

Eight men have been charged over heists of millions in luxury goods from Chanel and Chopard boutiques in Paris, a source close to the investigation said today.
	Robbers made off with one million euros ($1.1 million) from the Chopard shop, just off the Champs-Elysees, during a December hold-up, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
	Then in May armed men snatched 2.2 million euros in watches and jewellery from a Chanel store in the city's chic Avenue Montaigne, home to many luxury stores.
	The men, who are in police custody, were charged overnight from Thursday to Friday with conspiring to commit theft in an organised gang. Some were also charged with armed robbery, the source said.
	Police tracked down the suspects using surveillance footage, tips and phone data. None of the stolen goods were recovered during police raids.
	The suspects have denied any involvement in the crimes, the source said.
	In recent years, Paris has been struck by repeated raids on its legendary .

Suspects charged over Chanel, Chopard heists in Paris

Eighteen pilgrims have been injured in a stampede near Islam's holiest site, Saudi media reported on today, as the kingdom continues to review safety after a deadly crush during last year's hajj.
	The incident happened last night near the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the Al-Riyadh newspaper said, as Muslims gathered in large numbers to mark the Night of Destiny, one of the high points of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
	All the injured were treated at the scene and none required admission to hospital, the newspaper cited a health official as saying.
	Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock to Mecca to carry out the lesser umra pilgrimage during Ramadan -- especially during its last 10 days.
	They include the Night of Destiny, when the angel Gabriel is believed to have given the Prophet Mohammed the verses of the Koran.
	The incident comes as Saudi authorities continue to unveil new safety measures for this year's hajj in September.
	A crush at last year's hajj killed more ...

Eighteen injured in Mecca stampede: Saudi media

Syrian government shelling of a rebel- held town killed 31 people, including two medics today, as a two-year local truce broke down after suspected Al-Qaeda militants killed a captured regime pilot.
	The bombardment struck the town of Jayrud, 60 kilometres northeast of Damascus, where the army says Islamist rebels killed the pilot after he was forced to eject yesterday.
	In its statement about the incident, the military said the attack "will not go unpunished."
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today's attack was the first bombardment of the town in at least two years.
	"Prominent figures in Jayrud have had a local truce with the regime for at least two years, and neither fired on each other," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
	He said at least 31 people were killed, including two medics. It was not immediately clear how many of the rest were civilians.
	Activists in the town said the head of the local medical centre and several colleagues were killed.
	"There ..

2 medics among 31 dead in Syria army reprisal for slain pilot

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi today prepared the country for tragic news, warning the nation had suffered "a painful loss" after hostage-takers murdered 20 foreigners in Bangladesh.
	In a brief TV address, Renzi did not say how many Italians were among the casualties, but local media said 11 had been taken hostage, only one of whom had escaped.
	"We are like a family which has suffered a painful loss," Renzi said.
	The attackers who believed they were "destroying our values" would not get a drop of encouragement from Italy, he said.
	"We are stronger," Renzi said.
	"The terrorists want to rip away the daily fabric of our lives. Our duty is to reply with even greater force, by affirming our values, the values of freedom of which we are proud, and which are stronger than hatred or terror."
	Renzi was speaking after attackers, at the start of the Eid holiday, took foreigners hostage at a restaurant in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka, killing 20 before troops moved in.
	Many of the .

Italy PM warns of 'painful loss' in Bangladesh carnage

A mob wielding weapons razed a mosque in northern Myanmar, state media reported today, the second attack of its kind in just over a week as anti-Muslim sentiment swells in the Buddhist majority nation.
	Myanmar has struggled to contain bouts of deadly religious bloodshed in recent years, with bristling sectarian tensions and rising Buddhist nationalism posing a steep challenge to the new government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
	Yesterday villagers in Hpakant, a jade-mining town in northern Kachin state, ransacked a mosque "wielding sticks, knives and other weapons" before burning it down, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.
	"The mob was unresponsive and entirely beyond control. The building was razed by the riotous crowd," the paper reported, adding that the rampage was sparked by a dispute over the mosque's construction.
	No arrests have been made, it said.
	A local NGO worker who visited the town today told AFP security forces had been deployed to maintain ...

Myanmar mob torches mosque as religious tensions spike

South Africa's Hashim Amla and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies set a new world record for a fifth-wicket stand in Twenty20 cricket of 150 in the Caribbean Premier League on Friday.
     The pair put on their match-winning partnership in 92 balls for the Trinbago Knight Riders against the Barbados Tridents at Queen's Park Oval.
     Amla went on to score 81 from 54 balls having brought up his half century from 42 balls.
     Bravo made an undefeated 66 with both men hitting four sixes.
     They took their side from what looked like certain defeat to victory in 15.2 overs.
     Trinidad made 170-5 off their 20 overs before restricting Barbados to 159-8 for an 11-run win.
     The previous record for a fifth-wicket partnership in T20 cricket was 149 set by Yogesh Takawale and Sairaj Bahutule in the Indian Premier League in 2007.

Amla, Bravo in world record fifth-wicket T20 stand

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to make his first trip as premier to Africa, seeking new trade partners and marking the 40th anniversary of a hostage rescue in which his brother died.
	He is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to travel to Africa since Yitzhak Rabin visited Casablanca in 1994.
	While no official itinerary has been announced, Netanyahu is expected to visit Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
	Israel's cabinet approved a proposal on June 25 to open offices of Israel's Agency for International Development in the four countries.
	Netanyahu told the cabinet that his visit "is part of a major effort on our part to return to Africa in a big way".
	"This is important for Israeli companies and for the state of Israel. It is also important for the countries of Africa," he said.
	The trip comes at a time when Israel is launching a USD 13 million aid package to strengthen economic ties and cooperation with African countries, said Netanyahu's office.
	Israel .

Israel seeks to raise profile in Africa with Netanyahu trip

A Sierra Leone diplomat was kidnapped in Nigeria, a security official said, confirming the latest high-profile kidnapping in the West African country.
	Sierra Leone's deputy high commissioner to Nigeria Alfred Nelson-Williams was kidnapped as he was travelling by road from the Nigerian capital of Abuja north to Kaduna, a city some 200 kilometres away.
	"He was kidnapped on his way to Kaduna from Abuja to attend the passing out ceremony of military officers at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji outside Kaduna," said Kaduna state security official Yusuf Yakubu Soja to AFP.
	"We are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap. We want to establish whether he had security escorts with him and what happened to them," Soja said, adding: "I'm not aware of any ransom demand."
	Kidnappings are common in Nigeria, where the rich and powerful drive bulletproof cars and hire military and police chaperones as protection from highway bandits.
	The most sensational ...

Sierra Leone diplomat kidnapped in Nigeria

A man shot dead five people, including his wife, and injured 20 others in a cafe in northern Serbia early today, police said.
	The man "entered the cafe and opened fire with an automatic rifle, killing his wife and another woman, then he continued to shoot at other citizens in the cafe," a police statement said.
	The incident happened at about 1:40 am (local time) in the town of Zitiste, around 80 kilometres north of Belgrade.
	Police arrested the man, born in 1978 and named only by his initials Z.S., and opened a probe into the shooting.
	Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic visited the scene and was quoted by N1 television channel as saying that the weapon was illegal and jealousy was believed to be the motive.

Man shoots dead 5, injures 20 in Serbian cafe: police

Didier Deschamps' France will be wary of falling victim to the same trap that ensnared England as the Euro 2016 hosts take on rank outsiders Iceland for a place in the semi-finals tomorrow.
	France are vying for a record-equalling third European Championship title and go into their quarter-final as overwhelming favourites against a country with a population of just 330,000.
	But Iceland, playing at their first major finals, have blown away any notion they were simply in France to make up the numbers.
	The North Atlantic island nation held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening group game, then sent Austria home with a last-gasp 2-1 victory before stunning England by the same scoreline in the last 16.
	Defender Bacary Sagna compared Iceland's remarkable run to that of Leicester City's fairytale Premier League title success, with both country and city boasting almost identical populations.
	"They are kind of the Leicester of Euro 2016," said the Manchester City right-back.
	"They ...

Hosts France wary of Iceland pitfall

Reigning Olympic and world 100-metre champion Usain Bolt withdrew from the Jamaican National Olympic Trials after 100m semi-finals with a torn hamstring that could keep him from defending gold at the Rio Olympics.
	Bolt, the 100m world record-holder who turns 30 on the final day of the Rio Games, won his semi-final heat in 10.04 yesterday despite a slow start then left the National Stadium well before what was to have been a showcase 100m final.
	"After feeling discomfort in my hamstring after the first round last night and then again in the semi-final tonight, I was examined by the Chief Doctor of the National Championships and diagnosed with a Grade 1 tear," Bolt said in a statement posted on his Twitter site.
     A grade one tear is classified as the most minor of hamstring injuries, usually involving only a muscle strain and just involving a few days to a week for recovery. Grade two is typically a partial tear with grade three a complete tear that might require months to heal.
  

Torn hamstring forces Bolt out of Jamaican Olympic Trials

Wales and unsung hero Hal Robson-Kanu completed a stunning fightback to beat Belgium 3-1 in Euro 2016 and reach their first major tournament semi-final.
     The victory last night in Wales' first ever participation in a European Championship finals sets up a mouthwatering duel between their talisman Gareth Bale and his Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo when the tournament's last British representatives face Portugal in Lyon on Wednesday.
	Radja Nainggolan gave Belgium the lead in the quarter-final in Lille, but Ashley Williams brought Wales level before a dazzling strike from Robson-Kanu, whose contract with English second-tier club Reading expired on Thursday.
	A late header by substitute Sam Vokes wrapped up a historic victory for Wales.
	"Dreams, don't be afraid about dreams, because four years ago I was as far away from this as you can imagine and look what has happened," said Wales manager Chris Coleman, who succeeded his late friend Gary Speed as manager in 2012.
	"If you 

AFP

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