Russian and regime air strikes killed 47 people, most of them civilians, and wounded dozens more today in a jihadist-held town in eastern Syria, a monitor said.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raids hit the town of Al-Quriyah, controlled by the Islamic State group in Syria's oil-rich Deir Ezzor province.
	Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said 31 civilians were identified among those killed, but that it was not immediately clear whether the 16 others were civilians or IS fighters.
	"IS fighters have now set up a security perimeter around the residential area, where the town's mosque is located," said Abdel Rahman.
	The Britain-based monitor -- which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information -- says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.
	Russian warplanes have been carrying out an air war in support of President Bashar al-Assad since September 2015.
	More than ..

Russia, regime strikes kill 47 in east Syria: monitor

PTI Automatic

Russian air strikes killed at least 31 civilians and wounded dozens more today in a jihadist-held town in eastern Syria, a monitor said.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raids hit the town of Al-Quriyah, controlled by the Islamic State group in Syria's oil-rich Deir Ezzor province.
	Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there were 16 other people killed but it was not immediately clear whether they were civilians or IS fighters.

Russia strikes kill 31 civilians in east Syria: monitor

A huge blast rocked a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu today, followed by heavy machine gunfire.
	"There is heavy fire going on inside the hotel, it started after the massive explosion but we cannot know what is going on," Abdihafid Mudey, who lives near the hotel, told AFP.

'Massive explosion' hits Mogadishu hotel: residents

EU leaders pressured Britain today to make a quick exit from the union, warning they could not afford to be left in "limbo" and that the divorce would not be "amicable".
	Foreign ministers of EU's founding member states, gathering in Berlin for crisis talks after Britain's shock referendum outcome, said London must begin the process of leaving "as soon as possible".
	France's Jean-Marc Ayrault went as far as to call for David Cameron, who has said he would resign by October, to make way fast for a new British prime minister to manage the transition out of the union.
	As the EU grappled with the first defection in its six-decade history, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned London against foot-dragging now that it had made its fateful choice.
	He admitted that the EU had hoped Britain would stay but that now it was key to make the separation process as speedy and painless as possible.
	"It is not an amicable divorce but it was also not an intimate love affair," he ...

EU founding states call for quick divorce from Britain

'Massive explosion' hits Mogadishu hotel: residents.

Two-time defending champions Spain's preparations for their Euro 2016 last 16 clash with Italy were disrupted as 10 players were forced to take an anti-doping control by UEFA today.
     "On Saturday morning, 10 internationals were required by officials from UEFA's anti-doping control to do an out of competition test at their hotel base in Isle de Re," the Spanish football federation said in a statement. The players were not named.
     "Blood and urine tests were taken without any incident."
     Spain face Italy in a repeat of the Euro 2012 final in Paris on Monday.

10 Spanish players drug tested by UEFA

Mexican experts are carefully digging up fossils of a Pleistocene-era mammoth believed to have been cut to pieces by ancient humans.
	Remains of the giant wooly mammal, believed to be some 14,000 years old, were discovered by chance in December near Mexico City while drainage pipes were being installed in the village of Tultepec.
	Archaeologists have been working at the site since April, and they hope to complete their work in the next few days.
	Luis Cordoba, an archaeologist with the National Institute of Anthropology and History, said the remains of more than fifty mammoths have been discovered in the area around the capital, where in pre-historic times there was a shallow saltwater lake where the heavy creatures often got stuck.
	The lake was also very good for preserving the remains.
	Other mammoth remains have been found in the Tultepec area, "but this is the first time that they can be studied because in general people do not report the finds in time," Cordoba said.
	When ...

Remains of mammoth uncovered in Mexico

A Turkish court has rejected a legal bid seeking the release of two journalists and an academic being held on "terror propaganda" charges, media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders said today.
	RSF Turkey representative and journalist Erol Onderoglu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and rights activist and academic Sebnem Korur Fincanci were charged on Monday in connection with "terror propaganda" after guest-editing the pro-Kurdish Turkish daily Ozgur Gundem.
	The three have been remanded in custody and are being held in Metris prison in Istanbul. Prosecutors have demanded they be given jail terms of up to fourteen-and-a-half years.
	"The request lodged on Thursday for their liberty has been rejected," RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire told AFP.
	"It's a punitive measure to have them detained and it's another punitive measure to keep them there," he said.
	On Friday, Deloire led a protest outside the gates of the Istanbul jail with demonstrators holding pictures calling for the ...

Turkey rejects legal bid to free reporters, academic: RSF

Britain's European Commissioner Jonathan Hill announced today that he will stand down following his country's decision to leave the EU, saying he was "very disappointed" but "what is done cannot be undone."
	"As we move to a new phase, I don't believe it is right that I should carry on as the British Commissioner as though nothing had happened," said a statement by Hill, who is commissioner for financial services.
	"In line with what I discussed with the President of the Commission some weeks ago, I have therefore told him that I shall stand down," he said, referring to EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
	Hill -- a former member of the House of Lords who was named by outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron as a member of Juncker's European Commission in 2014 -- called for an "orderly handover" to his successor.
	"Like many people here and in the UK, I am obviously very disappointed about the result of the referendum. I wanted it to end differently... But the British people took a .

Britain's EU commissioner steps down after Brexit vote

Scotland wants immediate talks with the European Union on protecting its place in the bloc, after Britain's vote to leave the EU, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said today.
	Speaking after an emergency meeting of her cabinet, Sturgeon said it had agreed to seek "immediate discussions with the EU institutions and other EU member states to explore all possible options to protect Scotland's place in the EU."
	The UK as a whole voted by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU in Thursday's historic referendum. But Scotland voted strongly for Britain to remain -- by 62 per cent to 38 per cent.
	On Friday, Sturgeon said the results put a fresh referendum on Scottish independence "on the table", adding that it was "highly likely" within two years.
	She cited a clause in her Scottish National Party manifesto that there had been a "significant and material change in the circumstances" in which Scotland voted against independence in 2014, when 55 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the ...

Scotland seeks immediate EU talks to protect place in bloc

Dog lovers in central Iran are in uproar after authorities began confiscating their pets in an apparent crackdown on the "vulgar Western culture" of canine ownership, Iranian media reported today.
	One unnamed dog owner in Shahin Shahr in Isfahan province told Iran's Shahrvand newspaper that officials had shown up suddenly at his house last week.
	"We were shown a piece of paper indicating they were from the municipal veterinary office. They came in and took away our dogs under the pretext of vaccination," he said.
	The owner was told he could recover the dog after its vaccination, but when he went to the vet's office they had no record of his case.
	Instead, the newspaper said the confiscations were the result of a crackdown launched by local prosecutor Mohsen Boosaidi.
	"Keeping and caring for dogs is haram (forbidden) according to religious leaders," Boosaidi told the Fars news agency on June 19.
	"If we find out that anyone is keeping and caring for dogs and so is promoting vulgar 

Iran cracks down on 'vulgar Western' dog owners

Belgium detains two men in new anti-terror raid: prosecutor.

Europe angrily demanded a quick divorce as sparks flew today over Britain's seismic vote to abandon the EU, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron, pounding world markets and fracturing the island nation.
	European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker called for rushing Britain out of the door as the bloc grappled with the impending loss of one of the world's top economies, the first defection in its 60-year history.
	Cameron announced yesterday he would resign by October and let his successor lead the exit negotiations under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which sets out a two-year time-frame to leave.
	"I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination," the outgoing prime minister said as sterling, global stocks and oil prices plummeted.
	Britons, many worried about immigration and financial insecurity, cast aside the prime minister's warnings of isolation and an economic disaster, voting 52 percent-48 percent in favour .

Britain faces bitter EU divorce

A car bomb killed four civilians and wounded 14 others in the war-torn Libyan city of Benghazi, a hospital official said.
	The car was parked in front of the entrance of the Al-Jalaa hospital, one of the two biggest in the city and where troops get treatment for injuries battling armed groups, including Islamic State jihadists.
	Fadia Berghathi, head of the hospital's media department, told AFP "a car bomb exploded in front of the entrance of the hospital, killing four civilians and wounding 14 others".
	A military source in Benghazi told AFP the explosion "was caused by a sticky bomb planted under a car parked in front of the hospital".
	There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
	For two years the eastern city has seen bloody battles between loyalist forces led by General Khalifa Haftar and armed groups including jihadists from IS and Ansar al-Sharia, which is close to Al-Qaeda.
	The hospital treats Haftar's fighters and is frequently visited by his commanders.
	Pro-government .

Car bomb kills four in Libya's Benghazi: hospital

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Britain's planned departure from the European Union was "not an amicable divorce" but called for it to be quick.
	"I do not understand why the British government needs until October to decide whether to send the divorce letter to Brussels," he told German public broadcaster ARD late yesterday.
	"I'd like it immediately."
	He admitted that the EU had hoped Britain would stay but that now it was key to make the separation process as speedy and painless as possible.
	"It is not an amicable divorce but it was also not an intimate love affair," he said.
	"It is not a good day for Britain and the European Union but we must go on."
	British Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday in the wake of the shock referendum outcome that he would resign his office in October and leave negotiations on the so-called "Brexit" to his successor.

Brexit divorce 'not amicable' but must be quick: Juncker

Lionel Messi will bid to gild his legacy as the greatest footballer of his generation here Sunday by ending Argentina's 23-year wait for a major title in a dream final against holders Chile in the Copa America Centenario.
     For Messi's many millions of admirers, the five-time world footballer of the year has already achieved enough in his glittering career to be considered in the same bracket as Pele and Diego Maradona.
     Yet the only hole in the Barcelona superstar's CV -- a major tournament title with Argentina -- is invariably, and somewhat unfairly, cited as a justification to delay his elevation to football's pantheon.
     That could all change on Sunday before a sell-out crowd of 81,000 at East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium, the home of the NFL's New York Giants, when Argentina face the Chileans in a rematch of last year's Copa America final.
     It is the third final in as many years for Messi and his teammates, who suffered agonizing defeats in the 2014 World Cup final .

Messi ready for crowning glory in Copa final

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots has warned against taking Hungary for granted when they face an ambitious modern-day version of the 'Magical Magyars' looking to book their quarter-final place at Euro 2016 on Sunday.
     While Belgium have failed to live up to their status as the world's second-best ranked team, Hungary's feats at their first international tournament for three decades have inspired a nation.
     German coach Bernd Storck's men sealed their place in the last 16 with a stunning 3-3 draw that Portugal's two-goal hero Cristiano Ronaldo called 'insane'.
     Hungary, whose last major finals appearance came at the 1986 World Cup,  finished top of Group E to join a host of other nations who have punched above their weight to reach the knockout phase.
     Packed with stars like Chelsea's Eden Hazard, Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, Marouane Fallaini of Manchester United and Axel Witsel from Zenit St Petersburg, Belgium fans would be forgiven for expecting their team to go ...

Wilmots warns of Hungary threat to Euro 2016 hopes

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer believes the world champions can put a slow start to Euro 2016 behind them and thrive under the pressure of knockout football when they face Slovakia on Sunday.
     Joachim Loew's side progressed to the last 16 as winners of Group C, beating Ukraine and Northern Ireland, drawing with Poland and all without conceding a single goal.
     But Neuer knows better is expected from the Germans at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille as they face a Slovak side appearing at this stage of a Euro for the first time since independence.
     "We have played three teams who pack everyone behind the ball. We didn't have much space and in games like these it's not easy to win by a large margin," said Neuer after Germany mustered just three goals in the group phase.
     "Beating the likes of Ukraine and Northern Ireland does not merit us shouting out with joy. It is not easy to beat these teams but we got the job done.
     "We finished top of our group and so we have ...

Knockout ties will bring out best in Germany - Neuer

Both the Republic of Ireland and France camps have played down Thierry Henry's infamous handball, but Irish fans will be hoping for revenge in Sunday's Euro 2016 last 16 clash.
     It was at the Stade de France in Paris on November 18, 2009 that Henry used his hand -- twice -- to control the ball in the buildup to William Gallas' late goal.
     The incident, dubbed 'Le Hand of God', helped seal France's 2-1 aggregate win and left Irish fans feeling robbed of a 2010 World Cup place.
     Both squads still contain players who were involved that night.
     France's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, defenders Bacary Sagna and Patrice Evra and striker Andre-Pierre Gignac all started, while Moussa Sissoko and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda were unused substitutes.
     For the Irish, Shay Given, John O'Shea, Glenn Whelan and Robbie Keane started the match, while Aiden McGeady came on in extra-time.
     Both teams have claimed that the incident six years ago will have little bearing on Sunday's tie in .

Irish fans eye revenge against hosts France

Scoreboard in the second One-day
International between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.
     Sri Lanka:
     K Perera run out (Roy)                  37
     D Gunathilaka c Buttler b Plunkett      22
     K Mendis lbw b Plunkett                  0
     D Chandimal run out (Roy/Buttler)       52
     A Mathews c Plunkett b Rashid           44
     S Prasanna c Willey b Rashid             2
     U Tharanga not out                      53
     F Maharoof b Willey                      2
     S Randiv not out                        26
     Extras: (B-1, LB-13, W-2)               16
     Total: (For 7 wkts; 50 overs)          254
     Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-47, 3-77, 4-159, 5-163, 6-188, 7-191.
     Bowling: Willey 10-0-65-1, Woakes 8-0-36-0, Plunkett 10-0-49-2, Ali 9-0-41-0, Rashid 10-0-34-2, Root 3-0-15-0.
     England:
     J Roy not out                          112
     A Hales not out                        133
     Extras: (LB-3, W-8)                     11
     Total: (For no ...

Birmingham, Jun 25 (AFP) Scoreboard in the second One-day

Blistering hundreds by Jason Roy and Alex Hales hauled England to a crushing 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second One-day International at Edgbaston.
     England, set a modest 255 for victory, finished on 256 without loss as they won with more than 15 overs to spare to go 1-0 up in the five-match series following Tuesday's tied opener at Trent Bridge.
     Roy, named man-of-the-match after also completing two run-outs, was 112 unbeaten at the finish and Hales 133 not out, both batsmen recording their highest scores at this level.
     Their unbroken stand surpassed England's record ODI partnership of 250 set by Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott for the second wicket against Bangladesh at Edgbaston in 2010.
     England's total was also the highest scored by any side winning an ODI by 10 wickets, topping the 236 scored by New Zealand against Zimbabwe at Harare last year.
     Victory also saw England win the inaugural multi-format Super Series, with Sri Lanka now unable to ...

AFP

AFP

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