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 ...

Roy and Hales run riot against Sri Lanka

PTI Automatic

Scoreboard of the
ninth and final preliminary match of the Tri-Nation One-Day International Series between the West Indies and South Africa at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
     West Indies:
     J Charles c Morris b Rabada           4
     A Fletcher c wkpr de Kock b Parnell   8
     D Bravo c du Plessis b Morris       102
     M Samuels b Rabada                    0
     D Ramdin b Rabada                     4
     K Pollard c du Plessis b Morkel      62
     J Holder c wkpr de Kock b Morris     40
     C Brathwaite not out                 33
     S Narine run out                      1
     S Benn c Duminy b Morris              5
     S Gabriel run out                     2
     Extras: (LB-5, NB-2, W-17)           24
     Total: (all out; 49.5 overs)        285
     Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-12, 3-12, 4-21, 5-177, 6-210, 7-264, 8-266, 9-275.
     Bowling: K Rabada 10-1-31-3, W Parnell 9.5-0-63-1, M Morkel 9-0-68-1, C Morris 10-0-63-3, I Tahir 10-0-40-0, JP Duminy 1-0-15-0.
     ...

Bridgetown (Barbados), Jun 25 (AFP) Scoreboard of the

Darren Bravo's third hundred and impressive fast bowling from Shannon Gabriel propelled the West Indies to a 100-run win over South Africa in the ninth and final preliminary match of the Tri-Nation One-Day International Series.
     Bravo's stroke-filled 102, which earned him the "Man of the Match" award, anchored an impressive recovery from 21 for four to lift the West Indies to 285 all out off 49.5 overs batting first at Kensington Oval yesterday.
     Gabriel, in just his second ODI, then tore through the Proteas' vaunted top-order, taking the wickets of Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and captain A B de Villiers in the space of four fearsome overs.
     It was a setback from which they never recovered, eventually being dismissed for 186 off 46 overs despite a last-wicket partnership of 51 between Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir. Sunil Narine ensured there would be no escape for the South Africans after Gabriel's early blast, the spinner taking three for 28 off ten overs.
     "I've ..

West Indies topple South Africa in Tri-Nation

Opposition leaders in Venezuela said they have finished authenticating signatures on a petition to recall President Nicolas Maduro, and have met the threshold needed for a referendum on removing him from office.
	"The number of signatures has clearly exceeded the minimum needed," said Vicente Bello, coordinator for the referendum effort.
	Government election authorities now have 20 days to review and affirm that finding.
	Opponents of the regime finished giving their fingerprints to electoral authorities earlier yesterday, wrapping up a key stage in their drive for a referendum to remove him.
	Already used to queuing for hours to buy food in an economic crisis, this week they lined up at electoral offices for a sometime frustrating process.
	Officials took their electronic fingerprints to authenticate signatures on a petition calling for a recall referendum. That is just one stage in a months-long bureaucratic procedure.
	One voter in the northern city of Maracay, civil servant Felix .

Venezuela opposition claims enough votes for Maduro vote

Three federal police were shot dead as they ate in a market in a southern Mexican town beset by disappearances and recent discoveries of bodies in clandestine graves.
	A woman and a man were wounded in the attack yesterday, which was perpetrated by unknown gunmen with "large-caliber" weapons at the municipal market of Chilapa, the Guerrero state prosecutor's office said in a statement.
	The wounded were urgently hospitalised while an operation was launched to find the killers, the statement said.
	Chilapa lies in a region of Guerrero state where opium poppies are grown and drug cartels fight for control of heroin trafficking.
	At least 16 people were reported missing in May of last year after an armed group of 300 people occupied the town for several days.
	Earlier this month, seven bodies were found in five clandestine graves in the municipality and a woman's corpse was discovered in a well.

3 federal police killed in Mexican market

Some 400 UN personnel will monitor a disarmament deal ending Colombia's civil war and courts will rule in July whether a referendum can be held to endorse the ceasefire, officials said.
	The announcements came yesterday after the Colombian government and the country's biggest rebel force, the FARC, signed a definitive ceasefire agreement, one of the last steps toward ending the half-century conflict.
	The next step will be to sign a full peace agreement, which will launch a six-month UN-monitored disarmament process.
	Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin told Radio Caracol that at least 400 UN observers would come to monitor the demobilization and disarmament. She said she expects the United Nations to fund the operation.
	The estimated 7,000 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will gather in 23 "normalization zones" for demobilization.
	Analysts cautioned that several other points of discussion remain to be settled between the two sides, including how to ...

Colombia to get UN peace monitors, possible referendum

- Clashes in several areas across Yemen today killed 22 Shiite rebels and 11 members of pro-government forces, military officials said, after peace talks hit a new barrier.
	Fierce battles erupted in the northern Jawf province when Huthi rebels attacked loyalists in al-Motoon district, triggering a counter attack by government forces backed by warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition, a military official said.
	The fighting left 13 rebels dead, while eight loyalists were killed by mistake in an air strike that missed its target, the official added.
	Further south, three Huthi rebels were killed in clashes in Bayhan, Shabwa province, another military official said.
	And in the southwestern flashpoint city of Taez, six rebels and three loyalists were killed in renewed fighting when insurgents attacked government troops on the southwestern outskirts of the city, a military official said.
	Clashes have continued despite a UN-brokered ceasefire that entered into effect on April 11 and paved .

33 killed in renewed clashes across Yemen

Flooding in the US state of West Virginia killed 14 people and stranded others who had to be plucked from rooftops and rescued from fast-moving waters, the governor said today.
	"The damage is widespread and devastating. Our focus remains on search and rescue," Governor Earl Ray Tomblin told a news conference after floods caused by a day of heavy rains.
	"I had planned to fly around the affected areas myself today but wasn't able to because all state aircrafts are currently being used for rescues," he said.
	The dead included an eight-year-old boy who was swept away while walking along a creek bank with his mother and sister, WSAZ reported. His body was found after three hours of searching.
	At least six counties have extensive structural damage and about 66,000 people were without power, the governor said.
	About 200 national guard members had fanned out in eight counties to assist local responders and 17 shelters were open for those whose homes were damaged or destroyed.
	About 500 .

14 dead after flooding hits US state of West Virginia

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah today said his group would not be affected by fresh US sanctions because it receives its money directly from Iran, not via Lebanese banks.
	In a speech broadcast by the Shiite party's Al-Manar station, Nasrallah brushed off assertions that Hezbollah would be hurt by US sanctions on Lebanese financial institutions that work with the group.
	"We do not have any business projects or investments via banks," Nasrallah said, insisting the group "will not be affected."
	"We are open about the fact that Hezbollah's budget, its income, its expenses, everything it eats and drinks, its weapons and rockets, are from the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added.
	Iran was instrumental in Hezbollah's inception three decades ago and has provided financial and military support to the group.
	In December, the US Congress voted to impose sanctions on banks that deal with Hezbollah, considered a "terrorist group" by the US.
	And last month, Lebanon's central bank instructed ..

Hezbollah brushes off US sanctions, says money comes via Iran

A Chinese media outlet that carried a call for President Xi Jinping to resign has been shut down and two of its staff have been detained for more than 100 days, according to a social media post today.
	Wujie News website in March published an anonymous letter accusing the Chinese leader of a litany of policy mistakes and asking him to step down for the good of the country on the eve of a high-profile political meeting.
	The letter, signed "Loyal Communist Party members," was quickly deleted and staff reported a wave of detentions as authorities tried to track down the document's author.
	Wujie also stopped publishing original articles on its website.
	Media criticism of top leaders is almost unheard of in China, where the press is strictly controlled.
	Wujie chief executive officer Ouyang Hongliang and senior editor Cheng Shengzhong have been "out of contact" for 101 days "assisting relevent departments with an investigation", Ouyang's wife Liu Yankun said in a letter posted on social 

2 China media staff still held after Xi 'resign' call: letter

A woman who claimed that witchcraft caused her to leave her baby to drown on a beach in northern France was today sentenced to 20 years in jail.
	Fabienne Kabou, 39, had faced life imprisonment for the November 19, 2013, murder, but the court deemed that she suffered from impaired judgement.
	The court in the town of Saint-Omer, near Calais, also ordered Kabou to undergo psychological treatment as it wrapped up her headline-grabbing trial.
	Her lawyer, Fabienne Roy-Nansion, expressed dismay over an "extremely heavy" verdict reached after the five-day trial and said Kabou planned to appeal.
	The woman of Senegalese origin confessed to travelling from her home near Paris to the town of Berck on the English Channel with the aim of drowning Adelaide, who was 13 months old.
	Kabou said she checked the local tide chart before abandoning the baby on the beach as the tide was coming in.
	Prawn fishermen found Adelaide's lifeless body the next morning.
	Kabou, who grew up in a well-off ...

French woman who left baby to drown gets 20 years in jail

Russian President Vladimir Putin today said the British government was "overconfident" and "superficial" in the EU referendum, and denied taking a position on Brexit.
	The organisation of the referendum was "nothing more than overconfidence and a superficial approach to solving fateful decisions for one's country, and Europe as a whole, on the part of the British leadership," Putin said,in comments broadcast on Russian state television.
	"It will have consequences for the United Kingdom, for all of Europe and for us, of course," he added.
	Many observers have said that Brexit would play into the Putin's hands as he has been accused of driving a wedge between EU members.
	But Putin today said that Russia had never "interferred, never expressed our opinion on the matter" and dismissed attempts to associate Moscow with the UK vote to split from the European bloc.
	"Of course we closely followed what is happening but did not in any way influence the process and didn't even try to," the ...

Putin blames Brexit on London's 'overconfidence'

Tens of thousands of Londoners signed a petition for their metropolis to stay in the European Union today, as Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city must have a say in Britain's exit negotiations.
	More than 40,000 people signed a petition on the change.Org website saying: "Declare London independent from the UK and apply to join the EU".
	While Britain voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the EU in yesterday's referendum, 60 per cent of Londoners voted for Britain to stay.
	"London is an international city, and we want to remain at the heart of Europe," the petition said.
	"Let's face it - the rest of the country disagrees. So rather than passive aggressively vote against each other at every election, let's make the divorce official and move in with our friends on the continent.
	"This petition is calling on Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare London independent, and apply to join the EU," it said.
	Khan himself issued a statement on the negotiations for Britain's departure from the EU.
	"It is ...

Thousands of Londoners demand independence after Brexit

The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement said the offensive on the city of Aleppo was the "greatest battle" in Syria, pledging to dispatch more fighters to support Syrian regime forces.
	In remarks broadcast on the Shiite group's Al-Manar television, Hassan Nasrallah said his party would "increase our presence in Aleppo... Because the real, strategic, greatest battle is in Aleppo and the surrounding area."
	He spoke at a commemoration event for Mustafa Badreddine, a Hezbollah commander killed in an explosion on May 12 near Damascus international airport.
	Hezbollah has intervened in Syria's complex war on behalf of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and has dispatched thousands of fighters to Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs provinces, among others.
	Aleppo city -- once Syria's economic hub -- in particular has seen an uptick in violence over the past two months between government forces in the west and rebel groups in the east.
	Regime fighters, backed by Hezbollah and government and .

Fight for Aleppo 'greatest battle' in Syria: Hezbollah chief

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro finish giving their fingerprints to electoral authorities today to wrap up a key stage in their drive for a referendum to remove him.
	Already used to queuing for hours to buy food in an economic crisis, this week they lined up at electoral offices for a sometime frustrating process.
	Officials were taking their electronic fingerprints to authenticate signatures on a petition calling for a recall referendum. That is just one stage in a months-long bureaucratic process.
	One voter in the northern city of Maracay, civil servant Felix Rodriguez, skipped off work to come and give his signature.
	He has no flour, milk or meat in his kitchen. His old truck is broken down and there are no spare parts available.
	"Prices are going up every day, on top of the shortages," he said. "Whether you have money or not, you've got problems."
	In Maracay the electoral office opened late, due to electricity cuts.
	The queue stretched for several blocks in .

Frustrated Venezuelans finish fingerprinting for referendum

A handful of faded photographs has long been Suntali Rasaili's only treasured momento of her teenage daughter, allegedly executed by Nepali soldiers at the height of the Maoist insurgency.
	But a decade after Maoist rebels signed a peace pact, families of victims are also hoping for justice, as Nepal prepares this month to start investigations into crimes committed during the conflict.
	Rasaili is among thousands filing complaints with two commissions, one of which is headed by a high-ranking judge and the other by a senior parliamentary official.
	The commissions have a two-year term and were set up to probe murders, rapes, forced disappearances and other atrocities.
	"I feel like I won't find any peace until I die... Not unless I get justice for my daughter," Rasaili told AFP.
	One night in February 2004, dozens of soldiers turned up at Rasaili's home, demanding to see her daughter Reena whom they suspected of being a Maoist.
	Plucking the 17-year-old from her bed, the soldiers ...

Decade after Nepal peace pact, war crimes finally probed

World oil prices plunged over USD 2.00 a barrel today amid a surging dollar and financial markets turmoil after Britain's surprise vote to leave the European Union.
	Around 1440 GMT, both the US and London benchmark crude futures contracts were down four percent or more, after having clawed back sharper losses from earlier in the day.
	West Texas Intermediate for August delivery lost USD 2.04 (4.0 per cent) at USD 48.07 a barrel. When trade opened WTI fell to USD 47.57.
	In London, Brent North Sea crude for August delivery, the international benchmark, was down USD 2.21 (4.3 per cent) at USD 48.70 a barrel. It had traded as low as USD 47.54 hours earlier.
	Britain's historic vote to withdraw from the European Union sent shudders through global markets today amid concerns about the decision's negative impact on the global economy.
	"The election in the UK has driven the dollar sharply higher and sent oil prices tumbling," said Gene McGillian of Tradition Energy. A stronger greenback ...

Oil market slammed after Britain votes to leave EU

Britain's economy plunged into a dizzying unknown today, as the world economy braced for a hit to growth and unemployment after the UK voted to ditch the EU.
	Financial markets illustrated the turbulence that could lie ahead for the world's fifth biggest economy, with the pound collapsing to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985 and equity investors nursing heavy losses.
	Campaigners wanting Britain to remain part of the European Union argued long and hard about the economic risks of Brexit, but ultimately failed to convince a majority of voters in Thursday's referendum.
	The UK must now face up to the swirling winds of economic change, as International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde called on Britain and Europe to work together to ensure that the pullout will occur smoothly.
	In the immediate term, a financial storm has already blown far and wide across global trading floors.
	"It's been a bloodbath. Carnage," said David Papier, head of sales trading at ETX Capital, ..

UK economy plunges into Brexit unknown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reached out to Britain and the European Union after Britons voted to split from the bloc, saying Canada would "continue to build relationships with both parties."
	"The UK and the EU are important strategic partners for Canada with whom we enjoy deep historical ties and common values," the prime minister said in a statement.
	"We will continue to build relations with both parties as they forge a new relationship."
	Britain is Canada's third-largest trading partner after the United States and China, and Ottawa had supported Britain staying in the EU.
	The former British colony is also seeking to finalize a free trade deal with the EU, signed in 2014.
	The Canadian dollar lost about a cent against the US greenback while the Toronto stock market opened up slightly, in response to the Brexit.
	Trudeau commented, "We are well positioned to weather global market uncertainty as we have done in the past.

Canada PM vows forge new ties with Britain and EU

Aung San Suu Kyi vowed today to work towards bringing home hundreds of thousands of Myanmar people who fled her impoverished and war-torn country under its former military leaders.
	The democracy champion was speaking during her first visit as a state leader to neighbouring Thailand, where legions of low-paid Myanmar migrants prop up the economy with back-breaking labour.
	Over 100,000 refugees who fled ethnic conflicts with the Myanmar army are also kept in Thai camps along the border.
	"What we want is that all people displaced from our country should come back to us and should come back to the kind of conditions which they will never want to move again," Suu Kyi told a press conference in Bangkok.
	"For this we will need to do a lot of work," she cautioned, stressing that it would take time to revive an economy battered by mismanagement under the former junta, whose five-decade reign plunged the country into brutal poverty.
	"Job creation is of the greatest importance for our ...

Myanmar's Suu Kyi vows to bring exiled countrymen home

The pound plunged and world stock markets slumped today after Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union, fuelling a wave of global uncertainty.
	Sterling crashed 10 percent to a 31-year low at one point and the euro also plummeted against the dollar, as the Brexit result caught markets by surprise.
	European stocks went into free fall at the opening, mirroring a rout in Asian markets, after traders had banked in the run-up on Britain opting to remain in the EU based on polls and bookmakers' predictions.
	London's benchmark FTSE-100 index plummeted 7.5 per cent after opening but began to recover some of the losses after British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would step down.
	In midafternoon trading, London stocks were around three and a half percent down. But its eurozone counterparts, Frankfurt and Paris, both fell much more as financial stocks took the biggest hit.
	US stocks slipped more than two percent.
	UniCredit Research economist Daniel Vernazza said British ...

AFP

AFP

Page 1620 - Afp