Bahraini Shiite opposition activist Zainab al-Khawaja, who was released from jail this week on "humanitarian" grounds, announced today that she has left the country.
	"It pains me to leave, but I leave carrying our cause on my back, and my love for my country in my chest," Khawaja, who left for Denmark where she also holds nationality, said on Twitter.
	Her sister Maryam, likewise on Twitter, said Zainab left on Monday with her children after having received undisclosed threats.
	Bahraini authorities said they released Khawaja, who had been held in prison with her toddler son since March, on May 31 because of her "humanitarian situation".
	The Shiite mother had been convicted of insulting King Hamad by ripping up a picture of him, and she had chosen to keep her 17-month-old son with her in jail.
	Judicial authorities ordered "the suspension of the sentence" for Khawaja.
	She is the daughter of prominent rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is serving a life sentence for plotting .

Prominent opposition activist leaves Bahrain after release

PTI Automatic

Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has pledged allegiance to new Afghan Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, whose predecessor was killed in a US drone strike, SITE monitoring group reported today.
	The pledge came in a 14-minute audio message posted online, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group said.

Qaeda chief vows allegiance to new Taliban leader: SITE

Qaeda chief pledges allegiance to new Taliban leader: SITE.

Afghanistan today hailed Washington's decision to expand the US military's authority to tackle a resurgent Taliban insurgency, saying the support will boost the capacity of struggling local forces.
	The decision will allow US troops, who have been in a training and advisory role in Afghanistan since the start of 2015, collaborate more closely with local forces in striking the Taliban.
	"We welcome the US announcement of broader involvement in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan," defence ministry spokesman Daulat Waziri told AFP.
	"We may not need more boots on the ground, but we need their advisers and we need them to equip our air force. Their involvement will increase our capacity in operations on the ground."
	The US announcement comes after Afghan forces, beset by record casualties, desertions and troop shortages, suffered a string of setbacks last year at the hands of the Taliban.
	"We welcome measures taken by the US as our strategic partner to fight terrorism," said deputy ...

Afghanistan welcomes broader US military role against Taliban

Scoreboard at lunch on the third day of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's on Saturday:
        England 1st Innings 416 (J Bairstow 167 no, A Cook 85, C Woakes 66; R Herath 4-81, S Lakmal 3-90)
        Sri Lanka 1st Innings (overnight: 162-1)
	   D. Karunaratne c Bairstow b Finn         50
	   K. Silva c Bairstow b Broad              79
	   K. Mendis lbw b Woakes                   25
	   L. Thirimanne c Root b Finn              17
	   A. Mathews c Root b Woakes                3
	   D. Chandimal lbw b Finn                  19
	   K. Perera not out                        12
	   R. Herath not out                         2
	   Extras (lb10, w1)                        11
	   Total (6 wkts, 75 overs, 336 mins)      218
	   To bat: S Lakmal, S Eranga, N Pradeep
	   Fall of wickets: 1-108 (Karunaratne), 2-162 (Mendis), 3-166 (Silva), 4-169 (Mathews), 5-202 (Chandimal), 6-205 (Thirimanne)
	   Bowling: Anderson 15-3-45-0; Broad 16-5-50-1; Finn 16-1-52-3 (1w); Woakes ...

London, June  11, 2016 (AFP) Scoreboard at lunch on the third day of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's on Saturday:

Chris Woakes sparked a Sri Lanka collapse on the third day of the third Test against England at Lord's on Saturday.
	Sri Lanka, well-placed at 162 for one overnight, were 218 for six at lunch -- 198 runs behind England's first innings 416.
	England, bidding to complete a whitewash at 2-0 up in the three-match series, took five wickets for 56 runs in Saturday's first session.
	Kusal Perera, playing his first match in more than six months after a drugs ban was rescinded because of a faulty test, was 12 not out and Rangana Herath two not out.
	Sri Lanka resumed with Kaushal Silva 79 not out and Kusal Mendis 25 not.
	But they both fell for their overnight scores as Sri Lanka collapsed in overcast conditions that made batting harder than had been the case on Friday.
	Sri Lanka had not added a run when Woakes had Mendis lbw with his first ball Saturday to end a partnership of 54.
	It was just reward for the Warwickshire all-rounder, who saw Jonny Bairstow drop a simple catch off his bowling 

Woakes sparks Sri Lanka slump

Suicide bombers struck outside a Shiite shrine near Syria's capital today, leaving at least 20 people dead, a monitor said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.
	The official SANA news agency said two suicide bombers, one in a car, attacked the entrance to the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, which is revered by Shiites around the world.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said at least 20 people were killed, including 13 civilians, and more than 30 wounded in the blasts.
	SANA gave a toll of at least 12 dead and 55 wounded.
	IS claimed the attack via its Amaq news agency, saying it was carried out by three suicide bombers.
	The shrine, around 10 kilometres south of the centre of Damascus, is heavily guarded by pro-government forces but has still been the target of several jihadist attacks, including those claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
	Syria's official Al-Ikhbariya channel showed images from the scene of burned-out cars billowing ..

Suicide bombers 'kill 20' outside Syria shrine

A 22-year-old Dutch woman is being held in Qatar on suspicion of adultery after she said she was raped while on holiday there, her lawyer and Dutch media said today.
	The woman says she was drugged in a hotel, and that she realised she had been raped when she woke up in an unfamiliar apartment.
	"She was arrested in March on suspicion of adultery, which means having sex outside marriage," lawyer Brian Lokollo told Dutch radio NOS-Radio1.
	A Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman confirmed the arrest but said the young woman, whom she named as Laura, has not been charged.
	Daphne Kerremans added that "the enquiry is ongoing" and that Dutch authorities are in regular contact with Laura.
	The woman's lawyer said that the case concerns a trip his client made in March to a Qatar hotel where the consumption of alcohol is allowed.
	"She went dancing but when she returned to the table after the first sip of her drink, she realised that" she had been drugged, Lokollo said.
	"She felt very unwell," 

Dutch woman held in Qatar after making rape complaint

Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped inside the northern Syrian city of Manbij after US-backed fighters surrounded the Islamic State group stronghold, a monitor said today.
	The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) encircled Manbij on Friday, severing IS's principal supply route between Turkey and its de facto Syrian capital, Raqa.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, said warplanes from a US-led coalition were conducting heavy bombing raids on Manbij.
	"Tens of thousands of civilians who are still there can't leave as all the routes out of the city are cut," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
	The US envoy to the anti-IS coalition backing the SDF, Brett McGurk, said the surrounding of Manbij had severed an important route for IS fighters.
	"ISIL terrorists now completely surrounded with no way out," he wrote on Twitter, using another name for IS.
	The city has been held by IS since 2014 and the Observatory said that thousands of inhabitants had 

Thousands of civilians trapped in Syria's Manbij: monitor

Eight people including three children died today in a house fire in South Africa's Cape Town city, a spokeswoman for local firefighters said.
	"A house fire broke broke out before nine (am) this morning. The fire left eight people deceased and five people were taken to hospital for serious injuries," Liezl Moodie told AFP, adding that three of the dead were minors.
	The cause of the blaze in Mitchells Plain, one of the country's largest townships, was not immediately clear.

Eight die in South Africa fire tragedy

Around 20,000 passengers were stranded today after Scandinavian airline SAS cancelled 159 flights due to a Swedish pilots' strike that entered its second day, SAS said.
	"We have done all that's in our power to avoid a strike, but we have unfortunately been unable to come to an agreement. Our main priority now is to take care of our customers and (we) are working vigilantly to do everything we can to assist passengers affected," SAS spokeswoman Karin Nyman said in a statement.
	SAS flights flown by Danish and Norwegian pilots were to operate as normal, she said.
	The walkout comes during SAS' peak season, and has hit charter groups hard.
	"Many flights are of course fully booked, so the chances of rebooking a flight are not the best. We're doing what we can to help in the best way possible and find alternatives for our travellers," Nyman told news agency TT.
	The strike broke out yesterday at 6:00 PM, after the Swedish pilots union SPF rejected the mediators' proposal of a 2.2 per ...

20,000 stranded as SAS pilots strike for second day

A double bomb attack outside a Shiite shrine near Syria's capital killed at least eight people today, in the latest in repeated deadly strikes on the revered site, state media said.
	The official SANA news agency said a suicide bomber and a car bomb struck at the entrance to the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, which is revered by Shiites around the world.
	The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, reported a higher toll of at least 12 people killed and 30 wounded in the blasts.
	The shrine, around 10 kilometres south of the centre of Damascus, is heavily guarded by pro-government forces but has still been the target of several jihadist attacks, including those claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
	Syria's official Al-Ikhbariya channel showed images from the scene of burned-out cars billowing with plumes of black smoke.
	Firefighters battled to extinguish the flames as shop signs lay in the street.
	The last attack on Sayyida Zeinab on April 25 killed at ...

Bombers kill eight outside shrine near Syrian capital

Germany's top selling weekly today begged Britons to stay in the European Union, in a special issue published less than two weeks ahead of the June 23 referendum.
	"Please don't go!" reads the front cover of Der Spiegel magazine in both English and German with a full-page Union Jack as the cover image.
	"Why Germany needs the British," the 23-page special dubbed "the Brexit issue" sets out to explain.
	"The choice is between a moment of pride and a new future built together," wrote the magazine's editors in chief Klaus Brinkbaeumer and Florian Harms.
	"If Britain is clever, it will remain a member of the EU, because it will recognise that the future of the West is at stake," they added in their editorial column.
	"So if Britain is clever, it will realise that it is not a world power on its own, that it will lose much with a yes to Brexit on June 23, and gain nothing but a brief moment of pride."
	In an interview with Der Spiegel, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned yesterday ...

'Please don't go,' German weekly tells Britain

The Solar Impulse 2 aircraft flew by the Statue of Liberty, ending the US portion of its bid to circle the globe using only solar power.
	"It's absolutely incredible," Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg said over a live video feed as the iconic statue lit up the night below him. "It's a dream here."
	The light, slow-moving aircraft later landed at New York's Kennedy Airport, completing the five hour flight from Lehigh Valley Airport in Pennsylvania.
	Cameras in a boat in New York harbor captured the innovative solar powered aircraft as it flew over the Verrazano Bridge and headed toward the towering Lady Liberty.
	It circled the statue and cruised along the Manhattan skyline before turning back south for the landing at Kennedy, one minute ahead of schedule at 3:59 am.
	Ending the US crossing at the Statue of Liberty "is a very strong moment for me", said Borschberg as he approached New York, calling it a "symbol of the freedom of enterprise, the freedom to innovate."
	It was the 14th leg of 

Sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 aircraft reaches Statue of Liberty

Thirty-seven South Asian migrants, including from India, without visas have been detained in Colombia after they were abandoned by human traffickers, officials said.
	They were found near the town Riosucio that borders Panama after being "abandoned by individuals who transported them from one country to another," said the Colombian Navy in a release.
	The migrants -- 36 men and one woman -- came from Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan.
	Officials transferred them to the port town Turbo on the coast of the Gulf of Uraba, part of the Caribbean Sea. There they received food and medical attention before taken into the custody of migration authorities, said the statement.
	Colombian officials have intercepted 322 undocumented individuals in Turbo, the majority Cuban, who are now in a shelter awaiting word from migration officials who will decide if they can stay, said Emelides Munoz, Turbo's government secretary.
	Within the past 15 days more than 750 undocumented migrants have been ...

Colombia detains Asian migrants deserted by human traffickers

Missing inspirational World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm, Germany begin Euro 2016 against Ukraine tomorrow with major doubts over whether they can reach the heights of Brazil two years ago.
     The versatile Lahm retired from international football after the World Cup leaving a gap that coach Joachim Loew has found difficult to fill, whilst a series of injuries have further disrupted Germany's preparation.
     Moreover, erratic form in qualifying and in the build-up to the Euros has eroded confidence in the world champions.
     Germany suffered away defeats to both Ireland and Poland in qualifying and threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at home to England in March.
     An inexperienced side including several debutants lost to Slovakia last month before a full-strength side struggled to see off Hungary last Saturday.
     "We saw that we've needed to turn one or two screws to make improvements," Loew said on Friday.
     "In a few situations (in the warm-up games) we weren't 

Lack of form, fitness cast doubts over Germans Euros bid

Former West Indies cricketer Franklyn Rose, who was deported from New Zealand earlier this year, has claimed the country is not safe for international cricketers "especially if they are black".
     Rose, who was the subject of a sex assault complaint while living in the country, told Television New Zealand on Saturday he was racially stereotyped by police.
     The sex assault investigation was eventually dropped with no charges laid and the 44-year-old was deported in April for overstaying his visa having spent his final weeks in prison.
     Rose, who played 19 Test matches for the West Indies between 1997-2000 and is now back in Jamaica, had been in New Zealand since 2011 on a work visa to play and coach in Auckland.
     "You cannot invite someone to your country to play and coach cricket, then throw him in jail for no reason, then kick him out of your country," he said.
     "What have I done to be locked in a prison cell for seven weeks? I felt so terrified and nervous when I ..

Ex-Windies Rose says NZealand 'unsafe for black cricketers'

With France heading for disappointment, Dimitri Payet unleashed a sensational goal to rescue the European Championship hosts who claimed a 2-1 win over Romania in an emotional opening match.
     In a packed Stade de France surrounded by thousands of police guarding against a repeat of the Novermber 13 attacks on Paris, coach Didier Deschamps said a nation's expectations had weighed heavily.
     "The players felt it and that imposes obligations. Psychologically it was not easy to manage but we were rewarded" with the win, he said.
     Germany, Spain, Italy, England and other rivals for the European title cannot have failed to notice France's frailties in defence and Payet's inspirational performance.
     After a nervous start against a Romanian team with nothing to lose, the 29-year-old Payet, who only broke into the France team this year, provided the cross for Olivier Giroud to head France into the lead in the 57th minute.
     Romania had defended stubbornly. Bogdan Stancu ...

France overcome pressure to win Euro 2016 opener

A North Korean anti-smoking campaign has apparently failed to persuade young leader Kim Jong-Un to quit, despite his late father's warning that "a cigarette is like a gun aiming at your heart".
	During a public campaign to lower the country's high rate of smoking, Kim was seen without a cigarette for more than 80 days, sparking speculation that he may have kicked the habit.
	But a photo in the North's top newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, last week of Kim smiling and holding a burning cigarette while visiting a children's camp in Pyongyang seems to have dampened such expectations.
	There have been plenty of photos of Kim lighting up in the past.
	He smoked when he inspected a ballistic missile plant, visited construction sites, toured a hospital and attended various sports competitions and art performances.
	He puffed away on an underground train and even in front of his pregnant wife.
	The North's state media have been hailing Pyongyang's "hectic" anti-smoking campaign, which has been ...

N Korean anti-tobacco push up in smoke as Kim keeps puffing

England sporting captains past and present, Alan Shearer and Alastair Cook head the sports stars to receive honours in Queen Elizabeth II's birthday honours list.
     Shearer, former skipper of the national football side, and present cricket captain Cook are both made Commanders of the British Empire (CBE).
     Several notable female sporting personalities also feature including Martine Wiltshire, the sitting volleyball player and Paralympian who lost her legs in the 7/7 London bombings, for her services to sport.
     Shearer, who is now a respected pundit with the BBC, gets his recognition for his charitable services to the community in North East England.
     Cook is made a CBE for his services to cricket. Last month he became, at 31 years and 157 days, the youngest player and first English batsman to reach the landmark of 10,000 Test runs.
     Both Shearer and Cook have already been honoured with the former receiving an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001 and the latter .

Shearer and Cook head Queen's sporting honours

Arturo Vidal scored a controversial penalty deep into injury time as holders Chile snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bolivia to keep their Copa America Centenario campaign alive here.
     Bayern Munich star Vidal struck from the spot in the 10th minute of time added on after a hugely debatable penalty was awarded against Bolivian defender Luis Gutierrez for handball by US referee Jair Marrufo.
     Television replays showed Gutierrez had his right arm behind his back to avoid conceding a handball but Alexis Sanchez's cross struck him on the shoulder and Marrufo pointed to the spot after the apparent intervention of the linesman.
     Bolivia's players surrounded the referee for angry protests but Marrufo's decision stood and it was left to Vidal to drive home the penalty.
     The result gives Chile hope of reaching the last eight following their opening defeat to Argentina in Group D.
     Earlier a stunning 61st minute free-kick from Kuwait-based playmaker Jhasmani Campos ...

AFP

AFP

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