At least 16 people died when a makeshift home for elderly people outside the Ukrainian capital Kiev caught fire in the early hours today, the emergencies ministry said.
	"The bodies of 16 people have been found at the site of the fire," the Ukrainian emergencies ministry said in a statement, adding that the improvised temporary home for the elderly was located in the village of Litochki outside Kiev. "The fate of one person remains unknown.

At least 16 die in fire at Ukraine home for elderly: Official

PTI Automatic

The body of a British man missing for four days after a tourist speedboat crashed in southern Thailand was found today on rocks close to where the boat went down, bringing the death toll to four.
	The vessel, which was carrying 32 tourists plus four crew, capsized Thursday afternoon after it was slammed by a wave near a rocky stretch of coast on Koh Samui, a popular island in the Gulf of Thailand.
	The accident threw all of the passengers overboard, trapping some under the ship's hull.
	The bodies of three women -- from the United Kingdom, Germany and Hong Kong -- were soon located while rescuers battled rough seas to search for 46-year-old Briton, Jason Parnell.
	"Rescue workers found his body at 9:25am near the accident site," Lieutenant General Ukhcarawath Sithanaubol, told AFP.
	"His body was trapped among the rock. Rescue workers are bringing his body ashore by rubber boat now and we have called off the search operation," he added.
	Parnell was travelling his wife who survived ...

Fourth body found after Thailand speedboat accident

When Swiss engineer Carl Eduard Gruner came up with the idea to build the world's longest rail tunnel under the Alps in 1947, he predicted the visionary project could be finished by the start of the 21st century.
	He would turn out to be off by 16 years.
	Gruner's sketch and technical paper called "Journey through the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) in the year 2000" planted the seeds for a venture that will be launched this week and aims to transform travel through the heart of Europe.
	Constructing the 57-kilometre (35-mile) rail tunnel took just over 12 billion Swiss francs (USD 12 billion, 11 billion euros) and some 2,400 workers, according to Swiss government statistics.
	More than 28 million tonnes of rock had to be excavated from the mountain near the Gotthard pass.
	The bumpy road from Gruner's initial idea to the official start of construction in 1999 included bureaucratic delays and concern over the project's financial viability.
	Switzerland's federal government set up a ...

World's longest rail tunnel sees light at end of decades' wait

An embezzlement charge against a powerful Buddhist abbot has unleashed his super-rich temple's PR machine, with Twitter-using Thai monks orchestrating his defence over a scandal that has opened a bitter rupture at the heart of the nation's faith.
	"There has never been a temple of this size in Thai history," orange-robed Phra Pasura Dantamano says as he gestures towards Dhammakaya temple's pristine, 1,000-acre compound north of Bangkok where peacocks roam the lawns and white-clad devotees meditate.
	But the affable monk's comments apply to more than the temple's enormous, futuristic architecture - including a building that famously resembles a gigantic UFO.
	Dhammakaya is also regarded as the wealthiest in Buddhist-majority Thailand, thanks in part to tech-savvy devotees who have cultivated a fervent following, raised tens of millions of dollars and set up outposts in dozens of countries across the globe.
	Phra Pasura, the monk in charge of the temple's 60-member International Affairs 

Media-savvy Thai monks wage PR war to defend scandal-hit abbot

Indonesian activist Adlun Fiqri could be jailed for wearing a T-shirt allegedly bearing a leftist logo, one of many caught up in a backlash against efforts to shine a light on military-backed, anti-communist massacres half a century ago.
	Police and the military have in recent weeks rounded up people for allegedly spreading communism - which remains outlawed in Indonesia - through logos on T-shirts.
	They have also seized books about communism and stopped a film screening that touched on the subject.
	It came after the government last month took timid steps towards making peace with one of the nation's darkest chapters - the killing of at least 500,000 people in anti-communist massacres in 1965-66, conducted by local groups with military support.
	The killings began after General Suharto put down a coup attempt blamed on communists. He rose to power on the back of the bloodshed, and went on to lead Indonesia with an iron fist for three decades.
	During his rule, the massacres were ...

Indonesia's bid to probe massacres sparks backlash

Cristiano Ronaldo added the finishing touches as Real Madrid were crowned kings of Europe for an 11th time with a 5-3 penalties victory over Atletico Madrid, after a 1-1 draw in the Champions League final.
     Two years after reviving Real's bid for a 10th title, captain Sergio Ramos struck the opener after just 15 minutes at a packed San Siro yesterday.
     But the match was pushed into extra time when Belgian Yannick Carrasco came off the bench to level on 79 minutes.
     After two, scoreless periods of extra time the match went to penalties.
	And when defender Juanfran's effort blasted off the bottom of Keylor Navas's upright, it gave Real the advantage.
	Ronaldo stepped up and made no mistake, securing the trophy for the second time in three years to leave a dejected Atletico with the crumbs again after an agonising defeat.
	Real, inaugural winners of the competition in 1956, claimed their 10th title two years ago in Lisbon when a late Ramos leveller pushed the match into ...

Ronaldo hits shoot-out winner as Real crowned kings of Europe

Argentina star Lionel Messi, one of the world's highest-paid athletes, goes on trial in Barcelona on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding Spain of over four million euros in unpaid taxes.
     After winning a league and Cup double with Barcelona, the five-time World Player of the Year and his father will confront in court the accusations that have dogged him since June 2013.
     The trial will run until June 2 -- the day when Messi is due to testify along with his father.
     The court appearance comes just days before he joins his Argentina teammates for the Copa America in the United States.
     Argentina take on defending champions Chile in their first game of the tournament in California on June 6.
     Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros ($4.7 million) of Messi's income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-09.
     They have been charged with ...

Messi due to go on trial in Spain for tax fraud

Serena Williams admitted that the health dangers posed by the Zika virus in Rio ahead of the Olympics are a serious concern while Novak Djokovic pleaded for the impact on Brazilians not to be under-estimated.
     "It's something that's been on my mind. I'm really just gonna have to go super protected," said 34-year-old Williams, the defending Olympic champion, after making the last-16 of the French Open with a 6-4, 7-6 (12/10) win over home hope Kristina Mladenovic yesterday.
     An open letter addressed to the World Health Organisation (WHO) signed by 150 international doctors, scientists and researchers Friday called for the August Games to be moved or delayed to help prevent the spread of Zika.
     Holding the Games in Rio, the second worst affected city in Brazil, would be "irresponsible" and "unethical" and could risk spreading the virus to "poor, as-yet unaffected places" like Africa and South Asia.
     However, the WHO said moving the Olympics would not have a major impact .

Serena concerned by Zika at Olympics

Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams both swept into the last 16 at the French Open on a rain-hit Saturday in Paris, while Dominic Thiem confirmed his status as an outsider to win the men's title.
     French hopes of a first home win in 33 years, meanwhile, were dealt a heavy blow when sixth-seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired with a groin injury in the first set of his match with Ernests Gulbis.
     Djokovic, who can become just the eighth man to win all four Grand Slam tournaments should be emerge triumphant next weekend, beat Britain's Aljaz Bedene 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 just before the light became too poor to play in.
     The Serb, winner of the last three Grand Slam tournaments, has seen his chances of adding the French title considerably improved by the shock injury withdrawal of nine-time champion Rafael Nadal.
     "It was important to finish this evening," was Djokovic's relieved comment on his late show before thanking the umpire for keeping the action going despite the ...

Serena, Djokovic march on, Thiem impresses at French Open

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will today stand shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield of Verdun to remember those killed 100 years ago in one of the bloodiest episodes of World War I.
	To mark the centenary, Hollande and Merkel will lay wreaths at cemeteries holding the dead of both sides in the northeast French town.
	The 1916 offensive lasted 300 days and claimed more than 300,000 lives.
	Both leaders are expected to use the day of remembrance to stress the need for unity at a time when the European Union is under pressure from the migrant crisis and a possible Brexit.
	Speaking on the eve of the commemorations, Merkel underlined the close ties between the neighbouring countries, often described as the twin motors of Europe.
	"To be invited to these commemorations shows the extent to which relations between France and Germany are good today," she said.
	In the run-up to the ceremony, Hollande recalled the moment during the 1984 commemoration 

Hollande, Merkel remember WWI dead 100 yrs after Verdun battle

Tropical Storm Bonnie formed off the southeastern US coast, forecasters have said, dashing beach plans for some Americans at the start of the long Memorial Day weekend.
	Heavy rain was spreading across coastal areas of South Carolina, with the National Hurricane Center warning that the storm could spawn isolated tornadoes later yesterday or early today.
	Packing maximum sustained winds of some 40 miles per hour (65 kilometres per hour), Bonnie was located about 125 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, at 2100 GMT, according to the latest bulletin from the Miami-based NHC.
	Moving to the northwest at about 10 mph, a tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the state.
	"Some additional strengthening is possible tonight as Bonnie moves over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream," the NHC said. "Gradual weakening is forecast on Sunday."
	Bonnie was expected to dump up to five inches (13 centimetres) of rain from eastern South Carolina through southeastern North ...

Tropical storm Bonnie forms off southeastern US coast

NASA has successfully expanded and pressurised an add-on room at the International Space Station two days after aborting the first attempt when it ran into problems.
	The flexible habitat, known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), completed slowly extending 67 inches (170 centimeters) at 4:10 pm (2010 GMT) following more than seven hours during which astronaut Jeff Williams released short blasts of air into the pod's walls from the orbiting lab using a manual valve yesterday.
	After the expansion was completed, he opened eight air tanks inside BEAM, pressurising the pod to a level close to the space station's 14.7 pounds per square inch.
	"The module is fully expanded at this point and fully pressurised," NASA spokesman Daniel Huot said. "A very successful day today with the expansion of the first expandable human-rated habitat to ever be flown into space."
	Astronauts will now perform a series of tests to ensure the pod does not leak air and conduct other preparations ..

NASA inflates spare room in space

New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard Bryce Dejean-Jones died from a gunshot wound to his abdomen -- he was 23.
	Police told the Dallas Morning News and Des Moines Register that Dejean-Jones was killed early yesterday after kicking open the door of a Dallas apartment and being shot by the man inside.
	Authorities said the man, who had been sleeping before the forced entry, fired from inside his bedroom after Dejean-Jones kicked the door to the room. He collapsed in an outer hallway and died at a hospital.
	"It is with deep sadness that the Pelicans organisation acknowledges the sudden passing of Bryce Dejean-Jones," the team said in a statement.
	"We are devastated at the loss of this young man's life who had such a promising future ahead of him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bryce's family through this difficult time."
	Dejean-Jones signed a three-year contract with the Pelicans in February after playing on back-to-back 10-day deals.
	He averaged 5.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 ...

NBA: Pelicans rookie Dejean-Jones dies from gunshot wound

One man was killed and several people, including children, were injured today as lightning strikes hit parts of Europe, including a park in Paris and a football pitch in Germany.
	In southern Poland a man in his forties was killed when he was struck by lightning as he descended the Babia Gora mountain, local media said.
	Three others were injured by lighting in the region while a 61-year-old man drowned in floodwaters, according to TVN24 television and PAP news agency.
	In Germany, more than 30 people were taken to hospital in the western village of Hoppstaedten when lightning struck the pitch at the end of a children's football match.
	Most of those affected were children, who were taken to hospital as a precaution and were found to be unharmed.
	However three adults were seriously injured including the 45-year-old referee who was hit directly and had to be resuscitated before being rushed to hospital by helicopter.
	In Paris, 11 people, eight of them children, were injured when ...

One dead, several injured as lightning storms hit Europe

A 24-year-old from the Ivory Coast who survived a shipwreck in the Mediterranean has drowned in a lake in northern Italy, Italian media said today.
	Lesine Sanune was living at a hotel-turned-migrant-centre near Turin after making it alive to Italy despite the rickety vessel he was on overturning during the crossing to Europe.
	According to witnesses, he dived into the cold waters of the Lake Sirio in Chaiverano for a swim immediately after eating and never returned to the surface, La Stampa daily said.
	His body was recovered over two hours later by divers with the fire service.
	"It's absurd. He escaped the sea and died in this way. I'm lost for words," said Silvana Perrone, head of the Isola di Ariel association which runs the migrant centre.

Migrant who survived shipwreck drowns in Italy lake

Brazilian police today said they had arrested the first of more than 30 suspects wanted over the gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl whose attackers posted a graphic video online showing the aftermath of their brutal attack.
	The arrest came as some 70 military police fanned out across a slum west of Rio de Janeiro in a huge operation to apprehend those suspected of taking part in the assault that has shocked Brazil.
	The detained suspect, who was not identified, was being interrogated, said police, who vowed to bring the other alleged attackers to justice.
	Social media networks erupted with outrage over the footage posted on Wednesday featuring the girl naked on a bed and the apparent attackers bragging that she had been raped by more than 30 men.
	They are suspected of assaulting her on May 21 in Rio de Janeiro, a city stricken by violent crime and which will host the Olympic Games in August.
	"Those who committed this heinous crime will be found, will be imprisoned and condemned," ...

Brazil arrests first suspect after shocking gang-rape video

Far-right demonstrators burnt the EU flag today at a rally in Dover, Britain's closest town to continental Europe.
	Police officers in high-visibility jackets surrounded the small number of demonstrators as they marched along the seafront of the southeast English port town.
	One man held up an England flag with "Refugees NOT welcome" written on it.
	Immigration has been one of the major issues in run-up to the June 23 referendum, when Britain votes on whether to stay in the European Union or leave.
	"Far-right demonstrators have not succeeded in their attempts to close the port of Dover," said Charlie Elphicke, the MP for the town.
	"Just 30-odd of the far right have turned up. So much disruption created by so few selfish people."
	A rival counter-demonstration also took place.
	One woman held up a sign that read "Racism hurts everyone".
	Dover is 21 miles (34 kilometres) away from the northeast coast of France, which is visible across the Channel.
	With less than four weeks to go ...

British far-right burn EU flag as referendum looms

Chris Woakes compounded Sri Lanka's misery in the second Test following a hundred by Moeen Ali as England closed in on a series-clinching win at the Riverside today.
	At stumps on the second day, Sri Lanka had collapsed to 91 for eight, a huge deficit of 407 runs, after Ali's Test-best 155 not out had propelled England to 498 for nine declared.
	Woakes, only playing in this match because fellow seam-bowling all-rounder Ben Stokes was injured, took three wickets for five runs in 13 balls to reduce Sri Lanka to 67 for six.
	Rangana Herath (12) gamely resisted for over an hour before fending Stuart Broad to gully.
	Three balls later, Broad dismissed Shaminda Eranga when a leaping James Vince at third slip parried the ball before second slip Joe Root clutched the rebound.
	Lahiru Thirimanne was 12 not out at the close and Suranga Lakmal unbeaten on nought.
	England were now looking at their second innings victory in as many matches after their innings and 88-run win in the first Test of ..

Woakes and Ali pile pressure on Sri Lanka

Scoreboard at stumps on the second day of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka at the Riverside:
	   England 1st Innings (overnight: 310-6)
	   A. Cook c Karunaratne b Lakmal           15
	   A. Hales c Mathews b Siriwardana         83
	   N. Compton c Lakmal b Pradeep             9
	   J. Root c Silva b Pradeep                80
	   J. Vince c Thirimanne b Siriwardana      35
	   J. Bairstow c Chandimal b Pradeep        48
	   M. Ali not out                          155
	   C. Woakes c Mendis b Lakmal              39
	   S. Broad c Mendis b Pradeep               7
	   S. Finn c and b Herath                   10
	   J. Anderson not out                       8
	   Extras (b1, lb8)                          9
	   Total (9 wkts dec, 132 overs, 566 mins) 498
	   Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Cook), 2-64 (Compton), 3-160 (Hales), 4-219 (Root), 5-227 (Vince), 6-297 (Bairstow), 7-389 (Woakes), 8-400 (Broad), 9-472 (Finn)
	   Bowling: Eranga 27-3-100-0; Lakmal 29-4-115-2; Pradeep 33-5-107-4; 

England v Sri Lanka 2nd Test scoreboard

Police in Bogota today rescued some 200 young women and girls who were being held against their will and sexually exploited, city officials said.
	Mayor Enrique Penalosa told a press conference that the youngsters were held in the heart of the city, not far from the center of government.
	"We will not tolerate the exploitation of children anywhere in Bogota, and certainly not just six blocks from the Casa Narino (the presidential palace) and city hall," Penalosa said.
	Police, assisted by military units, carried out a raid in a notorious section of Bogota known as The Bronx, plagued by rampant drug trafficking and prostitution rings.
	One of the victims was found hidden behind a wall, hands and feet shackled.
	The youngest victims were taken into custody by child welfare authorities.
	Several suspects, said to be members of criminal gangs, were taken into custody.
	President Juan Manuel Santos pledged the full cooperation of his administration as the operation continues.

200 captive women, girls freed from Colombia sex ring

An Italian marine accused of killing two fishermen in India returned home today pending a ruling on where he should be tried in a long-running case that has soured ties between the two countries.
	Salvatore Girone touched down in Rome after four years in India, where he was being held pending the resolution of a dispute between New Delhi and Rome over who has jurisdiction in the case.
	His wife, children and father rushed onto the plane for an emotional reunion, after which he was met on the tarmac by Italy's foreign and defence ministers, raising his clasped hands together in a sign of victory.
	The newly reunited family was expected to travel straight on to Bari in southern Italy, where locals had planned a homecoming party.
	Girone and fellow marine Massimiliano Latorre are accused of shooting the fishermen while protecting an Italian oil tanker as part of an anti-piracy mission off India's southern Kerala coast in 2012.
	Latorre was allowed to travel back to Italy in 2014 for ...

AFP

AFP

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