Argentina's dreams of a first major title in 22 years were given a reality check as Paraguay came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-2 draw in a Copa America classic.
     English Premier league star Sergio Aguero and captain Lionel Messi looked to have put Argentina on the road to a routine victory in Group B after firing the tournament favourites into a 2-0 first-half lead yesterday.
     But a long-range strike from Nelson Valdez hauled Paraguay back into the contest before Argentine-born forward Lucas Barrios grabbed a dramatic 90th-minute equaliser.
     The stunning comeback left Argentina in shock and could complicate their route through the knockout rounds in Chile.
	"It is a sin," to give away an equaliser in the final minute, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said afterwards, lambasting his team's "neglect."
     "We lost control and the other team had four or five chances to get a draw," Martino told a news conference.
     "We had many chances to win," he added, saying that 

Paraguay fightback stuns Argentina at Copa

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West Indies lost both openers to Mitchell Starc and were 16 for two at stumps after being set a daunting target of 392 by Australia on the third day of the second and final Test at Sabina Park.
     With a first innings lead of 179, the visitors' openers David Warner (62) and Shaun Marsh (69) compiled an opening stand of 117 on the way to individual half-centuries and Steve Smith followed his first innings 199 with an unbeaten 54 yesterday.
     Skipper Michael Clarke then determined that, at 212 for two in the final session, the tourists had enough runs on the board and challenged his bowlers to make early inroads in eight testing overs before the close of play.
	Starc was on target immediately, bowling Kraigg Brathwaite off the inside-edge and drawing a loose drive from fellow-opener Rajendra Chandrika to be caught at gully.
	Both failed to score, Chandrika enduring the indignity of a "pair" on debut, just the second West Indian in the history of Test cricket to have such a ...

Windies facing another Australian rout

A wedding celebration at the posh Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York spun into chaos as a guest accidentally discharged a gun, shooting one person and leaving four others injured, The New York Times reported.
	Four people were taken to hospitals for treatment and one with a minor injury was treated at the Waldorf, one of Manhattan's grand old hotels, the report said.
	Bill Aubry, chief of Manhattan detectives, told reporters that one person was hit by gunfire and three others were struck by debris such as glass, marble and tile, according to the Times.
	Police tape was strewn across the access area to the hotel's east terrace, which had been closed to hotel guests as the reception occurred there.

Five injured amid gunfire at NY Waldorf wedding reception: NYT

South Korea reported today seven new cases of the MERS virus in an outbreak that has killed 14 people, as one citizen was hospitalised in Slovakia after being suspected of carrying the disease there.
	The seven new cases put the total number of infections of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea at 145, the health ministry said today.
	Three of the new cases were infected in Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, one of the country's largest hospitals where more than 70 people have contracted the virus, it said.
	Among them was a paramedic who helped transport a MERS patient to Samsung hospital on June 7. On Saturday, authorities announced that the ambulance driver also involved in transporting the patient -- who died three days later - had also been infected.
	One of the other new patients was infected in the central city of Daejeon and another in the city of Hwaseong, about 43 kilometres (26.7 miles) south of Seoul.
	The ministry reported no new fatalities, and said 10 patients .

South Korea reports seven new MERS cases

The Cleveland police officer who shot dead a 12-year-old black boy seen waving around a replica gun was "distraught" and acted out of fear for his life, according to an official report.
	It comes two days after a judge ruled the two police officers involved should face criminal charges over the death of Tamir Rice in November -- a time of heightened racial tensions in the United States following a series of fatal incidents involving black men and boys.
	Rice was fatally shot after police responded to a 911 call that someone was waving around a gun in a park. It turned out to be an airsoft gun and the boy died of his injuries a day later.
	The chaotic immediate aftermath was revealed after prosecutors released the results of a police investigation into Rice's fatal shooting at the hands of police officer Timothy Loehmann.
	The report released yesterday details an FBI special agent's memory of his interaction with Loehmann, whom the agent described as "distraught."
	"He seemed like a ...

US policeman who shot dead boy 'feared for his life'

Italian police moved to disperse around 200 migrants who were staging a sit-in at a border crossing with France after French police refused to let them enter the country.
	Officers in riot gear pushed the migrants back towards the town of Ventimiglia yesterday, five kilometres from the border.
	However, a group of around 50 men slipped away from the police cordon and took refuge on rocks near the border post.
	"Where are our human rights?" some of the men shouted, claiming they had been treated roughly by the police.
	An Italian official said the protesters would be taken by bus to reception centres in the western province of Imperia.
	Some of the migrants refused entry into France had gone on hunger strike and others organised a sit-in at the border crossing and tried to block traffic.
	They included men, women and children, with many coming from Somalia, Eritrea, the Ivory Coast and Sudan. They reached Italy by taking the often precarious boat crossing from Libya.
	Many hoped to ...

Police disperse crowd as tempers fray at France-Italy border

David Warner and Shaun Marsh compiled an opening stand of 117 to put Australia in a commanding position at 137 for one, an overall lead of 316, at tea on the third day of the second and final Test against the West Indies today.
	Starting with a healthy first innings advantage of 179 after the home side were dismissed for 220 an hour into the day, Warner and Marsh weathered early probing spells from fast bowlers Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach just before lunch and pressed on the accelerator in the afternoon.
	Warner, who had endured a run of low scores in three previous innings in the series, was first to the half-century mark but fell for 62 via a miscued pull off Roach whichoffered wicketkeeper and captain Denesh Ramdin a comfortable catch.
	Marsh will resume after tea on 59 alongside Steve Smith (eight not out), whose Test-best 199 was the foundation of Australia's first innings total of 399.
	Jason Holder blazed an unbeaten 82 at the start of the day to ensure that the West Indies ..

Cricket: Australia build huge lead over Windies

A South Korean man thought to have contracted the potentially deadly MERS virus was hospitalised in the Slovak capital Bratislava, a spokeswoman said.
	"He is a 38-year-old man from South Korea who is suffering from diarrhoea, fever and lesions on his skin," Petra Stano Matasovska, from Bratislava's university hospital, told AFP.
	Local media said the man arrived in Slovakia on June 3 and works for a subcontractor of South Korean carmaker Kia based in the northern town of Zilina.
	South Korea has so far reported 14 deaths from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), in what has become the largest outbreak of the virus outside Saudi Arabia.
	The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday warned that South Korea's outbreak of the virus was "large and complex" and more cases should be expected.
	In Bratislava, the Slovak health ministry said the South Korean patient was being kept in isolation.
	"The patient was transferred to the university hospital by ambulance accompanied by the ...

SKorean man thought to have MERS hospitalised in Slovakia

Iran's president warned today that haggling by world powers could jeopardise the deadline for a nuclear agreement, admitting many differences remain on the details of a potentially historic deal.
	Hassan Rouhani, who has placed his credibility on ending more than a decade of international concern that the Islamic republic is developing a nuclear bomb, also acknowledged sanctions would not be lifted immediately under the accord, which is due by June 30.
	He made the remarks in Tehran a day after Russia's senior negotiator spoke of a "very worrying" slowdown in progress in painstaking diplomacy which has lasted 21 months.
	With the finishing line in sight, Rouhani, speaking at a press conference marking two years since his unexpected election victory, accused the other side of agreeing terms in one meeting only to try and improve on them during later discussions.
	"They start to haggle, causing delays in the negotiation," he said, without mentioning which of the six powers in the talks .

Western 'haggling' a risk to nuclear deadline: Rouhani

A man suspected of carrying out a spectacular rampage in Texas was confirmed dead, after snipers shot him at the end of a stunning attack at Dallas police headquarters.
	The suspect had allegedly planted several bombs and sprayed the headquarters and squad cars with gunfire during the assault in the sprawling city. No one else was killed, and police ruled out any connection to terrorism.
	The night of violence began around 0530 GMT, when a man in an armored van rammed into police squad cars at the headquarters and the suspect opened fire.
	Shots rang out from several different locations, leading police initially to believe multiple gunmen were involved, before they established the attacker was acting alone.
	"We're blessed that our officers survived this ordeal," Dallas Police Chief David Brown said.
	"There are bullet holes in squad cars where officers were sitting. There are bullet holes in the front lobby where staff was sitting."
	He described how the suspect had fired multiple ...

Suspect dead after night of mayhem in Dallas

Ukraine's faltering peace deal suffered fresh setbacks when Kiev reported the deaths of six soldiers and accused Moscow of abetting an attack on one of its Russian consulates.
	The latest fatalities in the twisting and hotly disputed zone separating Ukrainian forces from their pro-Russian foes in the separatist east add to the strains of a February truce designed to end one of Europe's deadliest conflicts in decades.
	The 14-month war has claimed nearly 6,500 lives and turned Russian President Vladimir Putin into an increasingly isolated figure blamed for pulling a Cold War-era pall over Moscow's relations with the West.
	It has also driven more than a million people from their homes and left Ukraine -- anxious to rebuild after decades of post-Soviet neglect -- without access to much of its industrial heartland and far fewer opportunities for growth.
	The February accords that the leaders of Germany and France effectively forced upon Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had .

New deaths and diplomatic warfare rattle Ukraine truce

Carlos gathered hurricane strength off the Mexican Pacific coast today, as it threatened to lash the region with heavy rain.
	The Category 1 storm on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale was located about 225 kilometers (140 miles) south of Acapulco, the US National Hurricane Center reported.
	At 1500 GMT, it was moving northwestward at just four kilometers per hour.
	Luis Felipe Puente, head of the national civil protection service, said it was unlikely the storm would reach Category 2 strength.
	The Mexican government has issued a hurricane watch from Lazaro Cardenas to Punta San Telmo and a Tropical Storm Warning from Tecpan  de Galeana to Lazaro Cardenas.
	Puente said authorities were on alert for heavy rains and high waves in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacan.
	Guerrero was the worst hit region in September 2013 when twin hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel almost simultaneously struck both coasts of Mexico, leaving 157 people dead.
	Carlos is the third hurricane of the ...

Carlos becomes hurricane off Mexico Pacific coast

Jason Holder blazed an unbeaten 82 to save the West Indies from the follow-on, but Australia were still in command at 22-0 for an overall lead of 201 at lunch on the third day of the second and final Test today.
	With the home side starting the morning in deep trouble at 143 for eight, in reply to the tourists' first innings total of 399, Holder stole the spotlight with a brilliant, counter-attacking innings that lifted them to a final score of 220.
	He belted 12 fours and two sixes at Sabina Park, the second taking him to his second Test half-century, off just 63 deliveries and seemed well on course for a second hundred at the highest level of the game.
	However Josh Hazlewood wrapped up the innings after an hour's play with the wickets of Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor off consecutive deliveries to finish with his best Test innings figures of five for 38 off 15.5 overs.
	Roach, who partnered Holder to the middle at the start of play after Veerasammy Permaul was dismissed off the last 

Holder saves Windies from follow-on, Aussies build lead

Dozens of people have been arrested in Morocco for selling answers to high school leaving exams in a racket that even saw two pages of answers posted on Facebook, authorities said today.
	The General Directorate of National Security said 57 people were arrested in 15 towns across the kingdom in a cash-for-answers scandal that saw other test responses sent to students via SMS.
	Those detained were accused of providing "written answers to students in exchange for money," the GDNS said.
	The investigation "found numerous web pages and social media sites used for leaking test answers."
	According to news site Medias 24, two pages of an exam paper were posted on Facebook the night before the test.
	The scandal erupted after answers for a mathematics test at the Academy of Casablanca, in Morocco's financial capital, were leaked online, forcing the education ministry to order a resit of the exam.
	Opposition groups have called for the minister's resignation.
	More than half a million ...

Morocco arrests 57 in cash-for-answers exam scandal

The mother of four children who apparently committed suicide in China after they were left unattended by their parents for months spoke of her regret as she returned home, state media reported today.
	 Ren Xifen had a "grim, tear-filled reunion" with the siblings -- a 13-year-old boy and his younger sisters -- who died after drinking pesticide, Xinhua news agency said.
	"I did not shoulder my responsibility for them," 32-year-old Ren said, as she returned Friday to see their bodies at the family home in Bijie, in the remote southwestern province of Guizhou.
	"I had to come back for a final look at them," she added.
	The children -- the youngest aged five -- were found by a villager while struggling with convulsions after taking the poison late Tuesday, earlier reports said.
	They died soon after and police believe it was suicide, in a case highlighting the plight of rural children left behind by their parents who travel to the cities in search of work.
	Ren told Xinhua she had not ...

Tearful mother returns to China 'suicide children': Xinhua

Some 27 kilogrammes of cocaine have been discovered in the suitcase of a French military officer as he tried to board a plane in French Guyana, the local prosecutor's office said.
	The drugs were found during a customs check yesterday at Felix Eboue de Matoury airport near Cayenne, the capital of the French overseas department on the northeast coast of South Ameri.
	They were discovered in the bag of a passenger who was intending to board a military plane to Paris, the Cayenne prosecutor's office told AFP today.
	The passenger was "a military official in his forties", assistant prosecutor Isabelle Arnal told AFP, confirming a local media report.
	The official, who was taken into custody, was planning to board a plane which "transports army personnel", she added.

27kg of cocaine found in French military official's bag

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court over war crimes charges, left Khartoum today to travel to South Africa for an African Union summit, state news agency SUNA said.
	Since Bashir was indicted by the ICC in 2009 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Darfur conflict, his overseas travel has been severely restricted.
	"Bashir left for Johannesburg at the head of the Sudanese delegation taking part in the African Union summit," SUNA reported.
	His top adviser Bakri Hassan Salih and several ministers were at the airport for his departure, SUNA added, without saying exactly when he left.
	There had been conflicting reports in local media over whether Bashir would travel.
	Since his indictment Bashir has mostly travelled to countries that have not joined the ICC.
	The court relies on signatories to its founding treaty to arrest indictees.
	Darfur erupted into conflict in 2003 when ethnic insurgents mounted a campaign against .

Sudan's Bashir travels to SAfrica for AU summit: state media

There are still "many differences over details" of a nuclear deal Iran and world powers are trying to conclude by June 30, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today.
	Iranian negotiators and those of the P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States) are meeting in Vienna to clinch a deal that would guarantee the strictly peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of punishing international sanctions.
	"The general framework that the Islamic Republic of Iran wants is accepted by the P5+1 group but there are still many differences in the details that must be addressed," Rouhani told a press conference on the occasion of the second anniversary of his election.
	"We are very serious in the negotiations. We do not seek to gain time, but at the same time we are not captives of time. We are not in a hurry but we try to use every opportunity to reach a good deal," he added.
	Yesterday, a senior Russian official said there had been a .

Nuclear talks face 'many differences': Iran's Rouhani

A 103-year-old man and a 91-year-old woman held their wedding in Britain today, becoming the oldest couple to get married in the world.
	George Kirby and Doreen Luckie  -- together for 27 years -- looked delighted as they tied the knot at a hotel in the seaside town of Eastbourne, southern England, before close friends and family.
	The bride wore a white dress with blue flowers while the groom, a former boxer, was dressed smartly in a suit and tie, and was in a wheelchair following a recent fall.
	With a combined age of 194 years, the pair beat the previous record held by a French couple, Francois Fernandez and Madeleine Francineau, who had a combined age of 191 years.
	Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Luckie said the couple had "no regrets" about not doing it earlier. "We didn't want to bother about marriage before but eventually we did it," he said.
	The couple reportedly have seven children, 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren between them.
	They got engaged on ...

British couple become world's oldest newlyweds

A Turkish mother, 36, shot dead her daughter, 17, after finding out that she was three months pregnant, media reports said today.
	The mother, named as Emine A., found out that her daughter Meryem A. Was pregnant during a visit to neighbours, the Hurriyet daily reported.
	She then went back home to find a gun and returned to shoot her daughter -- who worked as a cashier in a market -- five times, it said.
	Bystanders outside the apartment block in the Selcuk district of the southern city of Nigde rushed to help and took Meryem to hospital but she died on the way.
	The mother was detained by police but then had a nervous collapse and was hospitalised. The investigation is continuing.
	Turkish authorities acknowledge there is a grave problem of violence against women in the country, although the vast majority of cases involving attacks perpetrated by men.
	According to the non-governmental Platform to Stop Violence Against Women, 286 women were murdered in Turkey in 2014 and 134 so far .

Turkish mother, 36, 'shoots dead pregnant daughter'

Hundreds of Swedes gathered in the hot summer sun today to watch former reality show starlet Sofia Hellqvist become a real-life princess when she marries Prince Carl Philip in a lavish Stockholm wedding.
	Royal watchers clutching blue and yellow national flags pitched rugs and deck chairs along the route that the newlyweds will take after exchanging vows and before returning to the palace for a 21-gun salute and wedding banquet.
	About 550 guests will attend the ceremony including Britain's Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Princess Takamado of Japan.
	The celebrations marking Sweden's latest royal wedding began last evening with a boat ride across the sparkling waters of Stockholm bay and a dinner on a small city centre island.
	Hellqvist, a slender and elegant brunette, is a 30-year-old commoner known for her infectious gap-toothed smile and easygoing ways.
	Her fiance, 36-year-old Carl Philip, is the second child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and holds the title of Duke .

AFP

AFP

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