Alexis Sanchez helped Chile pile the pressure on world champions Spain after a 3-1 win over Australia in their World Cup opener in Cuiaba saw them join the Netherlands on top of Group B.
     Sanchez set Chile on their way early on, the Barcelona star turning provider 70 seconds later to set up Jorge Valdivia.
     Tim Cahill pulled one back before half-time with Wigan Athletic's Jean Beausejour grabbing a third for Chile in injury time of a pulsating encounter under the Arena Pantanal's floodlights.
     But following Spain's 5-1 rout by the Dutch earlier in Salvador, the reigning champions almost certainly must beat Chile in Rio on June 18th to avoid an ignominious early exit.
     Chile thought they'd done enough to snuff out the Socceroos in the time it takes to make a pisco sour.
     The 12th minute opener came after sterling work by Charles Aranguiz in the Australia box, the midfielder's efforts resulting in the ball landing at Sanchez's feet, spelling danger for an Australian .

Sanchez helps Chile pile pressure on Spain

PTI Automatic

One person was killed and several others were wounded in a bomb attack near a mosque on Tanzania's Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar, police said.
	"We are investigating to find out the type of explosive, the criminals and motive. We ask people to help provide information," a senior police official, Mkadam Khamis told AFP.
	Police said the bomb went off in the Daranjani business district of Stone Town, the UNESCO-listed historical centre of the capital of the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago, at around 8:15 pm (1715 GMT) yesterday.
	Witnesses said the casualties included worshipers who were coming out of evening prayers from a nearby mosque.
	"We ask people not to panic, as the security forces are on full alert," the police official said.

One killed, several wounded in Zanzibar bombing: police

Robin van Persie was wrong-footed by the scale of the Netherlands' 5-1 drubbing of Spain in their opening World Cup match on Friday as he collected his man-of-the-match award.
     After Xabi Alonso converted a first-half penalty for Spain, Van Persie headed his side level 90 seconds before the break in Salvador, then netted Holland's fourth to floor the world champions.
     Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben also scored twice,  while centre-back Stefan de Vrij also got on the scoresheet in the Group B rout.
     The four Dutch goals came thick and fast in the second-half and the sheer number caught Manchester United's Van Persie out as Spain suffered their heaviest defeat since 1963.
     "We never stopped going, that's what we told ourselves at half-time, just keep going," said the 30-year-old striker.
     "It could have been five, oh, yeah, it was five, but it could have been six, seven or eight goals, in my opinion."
     Louis van Gaal's new formation clicked and Van Persie said ..

Dutch goal-haul wrong-foots Van Persie

Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben scored twice each as the Netherlands avenged their 2010 World Cup final defeat to Spain with a record 5-1 drubbing of the defending champions on Friday.
     Van Persie pounced in each half as the Dutch recovered from a controversial Xabi Alonso penalty to inflict a crushing defeat on the reigning kings of world and European football.
     Stefan De Vrij got the Netherlands' other goal as Spain slumped to the heaviest defeat ever inflicted at a World Cup on the reigning champions.
     It was Spain's worst defeat in more than half a century, coming 51 years after a 6-2 defeat to Scotland in 1963.
     Thousands of fans gathered in Madrid to watch the game on giant screens were left stunned into silence by the rout.
     The extraordinary Group B drama in the northern Brazilian coastal city of Salvador has potentially turned the World Cup permutations on their head.
     If Spain fail to recover the form which saw them win back-to-back European titles .

Dutch stun World Cup champions Spain

Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani vowed today to take immediate action to tackle corruption if elected, acknowledging that donors had grown disgruntled over misuse of aid.
	   On the eve of the run-off election, Ghani told a US audience that as president he would immediately form a small consortium of key donors and outline economic reforms within 30 days.
	   The World Bank economist-turned-politician, speaking to the Center for National Policy in Washington via Skype, called corruption a "national shame" for Afghanistan, which has ranked near the bottom on annual corruption perception lists of Transparency International.
	   "We simply cannot persuade the US public in a time... of immense fiscal difficulty, from the level of community to the state to the federal level, that public money can be allocated to us without accountability and transparency," Ghani said.
	   The United States alone has provided some $100 billion in non-military assistance to Afghanistan since ...

Ghani vows urgent action on corruption in Afghanistan

Resurgent Ukrainian forces hoisted the national flag over a strategic rebel-held port today while the embattled leaders in Kiev made urgent preparations for a looming Russian gas cut.
	Ukraine's new Western-backed President Petro Poroshenko celebrated the soldiers' "heroism" by proclaiming the industrial Sea of Azov city of Mariupol the new temporary capital of Donetsk -- an eastern rustbelt region overrun by pro-Russian gunmen for the past two months.
	The 48-year-old chocolate baron rose to power in a snap May 25 ballot called after the February ouster of a Russian-backed leader by vowing to move Ukraine closer to Europe and end fighting that has claimed 270 lives.
	But the battles have since only intensified and his calls for dialogue with more moderate separatist leaders have been mostly ignored.
	Poroshenko's troubles have been compounded by the threat of Ukraine being cut off from economically-vital Russian gas shipments as early as Monday morning because of a bitter price ...

Ukraine drives out rebels, braces for Russian gas cut

The United States today posted USD 18 million in rewards for the capture of four African militants involved in the kidnapping of foreigners and attacks on Western targets.
	Some USD 5 million each was offered for a former member of Nigeria's Boko Haram and two founding leaders of the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) based in the Maghreb region.
	A fourth reward of USD 3 million was set for an Egyptian extremist who has plotted against the US, the State Department said.

US posts USD 18 mn bounty for four African militants

A policeman was shot dead in the aftermath of clashes in Cairo today, Egypt's interior ministry said, after a protest staged by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
	The policeman was hit by a bullet in the chest as he took an arrested protester to a police van after security forces broke up the protest on the outskirts of the capital's upscale Maadi district, the ministry said on its Facebook page.
	He was declared dead on arrival at hospital, it said, adding that the bullet that killed him was fired from a nearby building.
	The pro-Morsi demonstration came after the Islamist Anti-Coup Alliance called for a week of protests from today under the slogan "Freedom For Egypt".
	The alliance regularly calls for and stages demonstrations against the military-installed authorities since Morsi's ouster last July.
	State television also reported the policeman's killing, and in a separate report the official MENA news agency said at least 65 protesters were arrested nationwide ...

Egypt policeman shot dead in clashes: ministry

The United States is not holding talks with its traditional foe Iran on the crisis in Iraq, the State Department said today, despite Washington and Tehran's shared interest in supporting Baghdad.
	"No, we are not talking to the Iranians about Iraq," spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters when asked about the possibility of any direct or indirect contacts.
	Even though the US and Iran have not had diplomatic relations for three decades, the two countries held bilateral talks this week in Geneva as they seek to hammer out a deal with global powers on reining in Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
	The US was "focused on the nuclear issue," Harf said, adding she would not speculate on where ties would go in the future.
	"What we said is that all of Iraq's neighbours -- including the Iranians -- need to not do things to destabilise the situation even further, to not try to promote any sectarian tensions."
	Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised Iraq's beleaguered Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ..

US says not talking to Iran on Iraq crisis

Yorkshireman Joe Root's maiden double hundred has given England a big advantage in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's after the hosts declared their innings on 575 for nine.
     Sri Lanka fought back well reaching 140 for one at stumps on day two on Friday.
     The Sri Lankans are still 435 runs behind and need a further 235 to avoid follow on.
     They lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne for 38 as debutant Chris Jordan claimed a wicket in his first over of Test cricket.
     But Kaushal Silva added 82 runs for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara as the tourists ended on a positive note after a tough start. Sri Lanka haven't lost a Test Match at Lord's in 23 years.
     Root became only the second Englishman to score a double hundred against Sri Lanka after Jonathan Trott and helped the hosts to their highest score against the Sri Lankans surpassing their 551 for six declared made in 2006.
     Resuming from the overnight score of 344 for five, Root extended the partnership .

Root puts England in control against Sri Lanka

Ukraine's prime minister told his government today to prepare for the possibility of Russia cutting off its gas supplies within the next three days over disputed bills.
	Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said in a statement that he had told regional administrators and the head of the state energy company to start implementing a plan for reduced energy use.

Ukraine PM orders preparations for Russian gas cut

US aerospace giant Boeing said today that China Eastern Airlines will buy 80 737 aircraft, a mix of current 737s and the new 737 MAX model.
	The deal is worth more than USD 8 billion deal at list prices, Boeing said in a statement. Airlines typically receive discounts on orders.
	"We look forward to making history with China Eastern as they are poised to make the largest purchase for single-aisle airplanes by a Chinese airline," said Ihssane Mounir, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Northeast Asia.
	Boeing did not provide details on the number of planes ordered by model or delivery dates.
	In May, Boeing's arch-rival, European aircraft maker Airbus, won an order from China Southern Airlines for 80 single-aisle A320s with a list value of USD 7.9 billion.
	China Eastern, headquartered in Shanghai, operates a fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

China Eastern to buy 80 737s: Boeing

Sri Lankan opposition parties today asked Colombo to hold a credible domestic investigation to head off a UN probe into mass killings during the final stages of its ethnic war.
	Two parties drawing their support from the majority Sinhalese community said they would not support the UN inquiry, set up to investigate widespread allegations of rights abuses and mass killings of civilians as the Tamil separatist war drew to a bloody close in 2009.
	Sinhalese opposition parties oppose any foreign probe into the conflict and the government has vowed not to assist the UN investigation, which was set up this week in line with a US-initiated resolution passed in March.
	Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Marxist JVP, or People's Liberation Front, both slammed the probe and called for the government to agree to a home-grown inquiry into the allegations.
	"We do not approve this UN investigation, but we want the government to set up a domestic mechanism to go into the 

Opposition seeks Sri Lanka war probe to resist UN inquiry

US President Barack Obama said today that he is examining options short of sending ground troops to help Iraq counter a Sunni extremist offensive, but warned the country must heal its own divisions.
	"We will not be sending US troops back into combat in Iraq, but I have asked my national security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support Iraqi security forces," Obama said.

Obama: US will help but Iraq must mend divisions

Qatar is stepping in temporarily to help the new Palestinian unity government pay former employees of Islamist movement Hamas's disbanded Gaza government, an official said today.
	The Gulf state said it would contribute a total of USD 60 million while the Palestinian Authority grapples with a pay row, the first challenge for a government formed to try to end years of Palestinian rivalry.
	Prime minister Rami Hamdallah "received a phone call from the Qatari prime minister (Sheikh Abdullah bin Naser bin Khalifa al-Thani), who told him that USD 20 million would be transferred each month for three months to pay Gaza employees," government spokesman Ihab Bseiso said in a statement.
	The money would go to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, Bseiso said, and a "special fund" would be set up to pay wages while the government discussed how to resolve the issue.
	The row started when the PA's Gaza-based staff received their salaries but their Hamas counterparts did not. This prompted ...

Qatar to pay former Hamas civil servant salaries

Malaysian police today captured three men allegedly involved in militant activities, including a senior leader trained by the extremist group Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, an official said.
	Police deputy inspector general Bakri Zinin said the trio, aged between 29 and 31, were arrested during an anti-terror swoop in the town of Sandakan in Sabah state on Borneo island.
	"There is an element of terrorism involved," Bakri told AFP, adding that all three were Malaysian citizens.
	"One of them was trained in a neighbouring country and had plans to go somewhere else (to fight)," he added.
	Bakri said the suspected senior member of a militant wing had received armed training at camp run by Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippines since April 22.
	"He managed to sneak back into the country with the help of a naval personnel on June 11," Bakri said in a statement.
	The senior police official said the two other detainees were the navy staff member and another man who ...

Malaysian police capture senior militant: official

Reports of pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine acquiring heavy weapons from Russia, including tanks, would mark a "serious escalation" of the crisis if confirmed, NATO said today.
	"We have seen reports that Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles may have crossed the border into eastern Ukraine," NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
	"If these reports are confirmed, this would mark a serious escalation of the crisis in eastern Ukraine," Rasmussen said in a statement.
	The secretary general repeated NATO calls for Russia to complete the withdrawal of troops it had massed on the Ukraine border and to halt the flow of weapons and fighters into the war-torn eastern part of the country.
	The US-led military alliance, along with the European Union, has consistently urged Russia to "de-escalate" the crisis, failing which it faces the prospect of even tougher sanctions than the travel and asset freezes so far imposed on Russian and Ukrainian figures blamed for stoking the conflict.
	In .

Russian tanks in Ukraine would be 'serious escalation':NATO

Hurricane Cristina weakened today and was downgraded to a category two storm as it moved further from Mexico's Pacific coast.
	At around 0500 GMT, Cristina had maximum sustained winds of nearly 165 kilometres per hour and was centred 525 kilometres southwest of the city of Manzanillo, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
	It was moving toward the northwest at 13 kilometres per hour.
	Cristina is expected to weaken further over the next 48 hours, the Miami-based the centre said.
	Classification of a hurricane's strength is based on the one-to-five Saffir-Simpson scale, with five denoting the most intense winds.
	At its strongest, Cristina reached category four status yesterday.
	It continues to remain far offshore, posing no immediate threat as it moves further from land.
	The storm continues, however, to generate sizable ocean swells miles away.
	"Swells generated by Cristina are affecting portions of the southwestern coast of Mexico. These swells should begin to subside later ...

Weakened Cristina now a category 2 hurricane: NHC

The European Union agreed today to limit the bloc's use of biofuels made directly from agricultural products after criticism they push up food prices and add to pollution.
	Ministers from the 28-nation bloc overcame a year-long deadlock to agree a reduction in the use of 'first generation' biofuels, which are made from crops such as corn, beetroot or rapeseed.
	The new deal will cap the use of fuel made from food products to 7.0 per cent of transport sector energy use by 2020, down from an original target set in 2009 of 10 percent.
	The EU has been a leader in driving the takeup of fuels made from crops -- so-called first-generation biofuels -- to replace fossil fuels like oil in a bit to cut global carbon emissions.
	But Brussels faces mounting criticism that mandating the use of such biofuels has eaten away at global food supplies, pushing up prices in some of the world's poorest countries.
	Critics also argue the conversion of land to grow biofuels, particularly in the peaty ...

EU agrees plan to cap use of food-based biofuels

Ukrainian forces said they had hoisted the national flag over the strategic rebel-held port of Mariupol today in their biggest advance since Petro Poroshenko's election as the insurgency-wrecked country's pro-Western president.
	Poroshenko celebrated the soldiers' "heroism" by proclaiming the industrial Sea of Azov city of half-a-million people the new temporary capital of Donetsk -- an eastern rustbelt region overrun by pro-Russian gunmen for the past two months.
	The 48-year-old chocolate baron rose to power in a snap May 25 ballot called after the February ouster of a Russian-backed leader by vowing to move Ukraine closer to Europe and end fighting that has claimed 270 lives.
	But the battles have since only intensified and his calls for dialogue with more separatist leaders have been mostly ignored.
	Poroshenko's troubles have been compounded by the threat of Ukraine being cut off from economically-vital Russian gas shipments as early as Monday morning because of a bitter price ...

Ukraine retakes strategic rebel-held port

US Secretary of State John Kerry today urged Iraq's political factions to unite against the jihadists who have already overrun several cities and are pushing towards Baghdad.
	"Make no mistake: this needs to be real wake-up call for all of Iraq's political leaders. Now's the time for Iraq's leaders to come together and to show unity," Kerry said on a visit to London.
	"Political division fuelled by ethnic or sectarian differences simply cannot be allowed to steal from the Iraqi people what so many have given so much for over the course of these last years," he said.
	Iraq was facing a "brutal enemy" that poses a threat to US interests, as well as those of its allies in Europe and the Middle East, Kerry said.
	He said that given the gravity of the situation, he would anticipate "timely decisions" from US President Barack Obama in tackling the challenge.
	"We are laser-focused on dealing with the crisis ahead," the top US diplomat said.
	He said the fight was on for a "pluralistic, ...

AFP

AFP

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