South Africa restricted England to 311 for eight in the World Cup opener at the Oval on Thursday as the tournament hosts and favourites made a stuttering start in their quest to win the trophy for the first time.
Ben Stokes top-scored with 89, while England captain Eoin Morgan (57), Jason Roy (54) and Joe Root (51) all made fifties.
But England, who last year set a world record for the highest one-day international total of 481-6 and have often blown teams away with the bat, were repeatedly pegged back by a Proteas side who deployed the slower ball to good effect.
England, after Britain's Prince Harry officially opened the tournament, lost a wicket second ball before Roy and Root shared a stand of 106 that was equalled by Morgan and Stokes.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, despite being without injured spearhead Dale Steyn, saw his decision to field rewarded in dramatic style when Imran Tahir struck with just the second ball of the match to dismiss Jonny Bairstow for a golden ...

South Africa hold England to 311-8 in World Cup opener

PTI Automatic

First innings scoreboard in the opening match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup between England and South Africa at the Oval on Thursday.
England:
J. Roy
c Du Plessis
b Phehlukwayo
54
J. Bairstow
c De Kock
b Tahir
0
J. Root
c Duminy
b Rabada
51
E. Morgan
c Markram
b Tahir
57
B. Stokes
c Amla
b Ngidi
89
J. Buttler
b Ngidi
18
M. Ali
c Du Plessis
b Ngidi
3
C. Woakes
c Du Plessis
b Rabada
13
L. Plunkett
not out
9
J. Archer
not out
7
Extras (lb2, w8)
10
Total (8 wickets, 50 overs)
311
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Bairstow), 2-107 (Roy), 3-111 (Root), 4-217 (Morgan), 5-247 (Buttler), 6-260 (Ali), 7-285 (Woakes), 8-300 (Stokes)
Bowling: Tahir 10-0-61-2 , Ngidi 10-0-66-3 (2w), Rabada 10-0-66-2 (2w), Pretorius 7-0-42-0, Phehlukwayo 8-0-44-1 (4w), Duminy 2-0-14-0, Markram 3-0-16-0.

Scoreboard -- England vs South Africa

US President Donald Trump briefly acknowledged in a tweet Thursday that Russia helped him get elected but quickly backtracked in comments to reporters.
Trump until now has said adamantly that he won the 2016 election fair and square, downplaying the impact of what US intelligence agencies say was a concerted Russian effort to meddle in his favour.
"Russia, Russia, Russia! That's all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax," Trump tweeted a day after Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke publicly for the first time since the release of his report on collusion during the election campaign and possible obstruction of justice afterward.
"And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected," Trump added. He again complained of being a victim of what he called presidential harassment.
Trump later appeared to recognize the lapse, telling reporters on the White House South Lawn, "No, Russia did not get me elected."
Mueller in his remarks .

Trump briefly acknowledges Russia helped him get elected

Chinese authorities have detained several activists ahead of the politically explosive 30th anniversary of the June 4 crackdown of Tiananmen protests, rights groups said Thursday.
Discussions of the 1989 pro-democracy protests and its military suppression are taboo in China, and authorities have rounded up or warned activists, lawyers and journalists ahead of the anniversary each year.
Internet censors also usually work on overdrive, and this year popular livestreaming sites are shutting down around the anniversary for "technical" reasons.
But this year's attempts to mute public discourse are harsher than usual, said Cao Yaxue, founder of the Washington-based rights group China Change, because Beijing has become increasingly intolerant of dissenting voices.
Among the string of activists detained or "disappeared" are six artists who had put up a painting and performing art exhibition titled
"A Conscience Movement" in the eastern city of Nanjing.
Liu Lijiao -- the wife of the lead ...

China detains activists, mutes livestreams ahead of Tiananmen anniversary

Belgian star Eden Hazard is reportedly all set for a move to Real Madrid and will depart Chelsea with praise ringing in his ears after the 4-1 trouncing of Arsenal in the Europa League final.
And if the deal goes through a red carpet welcome awaits the striker already lauded as a legend in Spain following his two-goal strike against hapless Arsenal in Baku on Wednesday.
"It's Hazta La Vista," wrote the Sun in characteristic style while the The Guardian and The Times settled for 'Hazard's golden goodbye' and the Daily Mail lingered over the player's post-match 'goodbye kiss' to Chelsea fans in the Baku stands.
Speaking after the game Hazard, 28, said "I think it's a goodbye, but in football you never know," unwilling to confirm that his dream to play for Real Madrid would be quickly realised.
But for the media, it's already a done deal bringing to an end Hazard's astonishing seven year stint in the Premier League.
"When Maurizio Sarri allowed him to leave the pitch to a prolonged ...

Brits wave farewell to Hazard as Spain lay out red carpet

The United States "is playing with fire" over Taiwan, Beijing said Thursday, after recent US moves related to the self-ruled island -- including the transit of warships through the Taiwan Strait.
The United States diplomatically recognises China over Taiwan, but Beijing has bristled at the close relations between Washington and the self-ruled democratic island.
"The US recently often played the Taiwan card, in a vain attempt to use Taiwan to contain China. This is purely wishful thinking," Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said at a monthly press briefing.
China sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides having being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949.
Two US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait last week in what the US Navy described as a routine transit in accordance with international law, triggering a protest from Beijing.
Other moves that angered China this month include US lawmakers approving ...

China says US 'playing with fire' over Taiwan

Top seed Naomi Osaka staged a second successive Roland Garros great escape on Thursday when she battled back from a set and a break down to defeat Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
World number one Osaka, bidding to add the French Open to her US and Australian Open titles, had been two points from defeat in her opener against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Against former number one and two-time major winner Azarenka she was staring down the barrel yet again at 2-4 down in the second set.
However, the 21-year-old held her nerve, despite squandering two match points, to secure her place in the third round and a clash against either Greek 29th seed Maria Sakkari or Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.
"I was lucky to have played her twice before. I knew she had been playing well coming into the tournament," said Osaka.
"It was an unfortunate second round for me so I am happy to win." Osaka finished the two-hour 50-minute encounter on Court Suzanne Lenglen with 52 winners and 43 unforced .

Osaka stages second great escape at Roland Garros

In unprecedented scenes in Khartoum, hundreds of workers in suits and ties alongside their neatly dressed women colleagues have gone on strike to protest what they call Sudan's "total economic collapse".
The popular protests that have rocked the northeast African country for more than five months broke out over a decision to triple the price of bread before quickly turning political against the regime of Omar al-Bashir.
They led to the army toppling the autocratic president on April 11 after 30 years in power.
This week saw doctors, lawyers as well as civil aviation and public transport workers respond to the call for a strike from the leaders of the protest movement still pressing for the military to hand over power to civilians.
For two days, these white-collar workers were on the front line of the protests, and they were among the loudest to be heard on the streets of the Sudanese capital.
In Al-Mogran, the business district in the western part of the city, workers from various ...

Sudanese in suits and ties rally against Bashir's economic blunders

British car output almost halved in April as factories imposed shutdowns in the face of Brexit uncertainty and other sector-wide headwinds, industry data showed Thursday.
The nation's car production nosedived 44.5 per cent from the same month last year to 70,971 vehicles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
April was the eleventh successive monthly decline amid softening demand for cars in major international markets, in particular for high-polluting diesel vehicles in Europe.
Carmakers also idled their factories to avoid any possible disruption in supplies if Britain had indeed left the European Union, although the April Brexit deadline has now slipped to October.
The SMMT described the performance as "dismal" and added that the shutdowns were just part of the sector's ongoing Brexit contingency plans.
Britain is now due to leave the European Union on October 31 after two delays this year triggered by MPs rejecting the divorce deal British Prime ...

UK car output crashes on Brexit-induced shutdowns

China accused the United States of "naked economic terrorism" on Thursday as Beijing ramps up the rhetoric in their trade war.
The world's top two economies are at loggerheads as trade talks have apparently stalled, with US President Donald Trump hiking tariffs on USD200 billion in Chinese goods earlier this month and blacklisting telecoms giant Huawei.
"We are against the trade war, but we are not afraid of it," vice foreign minister Zhang Hanhui said at a press briefing to preview President Xi Jinping's trip to Russia next week.
"This premeditated instigation of a trade conflict is naked economic terrorism, economic chauvinism, and economic bullying," Zhang said, stressing that China opposes the systematic use of sanctions, tariffs and protectionism.
"There is no winner in a trade war," he warned.
China has hit back with its own tariff increase on USD60 billion in US products that will take effect Saturday, while state media has suggested that Beijing could stop exports of rare ...

China accuses US of 'naked economic terrorism'

The holy city of Mecca prepared to welcome Arab and Muslim leaders Thursday for three summits, as Saudi Arabia seeks to rally support against arch-rival Iran over attacks on oil installations.
On the eve of the talks, Riyadh blasted what it called Iranian "interference" in the region and demanded "firmness" over attacks on Gulf oil tankers and pipelines.
The call came just hours after US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind the sabotage of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE coast.
Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels meanwhile have stepped up drone attacks on the kingdom -- one of which resulted in the temporary shutdown of a major oil pipeline.
Saudi Arabia, a staunch US ally, was getting ready to welcome leaders from across the Arab and Muslim world for emergency Gulf and Arab summits and a meeting of the heads of state of Islamic nations.
Riyadh called the talks to discuss the standoff with Iran and ways to isolate Tehran amid ...

Mecca to host three summits focused on Iran tensions

Japanese automaker Toyota said Thursday it will open its first vehicle production plant in Myanmar, as the country's auto market grows and the government raises import barriers.
The firm said it plans to locally produce the Hilux model at the new plant from February 2021 and would invest USD 52.6 million in the factory in a special economic zone outside Yangon.
The plant's output will be relatively modest, with plans to build 2,500 Hilux vehicles a year.
But the announcement follows the lead of other carmakers who have established local factories, including Suzuki, Nissan and Ford.
The government introduced auto import restrictions in 2017, and a fall in prices has seen the auto market grow, with many new vehicles built locally.
The Automotive Association of Myanmar said the Toyota announced was a "surprise," but welcome news.
The brand is already popular in the country, though most of its cars on the road are second-hand models.
Toyota says demand for new cases is on the rise though, 

Toyota announces first plant in Myanmar

Britain has received 750,000 applications from EU citizens seeking to settle in the UK in the first four months of 2019, with Poles leading the way, official data showed Thursday.
The government's scheme for offering an estimated 3.8 million EU nationals the right to live permanently in Britain after Brexit has been riddled with controversy.
Responding to a public outcry, Prime Minister Theresa May in January scrapped a 65 (USD 82, 74-euro) fee that would have been imposed had a so-called "no-deal Brexit" gone into effect.
The programme's status has been weighed further by uncertainties over when -- or even if -- Britain pulls out of the EU.
The UK interior ministry said 103,0000 Polish citizens had applied for permanent residence in the first four months of the year.
Romanians filed 90,000 applications and Italians 71,000, the figures showed. Portugal and Spain rounded out the top five.
The scheme is being overseen by Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who is one of 11 declared candidates ..

Over 750,000 EU nationals seek UK residence for Brexit

A Vietnamese music teacher has been arrested for posting material on Facebook "aimed at undermining" the state, his family and official media said Thursday in the communist country where a crackdown against online critics has gathered pace.
Activists, rights lawyers and bloggers have long been targeted in the one-party state where independent media and public protests are banned, with critics increasingly moving onto social media to voice discontent.
Amnesty International says there are currently 128 prisoners of conscience behind bars in Vietnam. About 10 percent of them were jailed for online commentary on platforms like Facebook.
Nguyen Nang Tinh was arrested for "producing, disseminating or spreading information and documents aimed at undermining" Vietnam, according to the official police newspaper in central Nghe An province where he was detained.
His father said Tinh was bundled into a car by police after taking his two young sons for breakfast on Wednesday morning.
"Police ...

Vietnam teacher arrested for Facebook posts 'undermining state'

At least six people were killed and six more wounded in a suicide blast outside a military academy in the Afghan capital on Thursday, an official said.
The attack outside the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in western Kabul took place at the road entrance to the war college.
Kabul police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz said the suicide bomber had been on foot. He blew himself up when a soldier challenged him.
"Based on initial information, six people killed, six wounded, police have reached the scene," Faramarz said.
The attacker "detonated himself before reaching his target", Faramarz added, without providing further details.
The attack happened around noon (0730 GMT), a time when students typically leave school early during the month of Ramadan.
No group immediately claimed responsibility.
Police and security forces in and around Kabul have come under frequent attack in recent weeks, even as the US and the Taliban have held talks about a possible peace agreement.
Opened in 2005 

Six dead in suicide blast at Kabul military academy

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field against England in the opening match of the World Cup at the Oval on Thursday.
England, the world's top-ranked one-day international side and the tournament favourites, included fast bowler Liam Plunkett in a line-up captained by Eoin Morgan, with Tom Curran missing out on his Surrey home ground.
South Africa omitted allrounder Chris Morris, with Dwayne Pretorius selected.
"A 10.30 am start at The Oval -- if there's anything in the wicket, it'll be in the first hour. We've got some fantastic fast bowlers and we're hoping it'll be a great occasion today," said Du Plessis.
Morgan said: "We would have looked to do the same, just preferring chasing. The wicket looks really good.
"The balance we've gone with is for South Africa so hopefully it is the right one. Mark Wood has trained fully and is available for selection, but unfortunately he's missed out.
"Jofra (Archer) has come in and impressed. He's very calm when he ..

South Africa bowl in World Cup opener against England

Coach Luciano Spalletti has left Inter Milan, the Italian Serie A club announced on Thursday.
"Luciano Spalletti is no longer head coach of the first team," Inter said in a statement.
"The club wishes to thank Spalletti for his work and the results achieved together."
Spalletti sealed Inter's Champions League berth for a second consecutive year on the final day of the Serie A season Sunday.
Former Italy and Chelsea coach Antonio Conte is reported to have already agreed a three-year deal to replace the 60-year-old Spalletti, who moved to the San Siro mid-2017.

Coach Spalletti leaves Inter Milan

East Asia should consider a common regional trading currency based on gold to promote commerce, and free the region from relying on dollar transactions, Malaysia's prime minister said Thursday.
Mohamad Mahathir said the proposed currency could be used for regional trade, but would not replace national currencies for use at the domestic level.
"In the Far East if you want to come together, we should start with a common trading currency, not to be used locally but for the purpose of settling of trade," he said at the Future of Asia forum in Tokyo.
"At the moment we have to depend upon the US dollar but the US dollar is also not stable. So the currency that we propose should be based on gold because gold is much more stable," he added.  He said the exchange rate of the regional currency would "relate to" the performance of individual countries and would help harmonise regional trade.
"That way we know much we owe, we know how much have to pay, in the currency of east Asia." Mahathir, who 

Malaysia PM proposes common Asia trading currency

Seven South Korean tourists died and 21 others were missing after a sightseeing boat capsized and sank on the Danube in Budapest, Hungarian and South Korean officials said Thursday.
The accident happened near the parliament building in the heart of the Hungarian capital after a collision with a larger river cruise boat during torrential rain around 09:15 pm (1915 GMT) on Wednesday, according to officials.
A total of 33 South Koreans were on board, Seoul's foreign ministry said, confirming the seven dead were Korean.
The youngest was a six-year-old girl, travel agency officials said.  The 26-metre tourist boat, called the "Mermaid," was also carrying two Hungarian crew members.
"Our services have recorded the death of seven people," Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for Hungarian emergency services, said early Thursday morning.
"Seven people have been taken to hospital in a stable condition with hypothermia and shock symptoms," Gyorfi added.
"A further 21 people are missing," a Hungarian police .

Seven South Koreans dead, 21 missing as Budapest tourist boat sinks

Asian markets largely fell Thursday as Beijing ratcheted up its rhetoric against Washington, fanning investor anxiety over the US-China trade war and a potential global economic slowdown.
With no date set for tariff talks to resume in the US-China trade war, and Beijing accusing Washington of "naked economic terrorism" on Thursday in its handling of the dispute, investors appeared resigned to the prospect of the spat extending into the summer.
"We are against the trade war, but we are not afraid of it," Chinese vice foreign minister Zhang Hanhui said at a press briefing.  "This premeditated instigation of a trade conflict is naked economic terrorism, economic chauvinism, and economic bullying," Zhang added.
A veiled threat by Beijing on Wednesday to cut critical exports of rare earths to the United States intensified concerns.
It was the latest salvo in a months-long row that has seen Washington and Beijing slap tit-for-tat tariffs on imports, with US President Donald Trump upping the 

Asian markets slump over slowdown fears

An army helicopter has crashed in western Ukraine killing four servicemen, the military said on Thursday.
The Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the western Rivne region during a training flight late Wednesday, killing three crew members and the commander of the 16th Separate Army Aviation Brigade of Ground Forces, a statement said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.
Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences and tasked  newly-appointed general staff chief Ruslan Khomchak with overseeing the investigation.
"Our army should not be losing people during games and drills," the 41-year-old president was quoted as saying by his office.
Zelensky, a former comedian, swept last month's presidential election in a rebuke to the establishment fuelled by popular anger over war with Russian-backed separatists and social injustice.
The conflict against Russia-backed insurgents in the east has claimed some 13,000 lives since 2014.

AFP

AFP

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