Nineteen people were injured when a vintage plane crashed today after it took off on a test flight from a small airport in the South African capital Pretoria, emergency services said.
The Convair plane -- built in 1954 -- was due to soon be flown to the Aviodrome air museum, near the central Dutch city of Lelystad, after reportedly being renovated at the small Wonderboom airport in Pretoria.
Images from the site showed the plane broken into several pieces as paramedics helped survivors out of the aircraft and treated patients at the scene as firefighters tackled the smoking wreckage.
"Medics from ER24 and other services are at the scene of a plane crash at Wonderboom in Pretoria," Russell Meiring, spokesman for the ER24 medical service, said.
"We have 19 injured casualties ranging from minor to critical injuries at this stage and no confirmed fatalities."
The Aviodrome aerospace theme park in the Netherlands said on its Facebook page that it was "hugely shocked" by the crash.
The ...

19 injured in S.Africa vintage plane crash: emergency services

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Serena Williams survived a major scare before sealing her 11th Wimbledon semi-final appearance as the seven-time champion hit back to beat Italy's Camila Giorgi 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 today.
Williams was in danger of a stunning quarter-final exit after world number 52 Giorgi became the first player in this year's tournament to take a set off the former world number one.
But Serena bludgeoned her way out of trouble over the final two sets to stay on course for an eighth All England Club triumph.
It was Serena's 100th career main draw victory on grass.
The 36-year-old will play German 13th seed Julia Goerges on Thursday for a place in Saturday's final boasting a 3-0 career record.
"I knew after the first set, 'all right, let's go three sets'. I'll just keep fighting," Williams said.
"I'm ok, I feel good, I feel like I did better today, I had to.
"This is only my fourth tournament back so I don't feel pressure, I don't feel I have to win this.
"I still have a long way to go to be where I ...

Serena survives scare to make 11th Wimbledon semi-final

Real Madrid today announced the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Italy's Juventus, with the Portuguese superstar saying the time had come "for a new stage" in his life.
"Today Real Madrid wants to give thanks to a player who has demonstrated he is the best in the world and who marked one of the most brilliant periods in the history of our club and world football," the club said in a statement.
It did not give any details as to the amount of the transfer but Spanish media reports have said it could reach 105 million euros ($120 million), with the 33-year-old signing a four-year contract worth 30 million euros per season.
In a letter posted on Real Madrid's website, the multiple Ballon d'Or winner said his time in Madrid had been one of the happiest in his life.
"I only have feelings of huge thanks for this club, for the fans and for this city," he said.
"But I think the time has come to open a new stage in my life and that's why I asked the club to accept to transfer me.
"I ask ...

Real Madrid announce Ronaldo transfer to Juventus

Novak Djokovic insists it's only fair that he should play his Wimbledon quarter-final on Centre Court tomorrow, handing the All England Club a dilemma over relegating Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to Court One.
Despite being a three-time champion, Djokovic has featured just once on Centre Court -- against British home favourite Kyle Edmund in the last 32 -- in the opening four rounds.
By contrast, eight-time champion Federer, and Nadal, the title winner on two occasions, have played exclusively on the 15,000-seater Centre Court.
So, with two quarter-finals being played on Centre Court and two on Court One, something has got to give.
"We'll see. Hopefully," said Djokovic when asked if he expected to face Japan's Kei Nishikori on the most famous arena in tennis.
The Serb went on to tell Serbian media that he "deserved" to be on Centre Court.
Djokovic has played twice on the 11,000-capacity Court One this year but was shunted off to the 4,000-seater Court Two for his second round clash ..

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic face Wimbledon Centre Court dilemma

England are dreaming of a first World Cup final since 1966 but first they must come through tomorrow's semi-final at the Luzhniki Stadium against Croatia in what looks like their toughest test yet in Russia.
Excitement has reached fever-pitch levels back in England, with Gareth Southgate's young team making it to the last four of a major tournament for the first time since Euro '96, and for the first time at a World Cup since Italy in 1990.
Both of those runs ended in defeats on penalties, but there is a belief that something could be different this time.
England have already won a shootout in Russia, against Colombia in the last 16. And a young, likeable side with an eminently sensible and humble manager in Southgate have captured the hearts of a nation.
Can Southgate now become the first manager to win a World Cup semi-final with England on foreign soil as he bids ultimately to match the achievement of Alf Ramsey's side?
"We were not certain what this team might be capable of," ...

England dreaming but Croatia set to provide biggest World Cup test

Football's governing body FIFA welcomed the rescue of 12 Thai boys from a cave but said they were too weak to attend Sunday's World Cup final in Moscow.
Elite foreign divers and Thai Navy SEALs saved the final batch of four boys on Tuesday after an 18-day ordeal that captivated the world.
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino had invited the boys' Wild Boars football team to the final "as our guests" last week.
But FIFA said it had been informed "that due to medical reasons, the boys will not be in a position to travel to Moscow".
"FIFA's priority remains the health of everyone involved in the operation and we will look into finding a new opportunity to invite the boys to a FIFA event to share with them a moment of communion and celebration," a spokesman said.
The Thai footballers, aged from 11 to 16, had been stuck deep underground after setting off to explore the cave with their 25-year-old coach after training on June 23.
FIFA also expressed condolences to the family of a Thai Navy SEAL who ..

FIFA says rescued Thai boys won't attend World Cup final

Jelena Ostapenko became the first Latvian woman to reach a Wimbledon semi-final as the former French Open champion beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 6-4 today.
Just four years ago, Ostapenko was winning the junior Wimbledon title and now the youngest player left in the women's singles is only one win away from the final.
Ostapenko hasn't dropped a set in her first five matches after the 12th seed battled past Slovakian world number 33 Cibulkova on Court One.
Ostapenko's second Grand Slam semi-final appearance will be against former Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber on Thursday.
Speaking after her win, Ostapenko revealed she is playing with more freedom now she no longer has the pressure of defending the title in Paris, where she was knocked out in the first round last month.
"It's really great to be in the semis. I'm just enjoying being here," Ostapenko said.
"Dominika was playing great, but I'm fighting until the end and I'm gaining more confidence." Ostapenko also admitted she needed ..

Ostapenko first Latvian woman in Wimbledon semis

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has come under fire for voicing support for neighbours Croatia at the World Cup, with one centre right lawmaker dubbing his stance "idiotic".
"Only idiots can support Croatia. Aren't you ashamed Novak?", tweeted Vladimir Djukanovic of President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
"I am backing Croatia... I know who I would like to lift the trophy," Serbian media quoted Djokovic as saying from Wimbledon.
Several weeks before the World Cup started Djokovic posted pictures of himself with Croatian players including midfield stars Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic to his Instagram account.
When the Croatians faced off against hosts Russia in their quarter-final many Serbs who gathered to watch in cafes in central Belgrade were backing the Russians rather than their neighbours from the former Yugoslavia.
Djukanovic, on holiday in Greece, posted a video to social media in which he indicated that "those who say 'Nole' (Djokovic) has called for ..

Home grief for Djokovic for backing for Croatia

England manager Gareth Southgate's waistcoats have become such a hit at the World Cup that the Museum of London has announced plans to acquire one for its fashion collection.
Marks and Spencer, official tailors to the England team, declared last Saturday #NationalWaistcoatDay in honour of Southgate and his team.
The Sun newspaper has urged fans to wear one on "Waistcoat Wednesday" for the semi-final clash against Croatia in Moscow.
Museum bosses said the waistcoats were helping to bring the three-piece suit back into fashion.
"The Museum of London have... announced their plans to acquire one of Gareth Southgate's suits as part of their permanent collection," it said in a statement.
"Southgate's, now iconic, waistcoats, have helped bring the three-piece suit back into fashion -- a trend that was started in 1666 by none other than King Charles II, who was spotted in London by (famous diarist) Samuel Pepys in what is now known as the first waistcoat."
Beatrice Behlen, Museum of London ...

Southgate's World Cup waistcoats just the right fit for London museum

Nineteen people were injured when a plane crashed today in a grassy area of the South African capital Pretoria, emergency services said, giving a preliminary toll.
"Medics from ER24 and other services are at the scene of a plane crash at Wonderboom in Pretoria," Russell Meiring, spokesman for the ER24 medical service said.
"We have 19 injured casualties ranging from minor to critical injuries at this stage and no confirmed fatalities.

19 injured in S.Africa plane crash: emergency services

Former British foreign secretary Lord Carrington, the last surviving member of Winston Churchill's post-war government, has died at the age of 99, Downing Street said today.
Carrington served under Churchill in his 1951 to 1955 government.
He resigned from prime minister Margaret Thatcher's government in 1982 over Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands.
Born Peter Carington, he sat in parliament's upper House of Lords as Baron Carrington of Upton, with a different spelling of his surname.
Downing Street described his death as "very sad news".
Carrington was Britain's foreign secretary from 1979 to 1982 when Argentine forces invaded the Falklands.
He took responsibility for the loss of the South Atlantic archipelago on his watch, though few thought him personally to blame. Thatcher tried to dissuade him from stepping down.
Carrington was the NATO general secretary from 1984 to 1988.
Prime Minister Theresa May's effective deputy David Lidington paid tribute to his lengthy and ...

Lord Carrington, last member of Churchill govt, dies aged 99

US electric-car maker Tesla has reached an agreement to build a factory capable of producing 500,000 automobiles per year in Shanghai, the city's government said today.
The deal marks the biggest overseas foray yet for Tesla, which is looking to expand into global markets, plans that faced a potential threat from the intensifying China-US trade row.
An announcement by Shanghai's government said an agreement had been reached to build the plant in the commercial hub's Lingang district.
It said Shanghai would provide full support to Tesla in a project combing manufacturing, research and development, and sales and aimed at super-charging electric-vehicle development in the city.
Anticipation about a potential big Tesla investment had bubbled over the past year, with expectations spiking after Bloomberg News reported that Tesla boss Elon Musk would travel to the city today.
Tesla last month told shareholders that it was working with officials in China to build electric cars and battery ...

Tesla to build huge Shanghai factory: local govt

English Premier League side Manchester United have invited the Wild Boars football team,  like the Chilean miners rescued in 2010, to visit Old Trafford following their dramatic rescue today.
The final five members of the young football team - four youngsters and their 25-year-old coach - were rescued from a flooded Thai cave after spending 18 harrowing days trapped deep inside, completing an astonishing against-the-odds rescue mission that captivated the world.
The dozen players - aged 11 to 16 - and the coach had already received an invitation from FIFA chief Gianni Infantino last week to attend the World Cup final on Sunday in Moscow - although after their traumatic experience they may not be up to the trip physically or mentally.
Manchester United, though, tweeted an invitation just after the news that all had been rescued and with the Premier League season lasting from August through to May there will be plenty of time for them to recuperate and opportunity for them to take the ..

Wild Boars youngsters get Manchester United invite

A suspected jihadist suicide car bomb attack in southern Syria today killed at least eight fighters, including government and rebel forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The explosion hit Zaizun, a village in the western countryside of Daraa province which rebels agreed in recent days to hand over to  regime control.
"Eight regime and opposition fighters who recently reconciled were killed in a suicide car bomb attack targeting a military position in Zaizun," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Britain-based Observatory.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the village lies near a sliver of southern territory controlled by a faction linked to the Islamic State group.  Abdel Rahman said it was "likely" that the IS branch, known as Jaish Khaled bin Walid, was responsible.
"This is the first suicide attack targeting regime forces since the beginning of their operations in Daraa," he told AFP.
Backed by Russia, Syrian troops began a bombing blitz 

Suicide car bomb kills 8 fighters in south Syria: monitor

A Chinese court sentenced a man to death today for a knife attack that killed nine children and wounded another 11 as they returned home from school in northern China.
Zhao Zewei, 28, was arrested in April following the killings that he said were in response to a long-held grudge against the school.
The attack was "premeditated murder," the Yulin Intermediate Court said in a statement, adding that the circumstances warranted the death penalty.
"The goal of the crime was clear, the murderer's methods were despicable, and the consequences were extremely grave," it said on a statement on its website.
After his arrest, Zhao said he had been bullied when he attended the school, "hated" his classmates and decided to use a "dagger" to kill people, the court said in its verdict.
In preparation for the crime, he purchased five knives online. He carried three of them to the school, where he waited outside the gate for classes to finish before "rushing headlong into the stream of students and ...

Chinese court sentences man to death over school stabbings

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today promoted Turkey's army commander to overall armed forces chief in a radical military shake-up after the outgoing top general was given the post of defence minister.
Turkey's new government announced late on Monday the appointment of former chief of staff General Hulusi Akar as defence minister, a rare transition from military ranks to the political realm.
Erdogan then appointed ground forces commander General Yasar Guler as chief of staff by presidential decree published in the official gazette.
With more than 900,000 active personnel, Turkey has the second largest force in NATO after the United States which has almost 1.5 million.
The announcement comes as NATO meets in Brussels amid tensions over spending.
Erdogan was sworn in yesterday for a second presidential term under a controversial new system that will centralise all institutions, including the army, under the presidency.
Erdogan was granted sweeping powers in the new executive ...

Erdogan names army chief top general in military shake-up

A Swiss probe into bribery and fraud centred on Malaysian state fund 1MDB is investigating six people, but former prime minister Najib Razak is not one of them, the country's attorney general said today.
The banking haven is looking into claims its financial system was used to launder money siphoned off from the multi-billion dollar fund, which investigators say was raided to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.
A total of USD 4.5 billion was misappropriated by high-level officials of 1MDB and their associates, according to civil lawsuits filed by the US Department of Justice.
Najib, who set up 1MDB in 2009 and served as chairman of its advisory board, was charged in Malaysia last week with corruption linked to the scandal.
He denied all four charges and is currently on bail.
Shortly after he was booted from office in May, raids on properties linked to Najib and his family netted USD 273 million dollars' worth of cash, jewellery and luxury handbags.
"At this stage of the ...

Switzerland says Najib not a target in 1MDB probe

Rebels and Islamist forces killed more than two dozen pro-government fighters in a joint attack in a northwestern stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, a monitor said today.
In retaliation, the government and its ally Russia pounded rebel-held areas in the coastal province of Latakia and neighbouring Idlib today, killing four civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
It was the bloodiest opposition assault on the area in three years, according to the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside the country.
The surprise offensive late yesterday targeted a pair of villages and observation points in Latakia, near the Turkish border.
"At least 27 regime forces and allied fighters, including eight officers, were killed in fierce clashes and shelling in the village of Al-Ateira," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. "They took Al-Ateira and kicked out regime forces from several observation points after killing or wounding ...

Rebels kill 27 regime fighters in northwest Syria: Monitor

Eight West African states have called for emergency aid for four countries in the Sahel facing food shortages as a result of jihadist violence.
Agriculture ministers from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), at a meeting in the Nigerien capital of Niamey yesterday, said around 3.5 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal were suffering from "food insecurity".
They called for "immediate, unconditional food assistance" for the June-August period, the run up to harvest time, when grain stores are at their lowest level.
UEMOA comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
The Sahel, one of the world's poorest and most fragile regions, is being battered by attacks by jihadists, including cross-border incursions by Nigeria's Boko Haram movement.

Eight states sound alarm over Sahel hunger

At least three policemen, including a superintendent, have been killed in fighting between English-speaking separatists and security forces in western Cameroon, local sources said today.
The violence, which continued today, marks a bloody escalation in a campaign to gain independence for two English-speaking regions from the rest of the French-speaking country.
A local official in Buea, the capital of Southwest Region, said, "Two police were killed yesterday [Monday] on the southern part of the city by terrorists." A policeman was also kidnapped "and we have no news of him," the source said.
A hospital source gave a higher toll, saying five police and a civilian had died yesterday, and another civilian had been wounded.
On Sunday, a police superintendent in Kumba, a town on the main road out of Buea towards Mamfe, was "slain in cold blood by armed men suspected to be anglophone secessionists," the official said.
"He was having a drink at home when they killed him," the source said. ...

Police killed in flashpoint Cameroon city of Buea

All 12 boys and their coach who became trapped in a flooded Thai cave more than a fortnight ago have been rescued, the Navy SEALs announced today, completing an astonishing against-the-odds rescue mission that has captivated the world.
The Thai SEALs and elite foreign divers extracted the final batch of four boys, plus the 25-year-old coach, today afternoon via a perilous escape route that required them to squeeze through narrow, water-filled tunnels.
"All 12 'Wild Boars' and coach have been extracted from the cave," the SEALs said in a Facebook post.
"All are safe," they added, signing off with what has become their trademark "Hooyah" to celebrate the successful extractions of the other boys over the previous two days.
The 12 boys, aged from 11 to 16, and their coach, ventured into the Tham Luang cave in mountainous northern Thailand on June 23 after football practice and got caught deep inside when heavy rains caused flooding that trapped them on a muddy ledge.
They spent nine ...

AFP

AFP

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