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LONDON (Reuters) - Hosts England sauntered into the Champions Trophy final after South Africa 'choked' in yet another semi-final when they were bowled out for 175 in fairly benign conditions at The Oval on Wednesday. England, who came into cricket's second 50-over tournament having lost a home one-day series to New Zealand, scored 179 for three to knock off the required runs in 37.3 overs and win by seven wickets with Jonathan Trott notching 82 not out. David Miller top scored for pre-tournament favourites South Africa with 56 not out as the Proteas lasted only 38.4 overs. ...

By Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on the main U.N. compound in the Somali capital on Wednesday, dealing a blow to fragile security gains that have allowed a slow return of foreign aid workers and diplomats. The assault, claimed by Islamist group al Shabaab, began before midday when a car bomb exploded outside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) base. Rebel gunmen forced their way into the compound and fought with security guards. ...

By Asher Levine SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Demonstrators blocked a major highway and other roads in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, crippling transportation in Brazil's largest city and financial hub, in an ongoing wave of protests against poor public services, inflation and police violence. The protests, the biggest in Brazil in over two decades, followed overnight demonstrations that led to sporadic looting and vandalism. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - England beat South Africa by seven wickets in their Champions Trophy semi-final at The Oval on Wednesday. Scores: South Africa 175 all out (D. Miller 56 not out; J.Tredwell 3-19) England 179-3 from 37.3 overs (J.Trott 82 not out) (Editing by Mark Meadows)

By Leah Schnurr NEW YORK (Reuters) - Equities were flat while major currencies and commodities traded within recent ranges on Wednesday as investors awaited a statement from the U.S. Federal Reserve that they hope will shed light on its next move. The Fed is expected to leave policy ultra-loose following the central bank's meeting that ends later on Wednesday but may hint it will start scaling back its bond buying later this year if the U.S. labor market continues to improve. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's comment last month that the U.S. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Twice grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova pulled out of Wimbledon on Wednesday with an abdominal strain. Officials said Czech Klara Zakopalova had been installed as 32nd seed following the Russian's withdrawal with the original seeds between 32 and 27 being moved up one place. Kuznetsova, who was seeded 26th for the grasscourt major which begins on Monday, was the only player to take a set off eventual champion Serena Williams at this month's French Open. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Country singer and songwriter Slim Whitman, known for his smooth falsetto and yodeling talent, died in Florida on Wednesday at the age of 90, his son-in-law said. "He died last night at the Orange Park hospital at about 12:45 this morning of heart failure," Roy Beagle told Reuters. "We had a 90th birthday party for him in January and he looked good, but he had been in failing health since then." Born Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr., he was self-taught on the guitar and had a string of hits such as "Rose Marie", "Indian Love Call" and "Secret Love". ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, will give birth to the future heir to the British throne in the same hospital where the late Princess Diana gave birth to Princes William and Harry, royal sources said on Wednesday. The new royal baby, who will become third in line to the throne behind grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince William, will be born in the private Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London. The sources said the royal couple have still not been told the sex of the baby which is due next month as they want it to be a surprise. ...

By Guy Faulconbridge and Timothy Heritage ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland/MOSCOW (Reuters) - At the end of a tense two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama - slumped over and serious - tried to lighten the mood with a joke about their favourite sports. "And finally, we compared notes on President Putin's expertise in judo and my declining skills in basketball," the U.S. president told reporters at the G8 summit, after the two men gave formal statements emphasising their common ground rather than their sharp differences on how to end the Syrian crisis. ...

By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday his government would not join U.S. peace talks with the Taliban until they were led by Afghans and would suspend negotiations with the United States on a troop pact. The United States and the Taliban have said officials from both sides will meet in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Thursday, raising hopes for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan after 12 years of bloody and costly war between American-led forces and the insurgents. Fighting, however, continues in the war-ravaged nation. Four U.S. ...

By Andrew Downie RECIFE, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil will benefit with more than just new soccer stadiums from hosting the 2014 World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said as unrest in the country continued to overshadow the Confederations Cup. "In football, the whole country gets the legacy," Blatter said in an interview with Rio's O Globo newspaper. "Football involves the whole country. The country improves airports, hotels, highways, telecommunications, sustainability programs. ...

By Manuela D'Alessandro MILAN (Reuters) - Fashion design duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were on Wednesday handed a suspended prison sentence of one year and eight months for hiding hundreds of millions of euros from the tax authorities. The designers, who are nearly as famous as the stars they dress, were not present in court in Milan and have denied the charges. Given the complexity and length of the appeals process, they are unlikely to spend any time in jail. Public prosecutor Gaetano Ruta had asked for two and a half years. The judge gave them a suspended sentence. ...

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Taliban's spokesman in Qatar said representatives of the Afghan insurgency would meet U.S. officials for preliminary peace talks on Thursday but no time had been set. The spokesman, Mohammed Naeem, told Reuters by telephone that no Afghan government officials would be at the meeting. A team of U.S. negotiators arrived in Qatar earlier on Wednesday and held a meeting with Afghan diplomats in the Qatari capital. U.S. ...

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Celebrations by Delhi Congress workers and members of the Youth Congress marked the 43rd birthday celebrations of party vice president Rahul Gandhi, who wanted it to be a low key affair, party sources said Wednesday.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Newly-appointed Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge took charge of his portfolio Wednesday, a statement said.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" director-producer Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Wednesday rubbished rumours of the film being banned in Pakistan, saying on the contrary, they had got three different offers from there and also an invite to the entire cast and crew.

Washington, June 19 (IANS) US President Barack Obama, currently on an official visit to Berlin, Wednesday proposed plans for America and Russia to further cut their strategic nuclear warheads.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday announced Rs. 10 crore for those affected in the devastating floods in Uttarakhand.

London, June 19 (IANS) England entered their second Champions Trophy final steam-rolling South Africa in the tournament's first semifinal match at the Kennington Oval here Wednesday.

Bhubaneswar, June 19 (IANS) A trade body Wednesday said the restriction on import of gold imposed recently by the government may bring short-term benefits but warned it would do more harm than good for the nation in the long run.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) A 20-year-old newly-married woman was gang-raped by four men here, police said Wednesday. Two of the accused have been arrested.

Dehradun/New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Thousands are said to be missing in Uttarakhand after unprecedented rains and cloudburst led to landslides and flash floods killing more than 100 people and leaving 62,000 stranded, officials and survivors said.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor was teary-eyed at the promo and music launch of her film "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", and said she was emotional because of the effort put into the film.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Former athlete Milkha Singh Wednesday launched the music of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Bhaag Mikha Bhaag", saying he hoped that the film inspires the youth of today to take part in the Olympics and win laurels for their country.

Cape Town, June 19 (IANS) The UN and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory (NMCM) Wednesday launched the Mandela International Day, even as the anti-apartheid icon spent his 12th day in hospital for a recurring lung problem.

Kamduni (West Bengal), June 19 (IANS) Two women of this sleepy village, who led the anti-gangrape protests in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee only to be dubbed Maoists and CPI-M activists by the angry leader, Wednesday sought a probe by the CBI to clear their names.