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LONDON, England (AP) -- A British army regiment's ceremonial pet goat was demoted in disgrace after it marched out of line before a host of international dignitaries during a parade to mark Queen's Elizabeth II's birthday, a military spokesman said Saturday. The military mascot, a 6-year-old male goat called Billy, was downgraded from the rank of lance corporal to fusilier -- the same status as a private -- after army chiefs ruled his poor display had ruined the ceremony June 16 at a British a ...

By Mussab Al-Khairalla BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was expected to present a national reconciliation plan on Sunday to curb Iraq's sectarian killing and the Sunni insurgency that has crippled the country's post-war reconstruction. Maliki, a Shi'ite Islamist, has vowed to crush the Sunni insurgency that has killed thousands of Iraqis and to reconcile Shi'ites with the once-dominant Sunni Muslim minority. Their mutual distrust has deepened amid sectarian bloodletting. Sinc ...

By Rex Gowar LEIPZIG (Reuters) - A brilliant goal from Argentina's Maxi Rodriguez gave his country a 2-1 extra-time win over Mexico in the World Cup second round on Saturday. Rodriguez struck eight minutes into extra time, controlling a cross-field pass with his chest and then hammering a superb, diagonal left-foot volley past Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez from 20 metres. Argentina will play hosts Germany in the quarter-final in Berlin on Friday. The Latin American rivals had been level ...

By Andrew Gray LEIPZIG (Reuters) - Argentina lead Mexico 2-1 in their World Cup second-round match at the Zentralstadion on Saturday. 105+1 HALFTIME OF EXTRA TIME - ARGENTINA 2 MEXICO 1 98 GOAL - ARGENTINA 2 MEXICO 1 Rodriguez scores one of the goals of this tournament or any World Cup, chesting the ball on the right edge of the box and then firing a left-foot volley on the full into the top left corner. 90+3 END OF NORMAL TIME - ARGENTINA 1 MEXICO 1 Game goes into extra time. 90+1 ACTION ...

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is holding talks in Gaza with Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the Hamas-led government. The talks are taking place amid reports that Hamas and Mr Abbas' Fatah Party are inching towards an important deal. The two sides are attempting to resolve differences and formulate a joint strategy on how to approach Israel. Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel or denounce violence has led to a power struggle between the two factions. Officials from Hamas and Fatah ...

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is to stand for re-election in presidential elections due in October. The president announced his decision to seek a second term at the national convention of his Workers' Party. He became the first leftwing contender to hold office in nearly half a century in a landslide victory in 2002. Opinion polls suggest his popularity is on the up after a corruption scandal engulfed party members and tarnished the image of his party last year. The scandal  ...

LAGUNA BEACH, California (AP) -- The driver was sober. The bird he hit may have been under the influence. A California brown pelican flew through the windshield of a car on the Pacific Coast Highway on Thursday, and wildlife officials said the bird was probably intoxicated by a chemical in the water, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Though toxicology tests take several weeks, the ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fourteen Saudi Arabians were released on Saturday from the detention center at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transferred to their home country, the Pentagon said. One was released because U.S. officials determined the prisoner was no longer an enemy combatant. The designation of enemy combatant means the suspect can be held without charges in a military prison without the protections of the U.S. criminal justice system, such as the right to counsel. The ...

LEIPZIG (Reuters) - Argentina and Mexico were drawing 1-1 at halftime in a World Cup second-round clash on Saturday after Mexico striker Jared Borgetti's own goal cancelled out captain Rafael Marquez's early opener. With just six minutes gone, Pavel Pardo drove a freekick from the right, Mario Mendez flicked the ball on and Marquez's right-foot lunge at the back post sent the ball high into the n ...

DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union wants Michigan's governing body for high school athletics to reconsider a policy keeping boys out of the postseason tournament for competitive cheerleading. But the Michigan High School Athletic Association questioned the timing of the ACLU's request, because the rules about boys in competitive cheer tournaments were approved in Decembe ...