Costa Rica beat Italy to advance and put England out

RECIFE: Costa Rica beat Italy 1-0 on Friday to secure their progress to the World Cup knockout stage from a Group D containing three previous winners and guarantee England´s first-round exit.

Captain Bryan Ruiz met Junior Diaz´s cross from the left with a great 44th-minute header to cap an excellent first-half display by his team, who had a strong penalty claim turned down moments earlier.

Mario Balotelli wasted two good early opportunities for the four-times winners but Italy failed to impose themselves on the game as the group outsiders played with confidence and control to claim their second victory.

Costa Rica lead the group on six points and go into the knockout stage for the second time.

Italy and Uruguay, who meet on Tuesday, each have three points but Italy´s superior goal difference means they need only a draw to go through. England, on zero points, are now certain to go out at the group stage for the first time since 1958. (Reuters)

World’s oldest man dies at 111 in Italy

The world’s oldest man has died in Italy at the age of 111, just days before celebrating his 112th birthday, Guinness World Records said.

Arturo Licata was awarded the Guinness World Records title of oldest living man on February 28, 2014 at the age of 111 years and 302 days.

“It’s sad to hear of the passing of Signor Licata - a man born before the Wright brothers’ first powered flight, and one of only four men older than 111,” said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief.

Mr. Licata passed away on April 24, aged 111 years and 357 days.

He is survived by seven children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His wife Rosa passed away in 1980, when Licata was 78 years old.

Mr. Licata was born on May 2, 1902 in the southern Italian city of Enna. At the age of nine he went to work in the mines and, in 1921, aged 19, he joined the Italian army.

Mr. Licata’s military service finished in 1939 and he went on to enjoy a successful career in business.

Currently 115-year-old female, Misao Okawa of Japan, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person. She was born March 5, 1898 and lives in Osaka.

The greatest fully authenticated age to which any human has ever lived is 122 years, 164 days by Jeanne Louise Calment of France, who died in 1997.

Barack Obama leaves Italy for Saudi Arabia

ROME: US President Barack Obama on Friday left Italy for Saudi Arabia -- the last stop of his six-day tour of Europe and the Middle East.

Obama´s plane, Air Force One, left Rome´s Fiumicino airport at 0955 GMT, an AFP photographer travelling with the president said.

The US leader was expected to spend Friday evening in talks with Saudi King Abdullah on a royal estate outside the capital Riyadh.

The visit comes amid strategic differences over Iran and Syria, which are straining a historic alliance between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Obama was expected to fly back to the United States on Saturday. In Rome on Thursday, Obama met with Pope Francis for the first time and held talks with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that John Elkann, the chairman of Italian automaker Fiat, attended a dinner on Thursday at the US ambassador´s residence with Obama. Fiat bought a majority stake in US car maker Chrysler earlier this year and is planning to list the newly merged Fiat Chrysler conglomerate on Wall Street in October.