The US started the night in the third qualifying place but ended up fifth after losing 2-1.

Panama jumped up to third after an 88th-minute winner against Costa Rica to reach their first World Cup finals.

However, it was their opening goal that caused debate with Gabriel Torres’ header not appearing to cross the line.

The 52nd-minute equaliser came from a corner with Torres’ effort hitting the post and as Blas Perez tried to force the ball over the line, Ticos defender Ronald Matarrita looked to have cleared it.

However, despite complaints from the visitors, referee Walter Lopez of Guatemala gave the goal.

Honduras beat already-qualified group winners Mexico to also leapfrog the US and secure fourth spot in the table and a two-leg play-off against Australia.

The US beat Panama 4-0 just last Friday but, despite playing a Trinidad & Tobago side with just three points from nine games before kick-off, never looked close to securing a place in Russia.

“We had everything there for us,” coach Bruce Arena said.

“We failed on the day. No excuses. We failed today. We should have walked off this field with at least a point. We should not be staying at home for this World Cup and I take responsibility.”

Omar Gonzalez stretched to cut out a cross and only succeeded in steering the ball past veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard, before Alvin Jones rocketed in a superb 35-yard strike to double the hosts’ lead.

Borussia Dortmund teenager – and star of the win in Panama – Christian Pulisic gave the US hope soon after the restart with a fine long-range goal of his own, but with Honduras beating Mexico it looked like a play-off place for the States.

And then, with time running out in Panama City, Torres – who plays his club football in Seattle – latched on to a long ball forwards and smashed in off the crossbar to send Panama through and leave the US in the wilderness.

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Source: BBC

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The government said it recognised there was “only one China” and that it considers Taiwan part of it.

Taiwan expressed “anger and regret” and accused Panama of “bullying”.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province. A handful of countries maintain ties with Taipei instead of Beijing, and Panama is the latest to have switched sides.

In December last year, the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe made a similar move. Now only 20 countries have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

In recent years China has intensified its economic investment into the Central American country – home of the economically vital Panama Canal.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it “expresses anger and regret” over what it called a “very unfriendly” diplomatic turn by Panama that “yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities”.

It accused Panama of “bullying” Taiwan while “ignoring the many years of friendship” between the two countries, and added it “will not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy”.

It was as recently as June last year that Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as president.

Following Panama’s announcement, China’s state media published photos of the two countries’ foreign ministers in Beijing signing a document establishing diplomatic relations, and toasting with champagne.

China’s foreign ministry also released a statement (in Chinese) saying that “the Chinese government and its people highly appreciate and warmly welcome” the move by Panama.

The United Nations in 1971 switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing’s People’s Republic of China (PRC) and most countries have since followed that lead in order not to antagonise the resurging economic giant.

Many of Taipei’s remaining backers are small island states or in Central and South America – regions that so far had few economic ties with China.

Given China’s rapid growth as an economic and political superpower, it has been increasingly easier for Beijing to sway countries to its side.

In the case of Sao Tome and Principe, Taiwan’s foreign ministry condemned the move, alleging the island nation demanded a huge amount of financial support.

Panama did not give any reason as to why it changed its diplomatic allegiance but there has been growing economic cooperation with China over the past years.

Chinese companies are developing ports in Panama, and Chinese state firms are said to have expressed interest in developing the land around the Panama Canal once the country opens a tender for it later this year.

The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route. As China expands its global trade ambitions with its One Belt One Road initiative, access to the eastern coasts of both South America and the US is expected to be of growing importance for Beijing.

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Source: BBC

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Some demonstrators hurled stones while other burned tyres and blocked roads.

They say they are angry that billions of dollars are being spent on next month’s football tournament, rather than social projects and housing.

Protests also took place in many other cities, including the capital Brasilia.

Teachers and civil servants, among others, were also on strike across Brazil.

In Rio, aerial images showed hundreds of people marching in rush-hour traffic on a main thoroughfare. The city will host the final match of the World Cup on 13 July.

Protesters there and in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, clashed with police before beginning to disperse.

‘More frequent’

The number of people on the streets was much lower than during similar protests last year.

Some of those taking part, however, promised the demonstrations would get bigger and more frequent as the World Cup gets closer.

Last June, more than a million people took to the street over poor public services, corruption and the high cost of hosting the World Cup.

The tournament is due to kick off on 12 June.

The BBC’s Gary Duffy in Sao Paulo says that the scale of the protests will be watched closely by the government as an indication of the security challenges they may face during the tournament.

He adds that, with both the World Cup and a presidential election this year, many groups have spotted an opportunity to exert maximum pressure on the government.

The demonstrations began earlier in the day in Sao Paulo, with one of the biggest protests in the city’s Itaquera district near the Arena Corinthians stadium, which will host the tournament’s opening match.

Protesters there demanded housing, and not stadiums, be built in accordance with Fifa standards, in reference to world football’s governing body.

‘No panic’

“Our goal is symbolic,” said Guilherme Boulos, the head of Homeless Workers Movement.

“We don’t want to destroy or damage the stadium. What we want is more rights for workers to have access to housing and to show the effects the Cup has brought to the poor.”

The government has tried to downplay the scale of Thursday’s unrest, arguing it was not related to the World Cup.

“From what I’ve seen, these are specific claims by workers. I’ve seen nothing that is related to the (World) Cup,” Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said.

“There’s no reason to panic ahead of receiving three million Brazilian tourists and 600,000 foreign tourists (for the tournament).”

The planned protests coincide with a range of strikes, including one by the police force in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco.

The army was deployed there to provide additional support after some robberies and looting, before the strike ended on its third day.

Local media reported that, in the last 24 hours alone, 234 people were arrested. Recife, the state capital, is due to host five matches during the World Cup.

Source: BBC

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