The Kiwis sailed even more swiftly in a strong wind to coast past Italy's Luna Rossa in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals again Saturday, reaching a top speed of 54 mph to win by 1 minute, 58 seconds.

Emirates leads Luna Rossa 6-1 in the best-of-13 challenger series.

Officials pushed back Saturday's first race about 10 minutes waiting for the big bay breezes to calm down. The second race, scheduled to start 30 minutes after the first, also was being threatened by exceeding wind.

The Kiwis are hoping to wrap up a spot in the 34th America's Cup that begins Sept. 7.

Islambuli Badir, a 36-year-old member of Islamist movement Hamas, was arrested during a raid on his perfume shop in the town of Tulkarem, his brother Abdel Fattah Badir told AFP.

"Men from the security services on Tuesday raided my brother's shop and confiscated all the perfume bottles that were labelled 'Morsi,' then arrested Islambuli and also seized his laptop," said Abdel Fattah.

"The day after the arrest, my younger brother Qassam, 24, put a sign up on the shop door saying: An apology to customers -- our Mohamed Morsi perfume has been seized by the authorities."

Abdel Fattah said his family learned of the raid and arrest from neighbours and witnesses.

"No one... contacted us to inform us of the arrest, my brother's place of detention or the charges against him," he said.

But he added that given the items confiscated, it was presumably because of the name of his Morsi perfume.

The Badirs are known Islamist sympathisers.

Abdel Fattah insisted, however, that the Morsi perfume was simply a business venture that had attracted a lot of customers.

It was unclear who fired the shell that smashed into Goma's western neighbourhood of Ndosho, sparking an angry reaction from residents who blocked access to vehicles, witnesses said.

"A shell has just landed on my neighbourhood," Ndosho resident Charles Paluku told AFP on the phone, adding that two people had been reported dead as a result of the explosion.

Another witness speaking on condition of anonymity provided the same death toll and said the shell had struck near Ndosho's Saint-Francois Xavier church.

"I understand the population's frustration," Prosper Basse, a spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission, said in reaction to reports that Ndosho residents had staged an impromptu demonstration to protest against the violence.

Residents said two other shells were fired in the Goma area Saturday, including one that crashed into the Mugunga 3 camp for displaced people, a few miles west of the city.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties from those shells.

A spokesman for the M23 rebel group accused the regular army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) of targeting the Rwandophone community in Goma, the capital of North-Kivu province.

"We condemn this serious crime, this war crime that the FARDC are committing," Vianney Kazarama said.

The M23 was founded by former fighters in a Tutsi rebel group whose members were integrated into the regular army under a 2009 peace deal that they claim was never fully implemented.

Several of its leaders have been hit by UN sanctions over alleged atrocities and the world body has accused Rwanda of arming -- and even of commanding -- the rebels, a claim Kigali denies.

The M23 rebels briefly seized the mining hub of Goma last year and only pulled out following a regionally-brokered deal, under which they were supposed to remain in positions several miles outside the city.

Fighting has erupted sporadically since mid-July, ending a two-month lull in the violence, and the rebels moved closer to Goma, arguing that Kinshasa was reneging on its pledge to hold direct talks.

The group has threatened to recapture Goma but UN forces, including a 3,000-strong intervention brigade with a robust mandate, have moved in to create a security zone around the provincial capital.

Following a fresh deadly bout of fighting that erupted on Wednesday, the UN brigade formed to eradicate armed groups in the region launched its first military action against the M23, fighting alongside the FARDC.

The brigade, the first with an offensive mandate to battle the dozens of armed groups operating in the region, is made up mainly of troops from southern Africa.

Rwanda, which accused Congolese troops of firing a rocket and mortar shells over the border over the past 48 hours, warned on Saturday that it will not stand by "indefinitely".

"The RDF (Rwanda Defence Force) remains prepared to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population," Rwanda's army spokesman Joseph Nzabamwita said in a statement.

Kinshasa had also accused Rwanda of firing rockets on Goma on Thursday.

Eastern DR Congo, which borders Rwanda and Uganda, was the cradle of back-to-back wars that drew in much of the region from 1996 to 2003 which were fought largely over its vast wealth of copper, diamonds, gold and coltan, a key mobile phone component.

The instability there was exacerbated by the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, when Hutus implicated in the killing of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi victims fled across the border after Tutsi leader Paul Kagame came to power.

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BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - Germany confirmed on Friday it had enjoyed its fastest rate of economic expansion in more than a year in the second quarter, and Britain revised up its growth to the same rate.

Although recession still haunts many of Europe's major economies, like Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, analysts said the German and British data showed that at least two of the region's major economic engines are moving into a higher gear.

Consumer morale has jumped to its highest level in two years this month, other data showed on Friday, in a bright sign for the current quarter as well.

Strong domestic demand drove a 0.7 percent quarterly increase in German gross domestic product in the second quarter, matching its growth rate in the first quarter of 2012.

Britain's economy expanded at the same rate as Germany's, equaling the growth it recorded in the third quarter of last year, fuelled by a broad-based pick-up in activity.

The signs of robust growth have also led to more upbeat comments from the region's central bankers, who have hitherto hinted at interest rates remaining low for some time to come.

The German figures reflected a construction flurry after a harsh winter, firms' strong appetite for machines and equipment and healthy private consumption.

"The composition of growth is very good. It is being driven more strongly from within, which is good for Germany and the euro zone," said economist Holger Sandte at Nordea.

The euro zone exited a year and a half of recession in the second quarter.

"It is also positive that firms are investing more in equipment and are not so hesitant anymore," added Sandte on the German data.

Policymakers are sounding a bit more positive, too. European Central Bank policymaker Ewald Nowotny said in an interview on Thursday that he saw no reason for an interest rate cut now.

And German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who is preparing for a federal election next month, said he welcomed the prospect of the ECB raising interest rates once the economy improves.

"Low rates are above all an expression of insecurity on debt markets. That cannot last forever - even if it is a relief to the federal budget," he told business daily Handelsblatt.

ECB President Mario Draghi said after the last rate-setting meeting on August 1 that rates will remain low for some time. The ECB has based this 'forward guidance' on the inflation outlook remaining subdued and growth weak.

Purchasing managers indexes this week confirmed strong growth in Germany this month, although they suggested companies in No.2 euro zone economy France are still struggling.

Analysts said that was hard to reconcile with preliminary figures last week showing the French economy grew 0.5 percent in the second quarter.

In Britain, however, signs of recovery have been far less ambiguous over the last couple of months.

"It does look like the recovery is becoming more self-sustaining," said Philip Shaw, economist at Investec.

Stocks gained after the data, which also showed output rose by a surprisingly strong 1.5 percent from a year ago.

British exports rose at the fastest rate since late 2011, and business investment grew faster than household spending, suggesting a shift towards more balanced growth in an economy that has been driven mainly by domestic consumption and imports.

To encourage spending and investment, the Bank of England said earlier this month it would not raise borrowing costs while unemployment remains above 7 percent, a level it did not expect to be breached for at least three years.

But the threshold may be crossed sooner if Britain's recovery maintains momentum, and since the bank gave its forward guidance, the news on the economy has been predominantly upbeat.

"The Bank of England is therefore facing a growing challenge of how to convince the markets and households that interest rates will not need to rise over the next three years," said Chris Williamson, economist at financial data company Markit.

(Writing by Andy Bruce; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

The baby-faced 18-year-old from Sheffield, whose younger brother acted as his caddie, sunk a par putt on the 33rd hole to close out a 4&3 victory in the matchplay format tournament held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

"I mean, it's absolutely amazing," said Fitzpatrick, who won the title on the same course where amateur Francis Ouimet claimed his famous U.S. Open victory in a playoff against Harry Vardon and Ted Ray a century ago.

"I can't really describe how I'm feeling at the minute. That's sort of what everyone wants in golf, wants to achieve, and I'm pretty sure Justin Rose said that after his U.S. Open that it's nice to go down in the history books."

Rose became the first Englishman in 43 years to win the U.S. Open when he won his first major at the Merion Golf Club in June.

The amateur, who grabbed attention last month when he won the silver medal at the British Open as leading amateur, ended England's wait for a victory in the tournament since Harold Hilton lifted the trophy in 1911.

The win earns Fitzpatrick, who is soon to begin a golf scholarship at Northwestern University in Chicago where former world number one and fellow Briton Luke Donald studied, an exemption into the 2014 U.S. Open provided he remains an amateur.

He is also exempt from next year's British Open and is likely to receive an invitation to The U.S. Masters at Augusta.

Fitzpatrick led the 19-year-old Goss by one after the morning round but the Australian tied the match on the opening hole of the second when his opponent missed a seven-foot par putt.

The Englishman, who came into the event as the number two ranked amateur in the world, won the next two holes to take the lead for good.

"I'd probably say this week what's come out most is that my short game has just been really, really top drawer," Fitzpatrick said. "I'd say my weakest part of my game was into the greens.

"What's come out more than anything is I've just putted really well."

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien)

Ben Affleck will be the next Batman, Access Hollywood has confirmed.

Affleck will debut as the superhero for Warner Bros.' upcoming Superman/Batman film, putting one of Hollywood's hottest casting rumors to rest, the studio announced on Thursday.

"Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder's as-yet-untitled project -- bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen and continuing the director's vision of their universe, which he established in "Man of Steel,'" Warner Bros. said in a release late Thursday.

Following the big announcement, Snyder shared his joy over the selection.

"Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry's Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can't wait to work with him," the director said in a statement.

Other stars who had reportedly beenincluded Orlando Bloom, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Armie Hammer, Joe Manganiello, Max Martini and Matthew Goode, among others.

The new film is expected to begin production in 2014, with a July 17, 2015 release date announced.

Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman, with "Man of Steel" stars Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne also returning for the next installment.

was the first to report the casting news on Thursday.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the arrests Thursday after an undercover operation that included officers from 16 states, three federal agencies and three Asian countries.

Items seized under "Operation Wild Web" include the pelts of endangered big cats such as the Sumatran tiger, leopard and jaguar; live migratory birds such as the California scrub jay; whale teeth; elephant and walrus ivory; and a zebra pelt.

"Our message is clear and simple: The Internet is not an open marketplace for protected species," said Edward Grace, deputy assistant director for law enforcement for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Working with counterparts in California, Texas, New York, Florida and Alaska and other states, federal officials targeted illegal wildlife sellers who operate through Craigslist, eBay and other Internet marketplaces and classified ads. Wildlife officers in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia ran similar operations at the same time.

The items were seized last August, although charges are still being brought in many cases. Six Southern California residents were charged Thursday with selling endangered species and animal parts, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said.

"As a major platform for the illicit trade in wildlife, the Internet has become a dangerous place for animals," said Jeff Flocken, North American regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, an advocacy group that worked with the federal task force.

"Wildlife crimes are not only harmful to endangered species, they also pose serious threats to national and global security," Flocken said.

Illegal wildlife trade generates an estimated $19 billion a year worldwide and ranks fourth on the list of the most lucrative global illegal activities behind narcotics, counterfeiting and human trafficking, the animal welfare group said in a report last year.

Federal laws regulating the sale of wildlife include the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act; the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act, which prohibits trade in wildlife, fish and plants that have been illegally taken, transported or sold.

Other states involved in "Operation Wild Web" were Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

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Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

Nintendo, which began by making playing cards in the late 19th century, is counting on the new Wii U to revive its fortunes.

The creator of the Super Mario franchise sold 1.4 million 3DS handheld consoles in the quarter compared with 1.86 million during the same period a year earlier.

(Reporting by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

The rebuilding Celtics, who also agreed to part ways with Jason Terry and D.J. White, will receive Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans and first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Boston were additionally given the right to swap first-round picks in 2017 as part of a trade that was agreed to in principle at last month's NBA Draft but could not be made official until a moratorium on transactions was lifted.

"Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," team owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. "With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against."

Garnett, a 15-time All Star, has averaged 19.1 points and 10.5 rebounds a game over his 18-year career.

Ten-time All-Star Pierce, a 15-year veteran, ranks fifth all-time in career three-pointers made (1,823), while averaging 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

Terry, a 14-year NBA veteran, has averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 assists per game, and was a member of the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.

"We are excited to welcome Kevin, Paul and Jason to Brooklyn," said Nets General Manager Billy King. "All three players have championship pedigree and possess the veteran qualities that will make us a stronger team."

Pierce and Garnett teamed up to help the Celtics win their NBA-record 17th league championship in 2008.

"We would like to thank Paul, Kevin, and Jason for everything that they have done for this franchise," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a statement.

"We would not have won Banner 17 without Paul and Kevin and they will go down amongst the all-time great players to have ever worn a Celtics uniform."

The Nets were also expected soon to announce the signing of Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko to a two-year contract, according to local media reports.

The acquisition of Kirilenko, who opted out of the final year of his contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, would push the Nets' current payroll to about $100 million, a total that would cost Russian billionaire Prokhorov more than $80 million in NBA luxury tax.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York,; Editing by Frank Pingue)