Anthony Joshua  maintained his 100 per cent knockout ratio by stopping a  bloodied Carlos Takam in the tenth round.
The English boxer retained his International Boxing  Federation and World Boxing Association world heavyweight  titles with a devastating display of his punching power to  finish Cameroon's France-based challenger at the Principality  Stadium.
Takam became Joshua's 20th consecutive knockout victim in  a fourth defence of his IBF belt and first of his WBA title,  but the challenger stubbornly resisted the champion after  being cut by the right eye in the fourth round.
"It was a good fight until the ref stopped it. I have the  upmost respect for Takam," said Joshua, who injured his nose  from a headbutt in the second round.
"Imagine if it's broke and I couldn't breath and he  started catching up in the middle rounds? It would have been a  disaster, so I kept my cool. You have to control these  situations because, if I showed any signs of weakness, the ref  could have ...

Boxing: Controversy as Joshua retains world heavyweight titles

PTI Automatic

Barcelona recorded their best ever  start to a La Liga season as coach Ernesto Valverde enjoyed a  successful return to Athletic Bilbao thanks to goals from  Lionel Messi and Paulinho in a 2-0 win.
Valverde has now overseen 12 wins and a draw from his  first 13 La Liga and Champions League matches as Barca  reestablished their four-point lead at the top of the table  over Valencia, who beat Alaves 2-1 earlier on Saturday.
The Catalan giants also move eight points clear of rivals  Real Madrid, who are in action on Sunday amidst a backdrop of  political turmoil as they travel to Catalonia to take on  Girona.
"The truth is we struggled a lot, especially in the  second-half," Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets told Movistar  TV.
"They had chances to equalise, but with a counter-attack  at the end we scored the second which leaves us with this  spectacular start."
Valverde left Bilbao in the summer and his impact has  been felt just as much in Bilbao as it has in Barcelona --  Athletic have .

Messi maintains under-par Barca's lead over resurgent Valencia

Tensions were high on a Papua New  Guinea island today as authorities prepared to close an  Australian refugee camp, with local police calling for calm as  some detainees refused to move.
The Manus Island detention centre, to close on Tuesday,  is one of two Pacific camps where asylum-seekers who try to  enter Australia by boat are sent for processing under  Canberra's harsh immigration policy.
Refugees had been given the option of moving to the other  centre on the island of Nauru but most detainees have shunned  the offer, expressing fears that relocation could further  prolong their agony.
Some have also refused to relocate on Manus, citing  safety fears amid reports they would not be welcomed in local  neighbourhoods.
"The guys (refugees) have said they will stay, they don't  intend to move," Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian  Rintoul told AFP today.
"As of today, the mess is closed so food will no longer  be available inside the detention centre and they (centre's  ...

Tensions ahead of Australia camp closure on PNG

Tropical Storm Philippe formed over  Cuban skies and is on a path to strike south Florida, Cuban  and US meteorologists said.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the  storm was about 80 kilometres north of Havana at 0001 GMT  today, moving north at 28 miles per hour with maximum  sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.
On the forecast track, Philippe's centre will swiftly  cross the Straits of Florida, "and move across the Florida  Keys or the southern tip of the Florida peninsula overnight,  and across the northwestern Bahamas Sunday morning," the NHC  said.
The Hurricane Center also warned that brief tornadoes  were possible across portions of South Florida.
Rain-soaked Florida was pummeled by Hurricane Irma in  August, and Tropical Storm Emily in July.
Cuban Civil Defense earlier warned citizens of a storm --  at the time a tropical depression -- bringing strong wind and  heavy rain, and causing large ocean swells.
"Since it is a weak system its center is not ...

Tropical Storm Philippe crosses Cuba towards Florida

Allegations of mysterious  attacks that have sickened US diplomats in Cuba are a  "political manipulation" aimed at undermining US-Cuban  relations, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has said.
Rodriguez said it was "unacceptable and immoral" that  "any political differences" between the two countries would  translate into measures affecting nationals from either  country.
The United States "decided to adopt decisions of a  political nature that hurt the Cuban people," said Rodriguez,  who spoke in Washington at a meeting of Cubans living in the  United States.
"The so-called sonic attacks ... are totally false," said  Rodriguez, slamming the allegations as "political manipulation  aimed at damaging bilateral relations."
Washington has not formally blamed Havana for the alleged  attacks, but US President Donald Trump said in mid-October  that he holds Cuba responsible -- and the White House has said  it believes Cuba could bring the attacks to a halt.
US officials have said the ...

Alleged attacks on US diplomats are 'political manipulation':

At least 14 people were killed in  coordinated car bombings followed by an attack on a hotel in  the Somali capital Mogadishu, claimed by Shabaab Islamists.
Following the blasts yesterday, witnesses reported  hearing gunfire at the Nasa Hablod Hotel 2 which was sealed  off by security forces with gunmen believed to be inside.
"About 14 people, most of them civilians, were confirmed  dead so far and the security forces are still working to  ensure the area is clear," said security official Mohamed  Moalim Adan.
He said "sporadic gunfire" was continuing with at least  two gunmen from the Shabaab Islamist group believed to be  inside the hotel. One senior police official and a former MP  were among the dead.
The attack came two weeks after a massive truck bomb  exploded in central Mogadishu, killing at least 358 people,  making it the deadliest attack in the troubled country's  history.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab claimed yesterday's  bombing and hotel assault in a statement on its ..

At least 14 dead in Mogadishu attack

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-  Sisi has named a new armed forces chief of staff, the  presidency said in a brief statement today.
He appointed former defence ministry secretary general  Mohammed Farid Hegazy to the post, it said, without giving a  reason for the change.
His predecessor Mahmoud Hegazy, who had held the post  since March 2014, was named a presidential adviser.
Linked to Sisi through the marriage of their respective  children, Mahmoud Hegazy recently returned from Washington  where military chiefs had gathered to discuss fighting  "terrorism".
Mohammed Farid Hegazy's appointment is a major change in  the military establishment.
Sisi came to power after the 2013 ouster of Islamist  president Mohamed Morsi, for whom he had served as defence  minister.
The country's armed forces have since faced an Islamist  insurgency including by the Islamic State group, with hundreds  of policemen and soldiers killed.
The insurgency is concentrated on North Sinai province,  ...

Egypt's Sisi names new armed forces chief of staff

Rwanda's first cricket stadium was  inaugurated today by President Paul Kagame as a permanent home  for developing the sport in the country.
Gahanga Cricket Stadium in the capital Kigali is built on  a 4.5 hectare ground and cost USD 1.3 million, the majority of  the funds raised by international cricket players eager to see  the game take off in Rwanda.
The Rwandan Cricket Stadium Foundation was set up by Alby  Shale, the son of a late British politician and cricket lover  who visited Rwanda to do aid work.
"We are very happy to have this cricket pavilion and  ground built, and by that we remember Christopher Shale, in  whose memory this has been built," Kagame said at the opening.
"It is a great pleasure for us to have this facility  which will see more young men and women playing and improving  their skills. It is also good for us to have partners in the  United Kingdom," he said.
Eric Dusingizimana, the national team captain, helped  raise funds for the stadium by setting a ...

Rwanda gets first cricket stadium

The mayor of Ankara resigned on  Saturday on the "orders" of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,  who is seeking to revitalise the ruling party ahead of 2019  elections.
Melih Gokcek, a staunch Erdogan loyalist who had been in  charge of the Turkish capital for 23 years, said he was acting  in the country's best interests.
"I leave my post of mayor on orders from our leader Recep  Tayyip Erdogan," Gokcek, a member of the ruling Justice and  Developement Party (AKP), said in a televised speech.
"I bow to the request of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not  because I do not think I have been successful, not because I  think I'm tired... but only because I think (Erdogan) can make  our country a leader."
Gokcek's successor has not been named.
Erdogan co-founded the AKP as an Islamic-rooted party  that also aimed to modernise the economy and push ahead with  Turkey's EU membership bid.
Erdogan has repeatedly made clear that the party needs to  make "sweeping changes" ahead of the 2019 elections, after ..

Ankara mayor quits following Erdogan 'order'

Parliament in Iraq's  autonomous Kurdish region said it will meet tomorrow to  redistribute the powers of president Massud Barzani who is  facing pressure to quit after last month's independence vote.
A statement from Barzani will be read out at the meeting  which is set to open at 1100 GMT, parliament said on Saturday.
On Tuesday, parliament decided to freeze the activities  of Barzani, his vice-president Kosrat Rasul and the head of  the presidential cabinet, Fuad Hussein.
Barzani came under growing opposition from his detractors  after he organised the September 25 referendum on Kurdish  independence that triggered a deep crisis with Baghdad.
The federal government opposed the vote which it deemed  unconstitutional, and its forces have since seized a swathe of  disputed territory from Kurdish fighters.
Iraqi Kurdistan's main opposition party, the Goran  movement, called on Barzani to step down after the loss of  Kurdish-controlled territory.
Kurdish MP Iden Maarouf said parliament .

Kurdish parliament says will re-allocate Barzani powers

A suicide bomber killed at least  three people today at the funeral of an anti-jihadist Sunni  fighter in Iraq, security and medical sources said.
The bomber struck as condolences were being given at the  funeral of the fighter from tribal paramilitaries battling the  Islamic State group.
He detonated an explosive belt outside a mosque in Al-  Mashahada some 40 kilometres north of Baghdad, the security  source said.
The military command in the capital said the attack  killed a guard and two civilians, while a medical source said  that another 12 people were wounded.
Despite being under increasing pressure in both Syria and  Iraq, IS cells remain active north of Baghdad.
The jihadist group has carried out bloody attacks both in  the capital and across the country.

Suicide bomber kills 3 at Iraq funeral: army

Actress Annabella Sciorra has  accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, detailing her harrowing  encounter with the now-disgraced movie mogul.
She joins dozens of women who have already leveled  allegations of sexual abuse against the 65-year-old Weinstein.
Sciorra -- who received an Emmy nomination for her  role in the acclaimed television series "The Sopranos" -- said  in the early 1990s Weinstein forced his way into her apartment  and violently raped her.
She told The New Yorker Magazine that before the  alleged attack Weinstein came in "like he owned the place, and  started unbuttoning his shirt."
"It was very clear where he thought this was going to  go."
She urged Weinstein to leave but "he shoved me onto  the bed, and he got on top of me," Sciorra said.
Despite her resistance Weinstein forced sexual  intercourse with her and "attempted to perform oral sex on  me," she told the magazine.
"I struggled, but I had very little strength left in  me."
"I was so ashamed," Sciorra, now 57, ...

Actress Annabella Sciorra accuses Weinstein of rape

Greek police said they arrested a  suspect today over a series of letter bomb attacks targeting  the country's creditors, one of which injured former prime  minister Lucas Papademos earlier this year.
Police arrested a 29-year-old Greek man in the centre of  Athens as he was leaving an apartment rented under an alias.
The man was reportedly carrying two pistols, a timer,  explosive substances and gunpowder and various materials for  the manufacture of timed devices, police said in a statement.
A police source said the man was known to police for his  militant activities.
Papademos, who as prime minister from 2011 to 2012 agreed  to punishing austerity measures to secure a bailout at the  height of Greece's financial crisis, was injured when an  explosive device detonated as he opened his mail in May.
The attack, which remains unclaimed, had a similar  methodology to that used by Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, a far-  left group which in March mailed an explosive device that  injured a ...

Greece arrests suspect over letter bomb attacks

Catalonia's secessionist leader  on Saturday defiantly called for "democratic opposition" to  direct rule imposed by the central government on the semi-  autonomous region after its parliament declared unilateral  independence.
"The best way to defend what we have achieved to date is  democratic opposition to the application of article 155,"  Carles Puigdemont, who was officially deposed by Madrid  yesterday, said in a carefully-worded televised statement that  appeared to indicate he did not accept his dismissal.
Puigdemont was referring to the never-before-used  constitutional article that gives Madrid the takeover powers,  adding he and his team would keep working "to build a free  country."
In his first comments since being deposed as president of  Catalonia, flanked by a Catalan and EU flag, he did not  clarify whether he would carry on as leader of a new republic  that is not recognised by Madrid or abroad.
In a copy of his speech sent to AFP, he signed off as  "president of the 

Catalan separatist leader urges 'democratic opposition' to

Catalonia's separatist leader,  who was deposed by Madrid, today called for "democratic  opposition" to direct rule imposed by the central government  on the semi-autonomous region after its parliament declared  unilateral independence.
"The best way to defend what we have achieved to date is  democratic opposition to the application of article 155,"  Carles Puigdemont said in a televised statement, referring to  the constitutional article that gives Madrid the takeover  powers, adding he and his team would keep working "to build a  free country.

Deposed Catalan leader urges 'democratic opposition' to Madrid

A sea of rainbow flags and glitzy  costumes filled downtown Taipei today as tens of thousands  marched in Asia's largest gay pride parade, the first since  Taiwan's top court ruled in favour of gay marriage.
The island looks set to become the first place in Asia  to legalise gay marriage after the constitutional court said  in May that laws preventing same-sex unions violated the  guarantee of freedom of marriage.
It gave the government two years to implement the  decision.
The anticipation was felt in Saturday's parade, as  dancing crowds in colourful wigs and sequined outfits made  their way through the capital's centre alongside vans blasting  music.
Many spared no effort in dressing up, from a man  posing in a sweeping bridal dress and a tiara to another  donning an inflatable dinosaur costume.
But behind the celebrations, some are frustrated at  the lack of progress in changing the current marriage laws  since May.
"A lot of people cannot afford to wait two years,"  said Joseph ..

Taiwan holds Asia's largest gay pride parade

Under pressure from an  impatient Congress, President Donald Trump's administration  belatedly published a list of Russian firms and agencies to  comply with a new sanctions law.
Trump had opposed the law, which restricted his  authority to loosen measures imposed to punish Russia for its  meddling in Ukraine and alleged interference in US politics.
But he begrudgingly signed off on the "Countering  America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act" in August after  lawmakers passed it with a veto-proof majority.
Under the act, the State Department was obliged to  draw up within 60 days a list of contractors with ties to  Russia's military and intelligence agencies.
On Thursday it finally sent the list to Congress, 25  days late, and yesterday it published it on its website.
The companies named include mainstays of Russia's  export industry such as the huge military arms and vehicle  supplier Rosoboronexport and iconic firearms pioneer  Kalashnikov.
Appearing on the list does not mean that .

US releases Russian defense firms sanctions list

Nine British sailors assigned to  a nuclear submarine have been discharged from the Royal Navy  after failing compulsory drug tests, Britain's ministry of  defence has confirmed.
The service personnel, stationed aboard HMS Vigilant  -- one of four Royal Navy submarines equipped with nuclear  missiles -- were dismissed after all tested positive for an  illegal substance.
"We do not tolerate drugs misuse by service  personnel," a Royal Navy spokesperson said.
"Those found to have fallen short of our high  standards face being discharged from service."
The spokesperson also confirmed the navy had launched  an investigation into other service personnel on HMS Vigilant  over allegations of inappropriate relationships, detailed in  British media reports this month.
"We can confirm an investigation is underway, but it  would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage," the  spokesperson added.
"Any allegations of wrongdoing are taken very  seriously and will be dealt with ...

British Navy fires nine sailors from nuclear submarine

Catalonia's separatist leader  Carles Puigdemont has dreamed since childhood of independence  from Spain.
But the man who has said he is willing to go to jail over  the fate of the region has now been removed from office and  faces charges of "rebellion" after he and his separatist  lawmakers voted to declare Catalonia an independent republic.
The 54-year-old former journalist with the shaggy brown  mop of hair has become the face of the Catalan independence  movement, both liked and disliked.
"Puigdemont to jail," defenders of Spanish unity shout  regularly.
His secession push has prompted hundreds of companies to  flee the region since October 1, when he raised the stakes by  holding an independence referendum that was banned by the  courts and the central government.
Yesterday, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he  had dissolved the Catalan parliament and called regional  elections on December 21 under sweeping powers approved by the  Senate to stop the secessionist ...

Puigdemont: dyed-in-the-wool partisan of Catalan independence

Spain today moved to seize direct  control of Catalonia, sacking its police chief a day after the  Catalan regional parliament's independence declaration sent  shock waves through Europe.
The firing of Josep Lluis Trapero, the highest-ranking  officer of the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police, follows  yesterday's dismissal of Catalonia's president, his deputy,  all ministers, and the entire parliament.
Moving to quash what he termed an "escalation of  disobedience", Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called December 21  elections in the region under sweeping powers granted by the  Senate in response to Catalan lawmakers voting to declare an  independent republic.
The dismissal of Trapero, seen as an ally of his region's  separatist leaders, was announced in today's official  government gazette.
Madrid accuses Trapero of disobeying court orders to  block a banned October 1 independence referendum.
Instead, the ballot was disrupted, violently in some  cases, by officers from Spain's national .

Spain takes control of 'independent' Catalonia

Three suspects have been named in  connection to a deadly blaze at an Indonesian fireworks  factory that killed 48 workers and was caused by sparks from  welding equipment, police said today.
The factory outside Jakarta had only been operating for  six weeks when the ferocious fire broke out on Thursday,  killing nearly half of the company's employees and injuring 45  others in one of Indonesia's worst industrial accidents in  recent memory.
Factory owner Indra Liyono was named a suspect by police  along with the company's operational director Andri Hartanto  and welding equipment operator Subarna Ega.
The trio could face a maximum of five years in prison and  a Rp 500 million (USD 37,000) fine for workplace negligence  resulting in death.
"The witnesses' testimonies and forensic test revealed  the cause of the fire was the welding equipment sparks which  spread to the fireworks material," Jakarta police spokesman  Argo Yuwono told a press conference.
Liyono and Hartanto have been ...

AFP

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