The United States branded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a "dictator" threatening his country's democracy today and imposed sanctions targeting any assets he might hold on US territory.
	"Yesterday's illegitimate elections confirm that Maduro is a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement announcing the action.
	"By sanctioning Maduro, the United States makes clear our opposition to the policies of his regime and our support for the people of Venezuela who seek to return their country to a full and prosperous democracy."
	Yesterday's vote in Venezuela to elect a Constituent Assembly that would supersede the country's opposition- controlled National Assembly earned international scorn, with the US leading a group of nations refusing to recognize the election.
	Washington has been a longstanding opponent of Maduro's government -- and of his late predecessor Hugo Chavez -- but Monday's statement marks the ...

US imposes sanctions on 'dictator' Maduro

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The Pentagon today criticized Turkey's plans to purchase a Russian air-defense system instead of investing in NATO technology.
	Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in talks to get Russia to supply Ankara with its latest S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
	Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the Pentagon had concerns over its NATO ally's purchase of the Russian technology because it might not work with other equipment used by the 29-nation alliance.
	"Generally speaking it's a good idea for allies to buy inter-operable equipment," Davis said.
	"With any ally, with any partner with whom we inter- operate ... We want them to buy things and invest in things that will further invest in our alliance."
	Turkish media have in recent days reported that the deal is being finalized with Russia.
	If it is completed, it would be a significant step after the two countries repaired relations damaged by Ankara's downing of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border in 2015.
	The ...

Pentagon alarm over Turkey plan to buy Russian missiles

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was increasingly isolated internationally today following a bloody vote that handed his Socialist party almost total power to rule -- but whose legitimacy is broadly rejected.
	The United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and other nations said they did not recognise the results of the election of a new "Constituent Assembly" superseding Venezuela's legislative body, the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
	The European Union expressed "preoccupation for the fate of democracy in Venezuela" and said it, too, doubted it could accept the results.
	However, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia have stood by Maduro, who shrugged off mass protests and US sanctions on some officials to see through the election.
	The National Electoral Council claimed more than 40 percent of Venezuela's 20 million voters had cast ballots yesterday.
	"It is the biggest vote the revolution has ever scored in its 18-year history," Maduro said, dressed in the red associated ...

Venezuela increasingly isolated after deadly vote

HSBC's profits rose in the first half of the year as it slashed costs and revenues rose as markets recovered, the banking giant said today.
	The bank also announced a share buyback of up to USD 2 billion, helping its shares climb in trading in Hong Kong and London.
	Net profit jumped 10 per cent to almost USD 7.0 billion in the first six months of the year compared to the first half of 2016, the group said in an earnings statement.
	Pre-tax profit for the six months rose five per cent to USD 10.2 billion.
	Outgoing chairman Douglas Flint described the performance as "extremely pleasing" -- coming after a turbulent 2016 that resulted in huge writedowns and restructuring costs for the London-headquartered bank as it laid off thousands of staff.
	The Asia-focused giant has been on a recovery drive over the past two years, streamlining its operations and exiting unprofitable businesses.
	Like many global banks it has struggled to boost profits as China's economy slows and uncertainty ...

HSBC profits higher on cost-cutting

Five men suspected of belonging to Al-Qaeda were killed in Yemen today in a drone strike likely to have been carried out by the United States, a security official said.
	The strike on Juba in the central Marib province, the site of a ground raid by US commandos in May, killed five Yemenis and "foreigners" in an attack that targeted a gathering of people "known to belong to Al-Qaeda", the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
	He declined to elaborate on the nationalities of those killed.
	The United States considers the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to be the group's most dangerous branch.
	A long-running drone war against AQAP has intensified since President Donald Trump took office in January.
	An air raid he ordered that month killed a US Navy SEAL and several Yemeni civilians in Baida province, south of Marib.
	The May raid on Marib killed at least seven militants in an operation that also left several American troops wounded.
	AQAP has taken advantage 

Drone strike on Qaeda in Yemen kills 5: official

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo denied hiding millions of euros in income at a court hearing near the Spanish capital today where he was charged with tax evasion.
     The Portuguese -- the world's highest paid sportsman according to Forbes magazine -- is the latest football star to fall foul of Spain's taxman.
     He follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who was found guilty of the same offence last year.
     "I have never hidden anything, nor have I had the intention of evading taxes," Ronaldo, 32, told the court, according to a statement from the sports agency which represents him, Gestifute.
     "I always voluntarily file my tax returns because I think we all must file a return and pay taxes according to our income. Those that know me, know what I ask my advisors: that they have everything up to date and properly paid, because I don't want problems."
     Accused of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax, he entered ..

Ronaldo denies tax fraud at court hearing

A 26-year-old failed asylum seeker who carried out a deadly knife attack in a Hamburg supermarket likely had a "radical Islamist" motive, German prosecutors said today.
	The man, named as Ahmad A, had self-radicalised and had gone on the rampage "with the hope he would die as a martyr," added prosecutors.
	The Palestinian suspect had entered a supermarket on a lively Hamburg high street on Friday, snatching from the shelves a 20 cm (eight-inch) knife which he used to slash at people around him. The assault left one dead and six wounded.
	It was the first Islamist attack in Germany since Tunisian Anis Amri drove a truck into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market on December 19, killing 12 and injuring 48.
	It also risks reopening a bitter debate over refugees two months before general elections, putting pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel over her decision to open Germany's borders in 2015, letting more than a million asylum seekers in.
	"It appears that there is a radical Islamist ...

Hamburg attacker had 'radical Islamist' motive: prosecutor

The United States is at risk of being viewed as a "kleptocracy" under President Donald Trump, the former head of the US government ethics office said in an interview published today.
	"His actions create the appearance of profiting from the presidency, and the appearance here is everything," Walter Shaub, former director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), told the Guardian newspaper.
	"The fact that we're having to ask questions about whether he's intentionally using the presidency for profit is bad enough, because the appearance itself undermines confidence in government," Shaub said.
	"It certainly risks people starting to refer to us as a kleptocracy," he added. "America really should stand for more than that."
	Shaub, who stepped down from his post in July, said Trump did not appear to be violating any laws but the intermingling of his business and political interests presents problems.
	"We can't know whether his decisions are motivated by his policy aims or his financial .

US risks being seen as 'kleptocracy' under Trump: former

A South African policeman present when an anti-apartheid operative plunged to his death more than 40 years ago insisted today that the victim had jumped to his death.
	But the judge hearing the inquest into the death of Ahmed Timol warned him that he could face prosecution based on the court's findings and his evidence.
	Joao Rodrigues served in the security branch of the apartheid regime and was guarding Timol when he plunged to his death from a Johannesburg police station window in 1971.
	Rodrigues only gave evidence to the court after his own daughter revealed his whereabouts to the family of Timol.
	She gave him up after hearing about their campaign for a fresh probe into his death, Timol's family told AFP before today's hearing.
	At the inquest, Rodrigues, now 78, insisted he had seen Timol jump through a window.
	"It all happened in a split second," he told the court. "I wanted to stop him but the chair I was sitting on was in the way. I lost my balance and fell.
	"I saw him ...

SAfrican activist jumped to death, ex-guard tells apartheid

The United States is set to start shipping coal to Ukraine for the first time under a "historic" deal announced today that should help the crisis-hit nation end reliance on Russia.
	The agreement inked earlier this month by US firm Xcoal Energy & Resources and Ukraine's state-owned energy firm Centrenergo will see some 700,000 tonnes of coal delivered by the end of the year.
	The move marks a sharp reversal for ex-Soviet Ukraine as it battles a Russian-backed insurgency, and a victory for US President Donald Trump, who championed the deal as he seeks to bolster the American coal sector.
	US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross hailed the agreement to export thermal coal, saying it "has brought enormous benefit to our nation's coal communities," one of Trump's signature campaign promises.
	In addition, the deal "will allow Ukraine to diversify its energy sources ahead of the coming winter, helping bolster a key strategic partner against regional pressures that seek to undermine US ...

Ukraine to start receiving coal from US for first time

Kenya's David Rudisha's hopes of adding world 800 metres gold to the Olympic title he won in a world record time at the same track in the 2012 London Olympics have been dashed because of injury.
     The 28-year-old -- who ran an astonishing time of 1min 40.91sec to take gold in 2012 -- took to Twitter to reveal he could not take his place in the London Stadium for the championships.
     "It's sad and disappointing to announce my no show in the forthcoming #london2017 WC due to a quad muscle strain," tweeted Rudisha, who was the defending champion.
     The absence of the two-time Olympic champion -- whose run in 2012 was acclaimed as the standout performance of the Games by London 2012 chairman and athletics great Sebastian Coe -- could pave the way for compatriot Emmanuel Korir or the man who chased him home in London in 2012, Nijel Amos of Botswana.
     The championships get underway on Friday.

Kenyan star Rudisha out of world championships

Britain's interior minister Amber Rudd will meet with tech leaders in California's Silicon Valley this week to try and combat online content inciting extremism, the government said today.
	Rudd is expected to meet with social media sites and web giants including YouTube, after she flies into San Francisco.
	In the wake of deadly terror attacks in London and Manchester, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to clamp down on extremist content.
	"The threat we face is evolving, rather than disappearing, as Daesh (the Islamic State jihadist group) loses ground in Iraq and Syria," a senior government source said.
	"The fight is moving from the battlefield to the internet."
	After four militant attacks in Britain which killed 36 people this year, senior ministers have repeatedly demanded that the world's biggest internet companies do more to suppress extremist content and allow access to encrypted communications.
	May wants internet companies to develop tools to automatically ..

UK minister to meet Silicon Valley over online extremism

Sprint superstar Usain Bolt will seek a final golden hurrah when he takes to the track at the IAAF World Championships in London this week.
     Bolt has dominated sprinting since taking double individual gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, going on to win a further six Olympic golds and also picking up 11 world titles.
     World records of 9.58 and 19.19sec in the 100 and 200m when winning in the 2009 Berlin worlds were followed by the towering Jamaican winning consecutive world golds in the 100, 200 and 4x100m relay in 2011, 2013 and 2015, with the exception of a false start in the 100m in Daegu in 2011.
     The 30-year-old scored triple gold at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in London and Rio, his sole hiccup being stripped of his 2008 Olympic relay gold after teammate Nesta Carter failed a drugs test.
     It is a staggering tally for a track athlete who has admitted he wants to go out on a high as athletics seeks to turn a new page.
     "My main aim is just to win (in ...

Track king Bolt eyes final hurrah

US Vice President Mike Pence has raised the possibility of deploying the Patriot anti-missile defence system in Estonia, one of three NATO Baltic states worried by Russian expansionism, Prime Minister Juri Ratas said.
	"We spoke about it today, but we didn't talk about a date or time," Ratas told state broadcaster ERR after Pence began a visit to the tiny frontline state yesterday.
	The Patriot is a mobile, ground-based system designed to intercept incoming missiles and warplanes.
	"We talked about the upcoming (Russian military) manoeuvres near the Estonian border... And how Estonia, the United States and NATO should monitor them and exchange information," Ratas said.
	Relations between Moscow and Tallinn have been fraught since Estonia broke free from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991, joining both the EU and NATO in 2004 -- a move that Russia says boosted its own fears of encirclement by the West.
	Concern in Estonia and fellow Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania surged after ...

Pence sketches possible Patriot deployment in Estonia, vows US

US envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley has warned that Venezuela was taking a "step toward dictatorship" in its highly controversial vote championed by beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro to rewrite the nation's constitution.
	"Maduro's sham election is another step toward dictatorship. We won't accept an illegit govt. The Venezuelan ppl & democracy will prevail," Haley wrote in a tweet as the voting was marred by an escalation of deadly violence.

US calls Venezuela vote a 'step toward dictatorship'

John Isner claimed his fourth ATP Atlanta title, saving a set-point in both sets en route to a 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (9/7) win over Ryan Harrison.
     Second-seeded American Isner notched his second ATP title in as many weeks afer lifting the trophy in Newport last week.
     Atlanta was the perfect place for him to keep the momentum going. Isner, who has reached the final in seven of eight editions of the tournament, added a fourth title to those he won in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
     Harrison, seeded fourth, was denied a second career ATP title, to go with his victory in Memphis in February.
     "There wasn't much that separated us at all," Isner said yesterday. "So I'm happy to win that match in straight sets ... Very happy to win today."
     Both players held serve throughout the opening set to force the tiebreaker, in which Isner faced a set-point at 5-6 but saved it with a booming serve.
     He then converted a set-point of his own at 7-6 with a forehand winner.
     Harrison ended ...

Isner downs Harrison for fourth ATP Atlanta title

A Saudi policeman was killed and six others wounded in a rocket attack in the Shiite-majority eastern district of Qatif, the interior ministry said.
	The area has been rocked by unrest since 2011, when Shiite protests erupted to demand equality in the Sunni- dominated Gulf kingdom.
	Yesterday's incident saw a police patrol come under a "terrorist attack with a rocket" in al-Masoura neighborhood in Qatif, the ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
	It said the six wounded officers were hospitalised and in a stable condition.
	Qatif has seen a string of assaults on security forces in recent weeks.
	Police shot three men wanted for "terrorist" attacks earlier this month, the ministry said then.
	Most of Saudi Arabia's Shiites live in the oil-rich east, where they have long complained of marginalisation.
	Authorities have blamed the violence on "terrorists" and drug traffickers.

Rocket attack kills Saudi policeman in Qatif: ministry

China said today the US should not link trade to discussions about North Korea's nuclear programme, after US President Donald Trump accused Beijing of taking no action on Pyongyang despite profiting from US business.
	"We believe that the North Korea nuclear issue and China-US trade are two issues that are in two completely different domains," Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming told a press briefing, adding the issues "are not related, and should not be discussed together.

China tells Trump not to link trade to N Korea

A wave of bloodshed swept Venezuela as troops cracked down on violent protests against elections to choose the members of a powerful assembly that President Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new constitution.
	Protesters attacked polling stations and barricaded streets around the country, drawing a bloody response from security forces, who opened fire with live ammunition in some cases.
	At least 10 people were killed, prompting the United States to threaten further "strong and swift" sanctions on Maduro's government.
	Senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles called on Venezuelans to continue defying the deeply unpopular Maduro with new protests against the election and the "massacre" he said accompanied it.
	"We do not recognize this fraudulent process," he said at the close of voting, calling for nationwide marches Monday and a mass protest in Caracas Wednesday, the day the new "Constituent Assembly" is due to be installed.
	Maduro has decreed a ban on protests during and ..

Ten killed as Venezuela vote turns violent

Turkish authorities have detained a group of soldiers who were filmed allegedly beating up and verbally abusing four young Syrians who attempted to cross the border illegally, the army said in a statement.
	The video, which was widely shared on social media and could not be independently verified, shows four Turkish soldiers kicking and beating the Syrians.
	"The personnel in question were taken into custody and all administrative and judicial procedures have been immediately started against them," the army said in a statement on its website late Sunday.
	The incident took place on Friday at around 11am (0800 GMT) on the Turkish-Syrian border, according to the military.
	It said the Syrians who attempted to cross illegally were deported back after passing medical checks.
	The video was apparently filmed by one soldier, whose shadow appears in the footage. It was not immediately clear how the footage had been released.
	One soldier asks the Syrians: "Will you come to Turkey again? Be ..

Turkey detains soldiers 'who beat Syrians on border': Army

Moscow today justified its decision to purge US diplomatic personnel in the country, as the Kremlin appeared to give up on hopes of improving ties anytime soon under Donald Trump.
	President Vladimir Putin announced Sunday that the US will have to slash its diplomatic staff in Russia by 755 after Moscow struck back against new sanctions passed by the US Congress.
	The move represents one of the biggest single reductions of US personnel by Moscow, with Putin warning he could retaliate further even if he plans to hold off for now.
	"We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better," the Kremlin strongman said.
	"But it seems that even if the situation is changing, it's not for any time soon."
	Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov today insisted that any hopes of mending Russia-US ties rest on "curing the worsening political schizophrenia" in Washington, but admitted the two sides appeared "far away" from any improvement.
	But he did insist Russia ...

AFP

AFP

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