Turkey today said 32 Turkish diplomats were still missing despite being recalled by Ankara in the wake of last month's failed coup seeking to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
	"Thirty-two of the 208 diplomats recalled to Turkey did not come back to Turkey," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters during a press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Ankara.
	He said Ankara had information that some had fled to other countries using different means including air travel in the weeks after a rogue military faction tried to remove President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power on July 15.
	Cavusoglu said that two officials working in Bangladesh had fled to the United States after being recalled while another returned to the ministry in Turkey.
	Some officials asked to remain in the countries where they were working, the minister said, adding the ministry had given permission for some to stay.
	The minister also confirmed that a Turkish rear admiral had ...

Turkey says 32 diplomats recalled after coup still missing

PTI Automatic

Turkey said today it has received "positive signals" from the United States over its requests to extradite Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara accuses of ordering last month's attempted coup.
	"We have started to receive some positive signals on the calls we have made" for Gulen's extradition, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara, saying further documents relating to the case for his deportation were being drawn up to send to Washington.
	Gulen is accused of ordering the July 15 coup during which a group within the military tried to remove President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power. He strongly denies the claim.
	Since then, Turkey has sent several documents to the United States which Ankara claims proves that Gulen was involved.
	"Everyone in the world knows who is behind this coup attempt," Cavusoglu said. Last week, an arrest warrant was issued in Turkey for Gulen.
	The minister said Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden 

Turkey says 'positive signals' from US on Gulen extradition

Staff on the Eurostar rail service between Britain and mainland Europe started four days of strike action today although the company insisted there would be minimal disruption to services.
	The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' Union (RMT) said its members should have "a fair crack when it comes to anti- social hours".
	Eurostar said that all passengers booked to travel would be able to do so. In total, under four percent of services across the four days will be hit, it added.
	Today, only the 8.04am (0704 GMT) service from London to Brussels and the 12.52pm  (1052 GMT) service from Brussels to London were being cancelled.
	No services will be cancelled on Saturday and four between London and Paris will be cancelled on Sunday as well as two more between the British and French capitals on Monday, it added.
	Monday is a public holiday in France and Belgium and the strike comes during the busy summer holiday season across Europe.
	Another strike is due to be held for three days over .

Eurostar staff in Britain begin four-day strike

Crude prices rose in Asia today, extending overnight gains after Saudi Arabia's oil minister hinted producers could agree to limit production.
	Rumours have been circulating that global producers are mulling a deal to freeze output to help stabilise the market.
	Prices entered a "bear" market last week, falling more than 20 percent and closing below USD 40 a barrel for the first time since April.
	Khalid al-Falih was reported as saying Thursday that an informal meeting of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries next month would be the occasion for producers to discuss "any possible action".
	Prices soared more than four per cent yesterday in reaction to the minister's comments, which were seen as a positive development in a market grappling with a supply glut.
	"Oil traders were spurred into action" by the comments, said Bernard Aw, market strategist at IG Markets Singapore.
	At around 0730 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September .

Oil extends gains as Saudi comments fan output cut hopes

Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for its former international football star striker Hakan Sukur in the probe over the failed July 15 coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a report said today.
	Sukur is accused by prosecutors of "being a member of an armed terror group", a reference to the organisation of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara claims was behind the coup, state-run Anadolu news agency said. It added that Sukur and his family had left Turkey last year.

Turkey issues arrest warrant for ex-football star

Former Philippine leader Fidel Ramos said today he had met with a senior Chinese official during a trip to Hong Kong aimed at improving ties between Manila and Beijing, with both sides working towards formal discussions.
	Relations have cooled since a UN-backed tribunal ruled last month that China's claims over most of the South China Sea were invalid, in a sweeping victory for the Philippines which brought the case.
	Ramos -- a longtime advocate of closer Philippine-Chinese ties -- was sent as a conciliatory envoy by current Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
	In a two-day meeting in Hong Kong, Ramos said he had discussions with Madam Fu Ying, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the National People's Congress -- China's communist-controlled legislature. Fu Ying is a former ambassador to Manila.
	He also met with Wu Shichun, president of China's National Institute of South China Seas Studies.
	In a statement signed by Ramos, Fu Ying and Wu, the meeting was described as ...

Ex-Philippine leader meets senior China official to mend ties

Michael Phelps seized another slice of Olympic history Thursday with a dominant victory in the 200m individual medley at the Rio Games, his fourth straight in the event.
     Phelps joined discus thrower Al Oerter and Carl Lewis in the long jump as the only Olympians to win the same individual event at four straight Games.
     He took his total of Olympic golds to 22 -- with a crack at two more in Rio in Friday's 100m butterfly and the 4x100 medley relay on Saturday.
     For fans who tune into swimming only when the Olympics roll around, Phelps's longtime coach Bob Bowman had a message: Phelps may make it look easy, but it isn't.
     "You just have no idea how difficult it is for anybody to win an Olympic gold medal," Bowman said.
     "Michael has done it so frequently it really is hard to put it into perspective because every one of those was hard.
     "Look at his numbers compared to everybody else. It's not because of the talent it's because of the work. It's a combination, ...

Phelps wins 200m individual medley for 22nd gold

One Thai woman was killed and 19 people including foreigners were injured in twin blasts tonight in the popular seaside resort town of Hua Hin, police said.
	"One Thai woman was killed and altogether from the two bombs 19 people were injured. Of those 19, three are in serious condition and seven of the injured are foreigners -- four women and three men," a local police officer from Hua Hin south of Bangkok told AFP.

Twin blasts in Thai resort town kill one, injure 19

Pakistan's government will face a grilling in the senate over its continued use of bogus bomb-detectors to secure high-value facilities, a lawmaker said today, claiming the devices "endangered the lives of millions".
	A Pakistani government agency has built and sold more than 15,000 of the so-called "Khojis" bomb detectors, earning millions in revenue. But the technology they use was exposed as a sham years ago in a global scandal.
	"The continuous use of bogus bomb detectors to secure high-risk facilities such as airports and government installations has recently come to light in the media," said opposition Pakistan People's Party senator Sherry Rehman, referring to an AFP report that drew attention to the issue this week.
	"This is a serious security risk that endangers the lives of millions of people and merits an immediate response from the Minister on the floor of the House," she wrote in a formal notice to parliament.
	Rehman said she would quiz the government on the issue at ...

Pakistan government faces grilling over bogus bomb detectors

Uber today said it filed a complaint with the European Union over legislation in Hungary that caused the on-demand ride service to stop operating in that country.
	The move came a month after Uber suspended service in Hungary, blaming new legislation it claimed made it "impossible" to operate.
	It was the first such halt of Uber in an EU country and came in reaction to a law that allows Hungarian authorities to block "a provider of taxi services operating without a proper dispatch center" for up to one year.
	An Uber statement at the time said that the legislation passed by parliament "makes it impossible for Hungarian drivers, in spite of having licences and properly paying taxes, to use their own vehicles to make money."
	The US company has become one of the world's most valuable startups, worth an estimated $68 billion, as it has expanded to more than 50 countries including 21 EU member countries other than Hungary.
	But it has faced regulatory hurdles and protests from established 

Uber files EU complaint aimed at Hungary

Scoreboard at stumps on the first
day of the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval today:
     England 1st Innings
     A Cook b Sohail Khan                         35
     A Hales c Yasir Shah b Mohammad Amir          6
     J Root c Sarfraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz          26
     J Vince c Sarfraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz          1
     G Ballance c Azhar Ali b Wahab Riaz           8
     J Bairstow c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Amir   55
     M Ali c Yasir Shah b Sohail Khan            108
     C Woakes c Sarfraz Ahmed b Sohail Khan       45
     S Broad lbw b Sohail Khan                     0
     S Finn b Sohail Khan                          8
     J Anderson batting                            6
     Extras (b8, lb7, w7, nb8)                    30
     Total (all out, 76.4 overs)                 328
     Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-69, 3-73, 4-74, 5-110, 6-203, 7-282, 8-282, 9-296, 10-328
     Bowling: Amir 18-1-80-2; Sohail 20.4-1-68-5; Riaz 20-0-93-3; Shah 16-2-60-0; Iftikhar ..

London, Aug 11 (AFP) Scoreboard at stumps on the first

Moeen Ali made Pakistan pay for their latest fielding lapses with a century that saw England fight back on the first day of the fourth Test at The Oval today.
     Ali's 108 was the cornerstone of England's 328 all out.
     And there was still time in the two overs before stumps for Stuart Broad to have Sami Aslam lbw for three.
     Pakistan ended the day three for one, with both Azhar Ali and nightwatchman Yasir Shah yet to score a run between them.
     England, 2-1 up in the four-match series and bidding to become the world's top-ranked Test side, collapsed to 74 for four before lunch after captain Alastair Cook won the toss.
     They were still struggling at 110 for five when number seven Ali came in.
     But Ali, missed on nine and 15, turned the tide in a fifth-wicket stand of 93 with Jonny Bairstow (55) that followed their key partnership of 152 in England's 141-run win in the third Test at Edgbaston last week.
     The off-spinning all-rounder also added 79 in just 86 ...

Ton-up Ali punishes Pakistan

US track and field stars expressed dismay at the doping-ban enforced absence of Russian rivals here today on the eve of the Olympic track and field competition.
     Ten days of athletics start at the Olympic Stadium on Friday with all Russian athletes bar one banned because of allegations of state-sponsored doping.
     American athlete Devon Allen is disappointed he will not have the chance to test his prowess against Sergey Shubenkov, the reigning 110m hurdles world champion.
     "As an athlete you always want to compete against the best," said Allen, a medal contender in Rio who posted the second fastest time of the year of 13.03 at last month's US Olympic trials.
     "The defending world champion is Russian and he's not here. As a competitor it's kind of disappointing because obviously I want to compete against him," added Allen.
     Pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, a second lieutenant in the US Army reserve, said he was saddened that clean Russian athletes had not more time to ...

US athletes dismayed by Russia track and field ban

Italian star fencer medal winner Elisa de Francisca made an emotional call for a stand against terrorism and wore the European flag in tribute to the victims of the Paris and Brussels attacks as she collected her silver.
     "Europe exists and is united against terrorism. I took the European flag onto the podium for the victims of Paris and Brussels. We cannot let terrorism win," said the 33-year-old after the medal ceremony late Wednesday.
     More than 165 people were killed in attacks in Paris in November and Brussels in March which were claimed by Islamic militants.
     "We should try to stay united and to love each other," Francisca added.
     "I'm saying this because every time that I travel I often see people looking around at other people as if they were strangers.
     "We are not different, we should love each other and we should not be afraid of one another."
     Francisca, who won the 2012 gold in London, was beaten by Russia's Inna Derglazova in the final.

Italian medal winner says no to terrorism

Top Brazilian athletes Rafaela Silva and Joanna Maranhao have hit back at racist and sexist insults that have caused Olympic heartbreak and tears.
     Rio gold medal judoka Silva, who was called a "monkey" after crashing out of the London Games four years ago, and swimmer Joanna Maranhao, who has had rape threats in recent days, say they will use the hatred to fuel change.
     "This medal is (a response) for all those who said I should be in a cage," said a tearful Silva, who was targeted after being disqualified at the 2012 London Games, but came back in Rio with a stunning win in the 57kg category.
     "This can be an example for children from (poor) communities," she said.
     Silva was called a "monkey" after her London disaster, but she says the racism against favela slum residents goes far deeper.
     "If you are black, people in the street look at you with suspicion. If you go by someone they move their wallet away," the new Olympic champion said.
     About half of the ...

Brazilian athletes face rape threats, race insults

Ukraine's security service today said it had blocked channels being used by jihadists travelling to fight with the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and detained an 'IS recruiter' from one of the former Soviet republics.
	"The Ukranian security service, prosecutor's office, police and migration service have blocked several channels for the transit of foreign fighters to the IS international terrorist group through our state's territory," the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement.
	The discovery was made in a wave of security sweeps across several major cities.
	The SBU said an apartment in the government-held northeastern city of Kharkiv was being used as a temporary shelter by alleged IS members who intended to travel to both Syria and Iraq.
	"This 'transit point' had four foreign nationals from Central Asian states," it said.
	"Two of them had been earlier deported from Turkey in connection with their involvement in terrorist activity."
	The SBU said they held ...

Ukraine blocks jihadist routes to Syria: security service

US gymnast Gabby Douglas has apologised for failing to put her hand on her heart during the American national anthem at an Olympic gold medal ceremony.
     As her four teammates -- Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez -- stood at full attention with their hands over their hearts, Douglas looked almost dejected with her hands casually in front of her.
     Her behaviour on the podium sparked a Twitter backlash.
     "In response to a few tweets I saw tonight, I always stand at attention out of respect for our country whenever the national anthem is played," Douglas responded on Twitter.
     "I never meant any disrespect and apologize if I offended anyone. I'm so overwhelmed at what our team accomplished today and overjoyed that we were able to bring home another gold for our country!"
     The first African-American to win all-around gold, Douglas's title defence ended on Sunday when she failed to advance to Thursday night's final.
     She took a third ...

Douglas sorry over US anthem controversy

US military leaders painted an overly optimistic picture of American efforts to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, a damning government report released today found.
	The interim report stems from a congressional task force investigating whistleblower allegations that intel bosses cherry-picked information that soft-pedaled the risk of IS while overstating US efforts to train local forces to fight the jihadists.
	"From the middle of 2014 to the middle of 2015, the United States Central Command's (CENTCOM's) most senior intelligence leaders manipulated the command's intelligence products to downplay the threat from ISIS in Iraq," Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo said in a statement, using an IS acronym.
	"The result: consumers of those intelligence products were provided a consistently 'rosy' view of US operational success against ISIS," he added, noting this "may well" have put US troops at risk.
	Task force investigators surveyed dozens of CENTCOM analysts, with many ..

US military 'manipulated' intel in IS fight

Hillary Clinton admonished rival Donald Trump today for claiming that she and Barack Obama were the founders of the Islamic State, saying anyone who would "sink so low" should never be president.
	"No, Barack Obama is not the founder of ISIS," Clinton tweeted.
	"Anyone willing to sink so low, so often should never be allowed to serve as our Commander-in-Chief."
	Trump again roiled the presidential campaign late yesterday, telling a rally in Florida that Obama "is the founder of ISIS."
	"And I would say, the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton."
	Republicans have long stated that the foreign policies of Obama and his then-secretary of state Clinton share blame in helping create conditions that allowed IS to grow in Iraq and Syria.
	IS was founded in 2013, months after Clinton left the State Department. It was born out of the terror group Al-Qaeda in Iraq that grew in strength in 2006 following Republican president George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003.
	The group ...

Clinton, Trump spar over his Islamic State founders claim

Fires that raged through countryside near Marseille left a trail of destruction but were no longer threatening the southern French city, firefighters said today.
	Around 500 people have been forced to flee their homes since yesterday as flames fanned by strong winds consumed more than 3,000 hectares of mainly scrubland and forest and gutted several homes.
	French President Francois Hollande said authorities believe some of the fires were started deliberately and vowed that the perpetrators would be tracked down.
	The Portuguese holiday island of Madeira was also counting the cost after three people were killed by fires.
	Wildfires in Madeira's picturesque capital Funchal, which had turned the sky orange and forced foreign holidaymakers to be evacuated, were brought under control overnight.
	Firefighters battled blazes all night in areas north of Marseille, France's second city, and air tankers swooped low to drop water on forest outbreaks.
	In the Marseille suburb of Pennes-Mirabeau, .

Firefighters battle blazes in southern France and Portugal

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali both cashed in on some sloppy Pakistan fielding as they led an England recovery on the first day of the fourth Test at The Oval today.
     England were 200 for five at tea, having been 74 for four.
     Bairstow was 55 not out and Ali, dropped twice, 52 not out.
     England's sixth-wicket pair had so far added 90 -- still some way short of their match-turning stand of 152 in a 141-run win in the third Test at Edgbaston -- but significant all the same.
     Recalled paceman Wahab Riaz, who struck twice before lunch as England slumped to 74 for four, dismissed Gary Ballance for Pakistan's lone wicket of a session where England scored 108 runs in 26 overs.
     England, 2-1 up in the four-match series, saw  captain Alastair Cook bat first after winning the toss despite overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch offering the promise of assistance for Pakistan's seamers.
     Pakistan had an early breakthrough when Alex Hales (six) clipped Mohammad Amir off 

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