Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev launched the first challenge against International Olympic Committee sanctions excluding them from the Rio Olympics.
     The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hold an emergency session in Rio on Sunday to hear there case, just five days before the start of the Games, according to sources close to the case.
     The move by the two Olympic medal winners was announced as the International Olympic Committee held two days of talks on fallout from the Russia doping crisis.
     Morozov, 24, and Lobintsev, 27, have called on CAS to declare "invalid and unenforceable" an IOC order for federations to exclude athletes implicated in an investigation on Russia's state-run doping system.
     They were among seven Russians banned by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) last week after the order.
     A report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Russia's doping had been organised by .

Russian swimmers challenge Rio Olympics ban

PTI Automatic

A blond-haired Lionel Messi failed to get on the scoresheet but it hardly mattered as under-strength Barcelona taught Celtic a footballing lesson in a Dublin friendly.
     Strikes by Arda Turan and Munir El Haddadi, and an own goal by Efe Ambrose -- all before the break -- were enough to earn a 3-1 victory for Luis Garcia's men in what was their first game back after the summer.
     Leigh Griffiths had replied to Turan's opener, but boss Brendan Rodgers will be concerned with how vulnerable his defence looked once again, ahead of Celtic's crucial Champions League third qualifying round clash with Astana on Wednesday.
     The tie is delicately balanced at 1-1 ahead of the second leg at Parkhead.
     Barcelona came to Dublin without Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano, Claudio Bravo and Jordi Alba, who aren't back in training until tomorrow, while Neymar is preparing for the Olympics in Brazil.
     But there was more than a sprinkling of quality with ...

Messi quiet but Barcelona stroll past Celtic

Japan's Kei Nishikori took advantage of a fade in form from Stan Wawrinka as Asia's top player reached the final of the ATP Toronto Masters with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory.
     Swiss second seed Wawrinka's game went away during the tiebreaker, allowing Nishikori to move into his second Masters 1000 final of 2016, yesterday.
     The third seed lost to Novak Djokovic at the final in Miami.
     "Both guys are playing great tennis right now, especially Monfils," Nishikori said.
     "He's won Washington.
     "It's going to be interesting. I haven't beaten Novak for a long time on hard court. In Miami he kind of dominated the game. So I hope I can get revenge this time."
     Nishikori, who is still coming back from a Wimbledon rib injury, will await a Sunday opponent from a later semi-final between Serbian top seed Djokovic and Frenchman Gael Monfils.
     "It's just great to be into another Masters final, I'm looking forward to my opportunity," the winner said.
     Nishikori was ...

Nishikori beats Wawrinka to reach Toronto final

French advertising giant Publicis put the chairman of its Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency on leave, after he said the debate on gender bias in the industry was "all over".
	Saatchi & Saatchi executive chairman Kevin Roberts told the Business Insider he did not think the lack of women in leadership roles "is a problem" in the advertising industry.
	"It is for the gravity of these statements that Kevin Roberts has been asked to take a leave of absence from Publicis Groupe effective immediately," Publicis CEO Maurice Levy said.
	"Promoting gender equality starts at the top and the Groupe will not tolerate anyone speaking for our organisation who does not value the importance of inclusion."
	Roberts has been put on an immediate leave of absence from yesterday and Publicis's supervisory board will now decide on his future, the French group said in a statement that was also sent to employees.
	In the interview, published on Friday, Roberts said the "debate is all over" about ...

Saatchi chairman put on leave over sexism comments

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid has lost a confidence vote in parliament, after just a year and a half in office.
	A total of 118 MPs yesterday voted to unseat Essid, three voted for him to stay at the helm and 27 abstained.
	Essid's government has been widely criticised for failing to tackle the country's economic crisis, high unemployment and a series of jihadist attacks.
	He had been under growing pressure since President Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on local television in June to criticise the administration and propose creating a new government of national unity.

Tunisia PM Habib Essid loses parliamentary confidence vote

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he wanted to introduce constitutional changes to bring the Turkish spy agency and military chief of staff directly under his control after the failed coup.
	"We are going to introduce a small constitutional package (to parliament) which, if approved, will bring the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and chief of staff under the control of the presidency," he told A-Haber television in an interview yesterday.
	The government would need support from opposition parties to push through the shift as a super majority of two-thirds of deputies is needed to make constitutional changes.
	Erdogan added that in the wake of the July 15 coup bid "military schools will be closed... And a national military university will be founded" as part of a wide-ranging shake-up of the army.
	He also said that in future the heads of the land, sea and air forces will also have to report directly to Defence Minister Fikri Isik.
	The changes, announced just over two weeks 

Erdogan says wants Turkey spy agency, chief of staff under his

Tunisia's parliament gathered today for a vote of confidence that could see Prime Minister Habib Essid unseated after just a year and a half in office.
	Essid's government has been widely criticised for failing to tackle the country's economic crisis, high unemployment and a series of jihadist attacks.
	"I'm quite aware that the vote will be against me," Essid, 67, told parliament ahead of the planned vote.
	"I didn't come to obtain the 109 votes (needed to remain in office). I came to expose things to the people and to members of parliament," he said.
	Voting is expected to take place at around 2300 GMT following several hours of speeches by MPs and a response by Essid, said the president of the assembly, Mohamed Ennaceur.
	Essid has been under growing pressure since President Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on local television in June to slam the administration and propose creating a new government of national unity.
	The premier said he would be ready to resign "if the country's ...

Tunisia government faces vote of confidence

Up to 16 people are feared dead after a large hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in central Texas today, officials said.
	The accident occurred shortly after 7:40 am (1240 GMT), when the balloon crashed into a field near Lockhart, around 30 miles (50 miles) south of Austin, Lynn Lunsford of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
	"It does not appear at this time that there were any survivors of the crash," the Caldwell County sheriff's office said, which received an emergency call about a possible accident.
	"When the Emergency Responders and the Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene, it was apparent that the reported fire was the basket portion of a hot air balloon," it added in a statement posted on Twitter.
	Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered condolences to those affected by the crash.
	"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the Lockhart community," he said in a statement.
	A photo posted on social media apparently 

Up to 16 feared dead in Texas hot air balloon crash

Up to 16 people are feared dead after a large hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in Texas on Saturday, US media reported.
	The accident occurred shortly after 7:40am (1240 GMT), when the balloon crashed into a field near Lockhart, around 30 miles (50 miles) south of Austin, Lynn Lunsford of the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
	There was no immediate official information about possible fatalities or injuries.

Up to 16 feared dead in Texas hot air balloon crash: media

Belgian authorities today charged a man over an alleged plot to launch a new attack in Belgium as Europe remained on edge following a wave of jihadist bloodshed in France and Germany.
	An investigating judge charged Nourredine H., 33, with attempting to commit "terrorist murder" and "taking part in the activities of a terrorist organisation," the federal prosecutor's office said.
	It said the charges come in the "case opened concerning a possible terrorist attack in Belgium."
	He was arrested along with his brother Hamza H. Following raids on Friday in Belgium's French-speaking areas of Mons and Liege, but Hamza was released Saturday without charge, the office said in a statement.
	It had said earlier that both were "suspected of planning a terrorist attack somewhere in Belgium," but gave no other details.
	The prosecutor's office said there was for now no link to the suicide bombings on March 22 at Brussels airport and a metro station near the European Union headquarters that left 32 

Man charged in 'Belgium attack plot'

One of the gunmen locked in a protracted siege with police in Armenia shot an officer dead today, hours after authorities issued an ultimatum to resolve the hostage drama.
	"A sniper opened fire from inside the police station and killed a police officer ... Who was sitting in a car parked 350-400 metres (yards) away," police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan wrote on Facebook.
	Earlier Saturday, Armenia's security services gave the gunmen a deadline to surrender after dozens were hurt and arrested in overnight clashes.
	"We are giving members of the armed group until 5:00 pm (1300 GMT) to lay down their arms and surrender," the Armenian national security services said in a statement.
	"Otherwise special forces law enforcement have the right to open fire," it said.
	"After the events of July 29, any opportunities to resolve the situation with the terrorists peacefully have been exhausted."
	Dozens were injured and 26 arrested in the early hours of Saturday after authorities broke up a rally ...

Officer shot in lengthy Armenia hostage drama

Scoreboard at the close
of play on the third day of the first cricket Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand here today:
     Zimbabwe first innings: 164 all out
	New Zealand first innings
     M Guptill c Ervine b Chibhabha         40
	T Latham c Chari b Masakadza          105
	K Williamson c Masakadza b Cremer      91
	R Taylor not out                      173
	H Nicholls c Chari b Tiripano          18
	I Sodhi c Chari b Chinouya             11
	BJ Watling c sub b Sikandar Raza      107
	Extras: (B-15, W-4, NB-12)             31
	Total (for 6 wkts dec in 166.5 overs) 576
	Fall of wickets: 1-79, 2-235, 3-272, 4-299, 5-323, 6-576
     Bowling: Chinouya 26-6-79-1, Tiripano 28-4-82-1, Masvaure 10-0-38-0, Cremer 53-4-187-1, Sikandar Raza 25.5-4-106-1, Chibhabha 15-1-44-1, Masakadza 9-1-25-1.
     Zimbabwe second innings:
     C Chibhabha c Taylor b Boult             7
	H Masakadza c Taylor b Southee           4
	B Chari b Boult                          5
	C Ervine not out                  

Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), Jul 30 (AFP) Scoreboard at the close

Up to 16 feared dead in Texas hot air balloon crash:

Centuries from Ross Taylor and BJ Watling and a three-wicket haul from Trent Boult moved New Zealand closer to a huge win over Zimbabwe in the first cricket Test here today.
	After Taylor scored an unbeaten 173 and Watling made 107 in a New Zealand total of 576 for six declared, Boult struck three times in six deliveries to send Zimbabwe crashing to 17 for four in their second innings.
	Craig Ervine's unbeaten 49 helped the hosts recover to 121 for five at the close of day three at Queens Sports Club, but Zimbabwe still need 291 runs to make New Zealand bat again in the match.
	While the first two days of the game had been distinctly one-sided, the third was even more brutal as Taylor and Watling added 253 for the sixth wicket for New Zealand, who went on to claim four Zimbabwean wickets in the first four overs of their reply.
	The Black Caps lost nightwatchman Ish Sodhi in the second over of the day as they resumed on 315 for four, but that simply allowed Taylor and Watling to get on 

Ruthless New Zealand build massive lead

Attention beer lovers: the National Museum of American History may have your dream job -- traveling the country drinking brews, all expenses paid.
	The job, which pays USD 64,650 a year, is no joke.
	The Washington, DC-based museum, part of the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, wants to hire a beer specialist for three years to taste beer in breweries across the country.
	"Brewing and beer have been an important part of the American experience since before the nation's founding, and continue to shape industry and community life into the present day," said Susan Evans, the Smithsonian's director of Food History Programs.
	The lucky historian would write articles, gather archive material and conduct research into the history of food and drink for use in exhibits.
	Overwhelmed by a deluge of applicants, the museum's online job site crashed after news about the position got out.
	"Hundreds of thousands of people have been looking at the offer," Evans said.
	The job "has made a lot of ..

US museum seeks historian for paid beer drinking

Belgian authorities charged a man today with attempting to commit "terrorist murder" after police uncovered an alleged plot to launch an attack in Belgium.
	An investigating judge charged Nourredine H., 33, with attempting to commit terrorist murder and taking part in the activities of a terrorist group, the federal prosecutor's office said.
	He was arrested along with his brother Hamza H. Following raids in Belgium's French-speaking areas of Mons and Liege, but Hamza was released Saturday without charge, the office said in a statement.
	Nourredine was placed in custody.
	The prosecutor's office said there was for now no connection with the bombings on March 22 at Brussels airport and a metro station near the European Union headquarters that left 32 people dead.
	Those attacks were claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group which is waging war in Syria and Iraq.
	No weapons or explosives were found in Friday's raids ordered by a judge specialising in counter-terror cases, the ...

Belgium charges man with attempted 'terrorist murder'

A leading pro-independence politician was today disqualified from standing in Hong Kong's upcoming legislative election, his party said.
	Andy Chan, who founded the Hong Kong National Party in March, was banned by the city's government from taking part in the September poll.
	But the party, which claims there is growing support for the semi-autonomous city to break away from mainland China, said it was "honoured" to be the first to have a candidate disqualified.
	"The National Party on July 30 received an email from the government saying they have officially disqualified the party's convenor Andy Chan," a statement said today.
	"Even if they stop the party from taking part in the election, they cannot stop the inevitable process of Hong Kong becoming independent."
	Chan was one of at least 13 pro-democracy candidates who refused to sign a form saying the city is an "inalienable" part of China.
	Critics slammed the new stipulation as political censorship and an attempt to deter ...

Pro-independence activist banned from Hong Kong elections

Australians rallied today against the treatment of young people in detention -- including the hooding and physical restraint of teens -- amid calls for an inquiry into the abuse to be expanded.
	Graphic footage of teenage boys being stripped naked, tear-gassed, held in solitary confinement and shackled to a chair as a restraint measure shocked the country when it aired last week.
	Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull immediately ordered a royal commission into how youths were treated at the Don Dale Centre in the Northern Territory in 2014 and 2015.
	But at snap "emergency protests" in Sydney, Melbourne and elsewhere today, hundreds gathered to call for justice for the teens, many of whom are Aboriginal.
	"If we could see some action, some real fair and just action taken, I think that would allay some concern," Sydney community elder Aunty Jenny Munroe told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
	The Northern Territory has one of the highest crime rates in Australia, with indigenous ...

Australians rally against youth detention abuses

Around 1,000 people marched through the streets of Burundi's capital today to protest against a United Nations Security Council decision to send a police contingent to the violence-wracked country.
	The demonstration -- "organised by the authorities," according to one Western diplomatic source -- passed off peacefully but showed the government's hostility to the proposed unit of 228 UN police.
	Protesters marched to the French embassy, angry that France had drafted the UN resolution to send the controversial police squad.
	One demonstrator carried a banner saying that it was France that needed UN peacekeepers, making a reference to a truck attack in the southern French city of Nice that killed 84 people.
	French ambassador Gerrit van Rossum, who went out to address the crowd, said there was "a deep misunderstanding" about France's role at the UN security council. He said there was "no problem" at the demonstration.
	The crowd also demonstrated outside the Rwandan embassy, accusing ...

Protest in Burundi after UN decides to send police

US regulators have issued subpoenas to Goldman Sachs for documents related to the investment giant's dealings with the 1MDB Malaysian state investment fund, according to a source.
	Subpoenas were issued a few months ago by investigators from the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC) the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
	The investigators also want to interview a Goldman Sachs employee over the bank's role, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first broke the story.
	The US officials, who base their authority on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, want to know why Goldman Sachs did not report transactions deemed suspicious that involve funds raised by bond offerings worth USD 6.5 billion (5.8 billion euros) for 1MDB, the source said.
	Goldman Sachs arranged for the bond sale, and has collected some USD 590 million in commissions for its work.
	The investment bank is collaborating with US regulators, the source said, and is also ...

US agencies subpoena Goldman Sachs in 1MDB Malaysia probe

An Egyptian doctor who performed a deadly female circumcision operation on a girl has served a three-month sentence, he and a lawyer said today, in a first since a 2008 ban.
	Raslan Fadl had been sentenced in January 2015 to two years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and an additional three months for practising female genital mutilation (FGM).
	He remained free, however, until his arrest last April, said lawyer Reda el-Danbouki, who had pursued the case against Fadl.
	"He began the sentence on April 2 and was released on July 2," said Danbouki, the executive director for the Women's Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness in Egypt.
	Fadl, who denies that he performed the operation, told AFP that he had served a three-month sentence.
	He said the two-year sentence by a court in the Nile Delta province of Mansoura had been suspended after he "reconciled" with the family of the 14-year-old girl who died during the operation.
	"Go to the court and you'll find the sentence has been .

AFP

AFP

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