American prodigy Coco Gauff continued her rise up the ranks of women's tennis on Monday when the WTA rankings showed a climb of 39 places to number 71 in the world.
Gauff started last week in Linz at 110 and was originally set for an early departure from Austria after losing in the qualifying rounds before grabbing a lifeline as a lucky loser.
She went on to beat 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko in the final for her maiden title.
It marks a meteoric rise for the young American -- at the end of 2018, she was 686 in the world.
Another good performance in Luxembourg this week could see her knocking on the door of the top 50.
There was no movement in the top 20 with Ashleigh Barty retaining the number one spot for another week.
WTA rankings as of October 14:  1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 7,096 pts  2. Karol?na Pliskova (CZE) 5,940  3. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 5,621  4. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 5,495  5. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 5,041  6. Simona Halep (ROU) 4,962  7. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4,776  8. 

Teenager Gauff climbs to 71 after maiden win in Linz

PTI Automatic

A co-founder of the Extinction Rebellion movement is to face trial over an alleged attempt to disrupt air traffic at London's Heathrow Airport using a drone, a judge ruled Monday.
Judge Martin Edmunds said Roger Hallam will be tried on February 17 on a single charge of conspiring to cause a public nuisance.
Hallam, 53, was not in court but followed proceedings via video link from prison where he is being held on remand. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and nationality.
No plea was entered.
The bearded activist from Wandsworth, southwest London, was one of a number of people held in September after a protest by an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, Heathrow Pause.
The group, which is against the construction of a third runway at Heathrow, aimed to disrupt the travel plans of tens of thousands passengers by flying toy drones near the airport.
But the devices failed to get off the ground, prompting claims from activists that police had used jamming devices.
London's ...

Extinction Rebellion co-founder in London court for Heathrow 'drone plot'

Dutch judges on Monday sentenced an Afghan man to 26 years and eight months in jail for stabbing two American tourists at Amsterdam's Central station in a terror attack.
The 20-year-old, identified only as Jawed S., was also ordered at Amsterdam district court to pay almost three million euros ($3.3 million) in damages following the August 31, 2018 assault.
One of the two victims remains in a wheelchair after the attack, which sent midday commuters at the city's busiest station into a panic. Police shot Jawed S. in the lower body before arresting him.
"He never showed any regret or remorse during his trial, repeatedly saying he would do the same again if his religion was insulted," the judges said.
"The risk of a repeat offence is therefore very high and the court finds it essential that society is protected against him as long as possible." During his trial at a heavily-fortified courtroom, Jawed S. said he travelled to the Netherlands from Germany to "protect the Prophet ...

Afghan gets 26 years jail for Amsterdam terror stabbing

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal.
Outgunned and without US protection, the autonomous Kurds in northeastern Syria had few other options to stop the rapid advance of Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies.
Turkey wants to create a roughly 30-kilometre (20-mile) buffer zone along its border to keep Kurdish forces at bay and also to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts.
The United States and its partners, who spent years fighting alongside the Kurds against the Islamic State group in Syria before deserting them, have condemned the Turkish invasion, but their threats of sanctions have failed to stop it.
Washington says that it is planning to pull out 1,000 troops  -- almost the entire ground force -- from Syria's north, in a move welcomed Monday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a positive approach." .

Syria regime steps in to halt Turkish assault on Kurds

Hong Kong is sliding towards becoming a police state, US senator Josh Hawley warned Monday, as tens of thousands filled the strife-torn city's streets waving American flags and calling on Washington to punish China over sliding freedoms.
The international finance hub was battered by another weekend of unrest as hardcore pro-democracy protesters and police fought running battles with officers warning the violence had now reached "life-threatening levels".
Protests pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability have raged for the last 19 weeks and there is little end in sight as Beijing and local leaders refuse concessions.
On Monday night a huge crowd filled Hong Kong's commercial district to show support for a US bill that could dramatically alter Washington's relationship with the trading hub.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which could be discussed and voted on by the House of Representatives as early as this week, would require annual reviews of the 

US senator warns Hong Kong becoming 'police state' as thousands rally

Bangladesh's already congested capital Dhaka was further disrupted Monday as thousands of Uber drivers went on strike in the city of 20 million, demanding a cut in the commission they pay to the global ridesharing giant.
Uber, which has helped to shake up local transportation worldwide and whose shares went public this year, has seen a backlash in many countries against its business practices from regulators and drivers alike.
Two driver unions called a 24-hour strike to protest against the 25 percent cut they give Uber, as well as other restrictions in the mobile-based ridesharing app, union leader Kaiyum Ahmed Shuvo told AFP.
Another leader, Belal Ahmed, said out of the 12,000 Uber drivers active in Dhaka at least 7,000 had joined the strike, due to end early Tuesday morning.
Among several demands, the drivers want Uber to cut its commission to 12 percent and also remove the daily 12-hour limit on their working hours.
"We called the strike because Uber has not paid any heed to our ..

Bangladesh Uber drivers strike for commission cut

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, where he was set to seal oil agreements and try to use his influence to defuse tensions boiling in the Gulf.
His meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comes following attacks on Saudi oil installations that Riyadh and Washington have blamed on Moscow ally Tehran.
Oil will be "the main topic of discussion" between the leaders, Russian political analyst Fydor Lukyanov said, as a deal between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Moscow is due to expire next spring.
Moscow is not a member of OPEC, but it has worked closely with the group to limit supply and push up prices after a 2014 slump that wreaked havoc on the economies of Russia and cartel heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
Moscow and Riyadh -- a traditional ally of Washington -- have made a striking rapprochement in recent years, marked in particular by King Salman's first visit to Russia in October 2017.
A year later, ..

Oil, Iran top agenda as Putin visits Saudi Arabia

Vietnam has pulled the animated film "Abominable" from theatres over a scene featuring a map of the South China Sea showing Beijing's claims in the flashpoint waterway, state media reported Monday.
China has long used its so-called nine-dash line to justify its jurisdiction over most of the resource-rich sea, often to the displeasure of Hanoi which also claims parts of the waterway.
The U-shaped line appears on a map of the South China Sea in a scene in the film -- released as "Everest: The Little Snowman" in Vietnam -- which is about a Chinese teenager helping a yeti return to his home on Mount Everest.
State media said the movie -- a joint production from DreamWorks and China's Pearl Studio -- would no longer be shown in Vietnam, where it was released on October 4.
"I will claim responsibility" for the mistake, said Nguyen Thu Ha, the head of Vietnam's Cinema Department, according to Thanh Nien newspaper.
All films in the one-party state must be approved by communist censors who ...

Animated film 'Abominable' pulled in Vietnam over S. China Sea map

At least 56 people have been killed in Japan by Typhoon Hagibis, national broadcaster NHK said Monday, as rescuers worked into the night searching for survivors.
The broadcaster said 15 people were still missing after the deadly storm, which slammed into Tokyo and surrounding areas Saturday night as one of the most powerful typhoons to hit the area in decades.

Death toll from Typhoon Hagibis rises to 56 in Japan: NHK

Saudi Arabia's energy giant Aramco will announce its long-awaited stock market debut "very, very soon," its chairman said on Monday.
Aramco has said it plans to float around five percent of the state-owned company in 2020 or 2021 in what could potentially be the world's biggest stock sale.
"Aramco's IPO will take place sooner than you think," said Aramco chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan at a Saudi-Russian forum in Riyadh.
"I think that the announcement will be very, very soon." According to Bloomberg, Aramco's board is expected to give final approval by the end of this week to proceed with the sale.
The mammoth initial public offering (IPO) forms the cornerstone of a reform programme envisaged by the kingdom's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wean the Saudi economy off its reliance on oil.
It aims to raise up to USD 100 billion based on a USD 2 trillion valuation of the company, but investors have debated whether Aramco is worth that much and there have been repeated ...

Aramco to announce IPO 'very soon': chairman

Russia on Monday denied a US newspaper report that its warplanes bombed four hospitals in rebel-held territory in Syria over a period of 12 hours this year.
The Russian defence ministry rubbished the claim in a report by The New York Times, saying "the alleged 'evidence' provided by the NYT is not worth even the paper it was printed on".
The May strikes -- which the newspaper tied to Moscow through Russian radio recordings, plane spotter logs and accounts by witnesses -- are part of a larger pattern of medical facilities targeted by forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's devastating civil war.
Nabad al Hayat Surgical Hospital -- which staff had fled three days earlier in anticipation of the facility being bombed -- was one of those struck during the 12-hour period beginning on May 5, according to the Times' investigation.
A Russian ground controller gave the exact coordinates of the hospital to the pilot, who reported having it in sight a few minutes ...

Russia denies US news report it bombed 4 Syria hospitals in 12 hours

The crew of a ship that rescued 176 migrants in the Mediterranean over the weekend said Monday it had so far received no response from any EU port to requests to disembark them.
Ocean Viking, operated by the NGOs SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, picked up the migrants from inflatable boats in two operations off the coast of Libya. They include four pregnant women and at least nine people aged under 16.
"No site in Libya can currently be considered safe" for migrants, SOS Mediterranee said in a statement.
The Ocean Viking's appeal for help comes as European leaders struggle to agree on how to jointly handle the thousands of people trying to reach the continent from Africa.
SOS Mediterranee said it was the fourth time it had asked for access to an EU port since August, shortly after relaunching rescue operations following a seven-month hiatus it blamed on obstruction by European nations.
Italy, France, Germany, and Malta proposed last month a system for automatically ...

Migrant rescue vessel carrying 176 seeks EU port

The EU on Monday extended sanctions against four Russian intelligence agents linked to a nerve agent attack in Britain, as part of an attempt to crack down on chemical weapons.
Foreign ministers from the 28 EU states voted to prolong by 12 months the chemical weapons sanctions regime which currently targets nine individuals including the four Russians and five Syrian officials.
The Russians, who are subject to EU travel bans and asset freezes, are the head and deputy head of the Kremlin's military intelligence outfit, the GRU, and the two men accused of carrying out the attack using a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok.
"The Council today extended restrictive measures by the EU addressing the use and proliferation of chemical weapons until 16 October 2020," the Council of the EU said in a statement.
"This decision contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which poses a serious threat to international security."
The EU has accused the .

EU extends Russia sanctions over Salisbury chemical attack

The Libra Association, created by Facebook to launch its new cryptocurrency, kicked off its first council meeting in Geneva on Monday, despite defections by previous supporters like Visa and Mastercard.
The meeting also comes as the planned Libra global currency faces swelling criticism from regulators, and reported warnings from the G7 group of nations that it poses a threat to the global financial system.
Following Monday's meeting, the non-profit association was due to announce its founding membership and provide more details on how it plans to proceed.
Last month, it voiced hope that the number of companies backing it when it opened for business would swell from an initial 28 to "well over 100" companies.
But instead the list has shrunk, after more of its initial backers abandoned the alliance amid swelling criticism from regulators around the world on the planned Libra global currency.
Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard, online marketplace eBay and digital payments firm ...

Group behind Facebook's Libra coin push meet in Geneva

Iran on Monday released pictures showing two gaping holes in the hull of an oil tanker it alleges was attacked off Saudi Arabia last week.
Tehran says the Iranian-flagged Sabiti tanker was hit by two separate explosions off the Red Sea port of Jeddah on Friday.
It is the first Iranian ship to have been targeted since a spate of attacks on vessels in the Gulf that Washington blamed on Tehran.
The images released by the tanker's owner, the National Iranian Tanker Company, are dated Sunday and show two holes above the waterline on the ship's starboard side.
The attack caused oil to spill from the tanker into the Red Sea, the NITC said, before it was eventually controlled and the vessel began slowly moving back towards Gulf waters.
The incident follows a series of unexplained attacks in May and June on shipping in and around the Gulf, a vital waterway linking oil-producing countries to world markets, as well as drone attacks on Saudi oil installations.
Washington accused Tehran of ...

Iran releases pictures of tanker attacked off Saudi

The Philippines' top policeman, who leads the nation's deadly drugs crackdown, quit on Monday as he faces allegations of protecting officers accused of selling a huge haul of seized narcotics.
Though the scandal dates from before Oscar Albayalde's time as national police chief, it has raised fresh criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte's signature campaign, which is key to his massive popularity among Filipinos.
As part of the president's internationally condemned initiative, police have killed thousands of alleged dealers and users since mid-2016, but critics say the wealthy and powerful have been largely untouched.
Albayalde's resignation comes days after two former police officials implicated him in a 2013 raid in which officers in a province near Manila allegedly seized and then sold parts of a large methamphetamine haul.
One former official alleged Albayalde protected the officers from discipline, while the other claimed he received money from the drug sale.
Albayalde, then the ..

Philippine drug war chief quits amid narcotics scandal

English cricket authorities must make the most of the thrilling World Cup triumph in July to encourage youngsters to take up the sport over the long term, according to England pace bowling star Jofra Archer.
The 24-year-old Barbados-born bowler -- who made an immediate impact when he became eligible to play for England earlier this year -- showed remarkable nerve bowling the decisive Super Over in the World Cup final against New Zealand.
England won the trophy due to countback on the amount of boundaries scored after the match ended tied and the sides were level after the Super Over.
Archer said it was encouraging to see the way young people were inspired by the World Cup win to start playing the game, But he said authorities needed to find ways to keep them interested over the long term.
"I've seen many videos of kids playing, doing their celebrations in the back garden," he said.
"I think the World Cup is going to get spoken about for many years to come.
"We do need to use it. I ...

Build on the World Cup legacy, says pace-bowling sensation Archer

An internet meme that depicts Donald Trump shooting and stabbing media characters and political opponents was shown at a conference for his supporters, the New York Times reported Sunday.
In the clip, the US president's head is superimposed on a man opening fire in the "Church of Fake News" at people whose faces have been replaced with the logos of outlets including CNN, the Washington Post and NBC TV.
As the rampage continues, the Trump character fends off worshippers, strikes late senator John McCain in the back of the neck and torches the head of Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential rival.
He throws Republican senator Mitt Romney to the ground and strikes former president Barack Obama in the back and slams him against a wall.
The organizer of last week's "American Priority" event, which was held at Trump's resort in Miami, said the clip was part of a "meme exhibit." "American Priority rejects all political violence and aims to promote a healthy dialogue about the ...

Trump violently attacks media figures in supporter's event meme: NYT

Strife-torn Hong Kong is sliding towards becoming a police state, US senator Josh Hawley warned Monday, as the financial hub braces for a rally calling on Washington to punish China over sliding freedoms.
The international finance hub was battered by another weekend of unrest Sunday as hardcore pro-democracy protesters and police fought running battles across the city.
Protests pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability have raged for the last 19 weeks and there is little end in sight as Beijing and local leaders refuse concessions.
A large crowd is expected to gather in the heart of the city's commercial district Monday evening calling for US politicians to pass a bill that could dramatically alter Washington's relationship with the trading hub.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which could be discussed and voted on by the House of Representatives as early as this week, would require annual reviews of the territory's special trading status -- and ...

US senator warns Hong Kong becoming 'police state'

A team of British experts arrived in Iran on Monday to begin work to upgrade the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor, the UK embassy in Tehran said.
Iran removed the core of the Arak facility and filled part of it with cement as part of a 2015 deal that gave the country relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Located southwest of Tehran, the reactor is to be modernised with the help of foreign experts under the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"A team of British nuclear experts led by UK Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Robin Grimes arrived in Tehran today to take forward the next stages of the modernisation of the Arak reactor, alongside a team of Chinese experts," said the British embassy.
"The experts will hold talks with the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran on international technical assistance to the reactor construction," it said in a statement.
The British experts would remain in Iran for three days, the embassy told AFP.
"This .

British experts in Iran to upgrade Arak reactor: embassy

An Australian economist who wrongfully spent nearly two decades in prison for the assassination of a high-ranking police officer was awarded more than Aus$7 million (US$4.75 million) in compensation on Monday.
Former public servant David Eastman was convicted in 1995 of killing Australian Federal Police officer Colin Winchester and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Eastman, who had always maintained his innocence and mounted several appeals, was freed in 2014 after his conviction was quashed.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Supreme Court ordered the jurisdiction's government to pay him just over Aus$7 million.
Eastman had sought at least Aus$18 million in compensation.
The 74-year-old told the court that not only had he lost the opportunity to have a family and pursue his career, his mother and sisters died while he was behind bars.
The court also heard that he witnessed a murder during his incarceration and still suffers vision impairment in one eye after he was assaulted by ...

AFP

AFP

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