A US military plane flew over the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, the island's government said, just days after one of its navy ships sailed through the waters and the latest arms sale between Washington and Taipei.
Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement that the transport aircraft flew south along the "median line" of the narrow strait, a traditionally respected maritime line dividing self-ruled Taiwan and mainland China, in a move likely to provoke Beijing.
"Nothing unusual" occurred, the statement added.
A USS transport ship passed through the strait last Friday, a few days after US State Department approved the transfer of 66 F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan in an USD 8 billion deal, the latest huge military hardware sale.
China has blasted the arms deal and threatened to sanction firms involved in the sale of the fighter jets, at a time when relations between Washington and Beijing are already strained by a punitive trade war.
China views any passing through the strait as a breach ..

US military aircraft flies over Taiwan Strait

PTI Automatic

Serena Williams withstood a "rough and rowdy" challenge from 17-year-old American wildcard Caty McNally at the US Open on Wednesday to keep her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title intact.
Williams, a six-time champion in New York, recovered from dropping the opening set to prevail 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 and set up a third-round showdown with either 29th seed Hsieh Su-Wei or Karolina Muchova.
"I had to stop making errors. I made so many errors in the first two sets. I was just too many. You can't win tournaments making that many errors. I knew I had to play better, and I knew I could," Williams said.
"I want to be able to win matches where I'm not playing my best, play players who are playing great, be able to come through. I need to be tested, I guess."
McNally, who hadn't been born when Williams won her first Slam at the 1999 US Open, threatened a struggling Williams from the start before the 37-year-old won nine of the last 11 games to escape under the roof at Arthur Ashe ...

Serena survives US Open upset bid from teen McNally

Beijing hinted Thursday it may break the cycle of retaliation in the trade war with the United States, as the punishing tariff battle threatens global economic growth.
Last week China and the US exchanged the latest blows in the year-long trade dispute, with Beijing announcing it would hit $75 billion worth of US goods in retaliation for Washington taking aim at about $300 million of its goods.
US President Donald Trump lashed out immediately in return by increasing existing and planned tariffs on a total of $550 billion in Chinese products.
"China has sufficient means to take counter-measures, but under the current situation, we believe that the issue that should really be discussed is cancelling further tariffs on $550 billion of Chinese goods, and preventing the trade war from continuing to escalate," said commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng.
China has lodged a diplomatic protest with the US over it, Gao said.
In earlier rounds of escalation, Beijing had pledged to hit back at any 

China hints may not retaliate for latest US tariff hike

Defending US Open champion Novak Djokovic shrugged off a nagging shoulder concern Wednesday to overcome a spirited Juan Ignacio Londero in straight sets in the second round of the US Open.
The world number one received medical treatment to his left shoulder throughout the match on his way to a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 win.
"It was definitely affecting my serve and backhand. I don't want to talk about it too much," Djokovic said.
"I was definitely tested and this is something I've been carrying for quite a while now.
"It wasn't easy obviously playing with pain but you have to hope you'll get some opportunities and find a way to fight.
"It's not the first time I'm facing this kind of adversity or challenge. It is what it is and I'm just grateful to be on the court."
Top seed Djokovic will play the winner between 27th seed Dusan Lajovic and American Denis Kudla in the third round.

Djokovic bugged by shoulder in US Open win

Australian Olympic 100m freestyle champion Kyle Chalmers was recovering Thursday after a third operation to treat a long-term heart condition.
The 21-year-old, who claimed silver at last month's world championships in South Korea, posted a photo on Instagram of himself in a hospital bed giving the thumbs up and saying "third time lucky".
Chalmers said he was hopeful the problem has now been fixed "once and for all" as the clock ticks down to next year's Tokyo Olympics.
The Rio 2016 gold medallist underwent surgery on the same condition in June 2017, forcing him to pull out of that year's world championships.
A previous operation had not helped the problem known as supraventricular tachycardia, which occasionally causes his heart to race.
Australia's head swim coach Jacco Verhaeren said Chalmers had no problems during the recent world championships, but there were some concerns during his preparations.
"Everything with your heart sounds like a big deal but in this case, it's a very ...

'Third time lucky' - Olympic swim champ Chalmers has heart surgery again

Historic football club Bolton, one of the founders of the English Football League, avoided the fate of their historic rivals Bury from being expelled from the league when a takeover was finally approved on Wednesday.
Bolton had been under threat of suffering the same fate as fellow third tier side Bury, who on Tuesday had become the first team to be expelled from the English Football League in over two decades.
However, the four-time FA Cup winners staved off the imminent threat of extinction when long-time suitors Football Ventures (Whites) Limited succeeded in buying the club that had been in administration since May.
Bolton had been given a stay of execution late on Tuesday to find a buyer in 14 days or face expulsion as well.
There was relief all-round in the north-west town that was once integral to textile industry but has fallen on hard times -- the football club remaining as a focal point of the community and who until 2012 had enjoyed 11 unbroken years in the Premier ...

Bolton saved from following Bury into the abyss

President Rodrigo Duterte will bring up territorial issues in his Beijing meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Philippines ambassador said on Thursday, as tensions rise over claims to the South China Sea.
The Filipino leader faces growing pressure at home to confront China over its aggressive approach to upholding its contested territorial claims in the waterway after largely setting aside the standoff for his years in office.
Beijing claims the majority of the sea, often invoking its so-called nine-dash line to justify its alleged historic rights, but the waters are also contested by Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Brunei.
"The President has made it clear that from his point of view the time has come" to discuss the issue, said Philippine Ambassador Jose Santiago Santa Romana, noting Thursday's meeting will be the eighth between the two heads of state.
A series of recent confrontations have stoked simmering domestic discontent in the Philippines.
Duterte had shelved ..

Duterte to raise territorial claims in talks with China: ambassador

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Turkey would not allow the US to delay the establishment of a 'safe zone' in northern Syria, in comments published on Thursday.
Ankara and Washington earlier this month agreed after difficult talks to set up a buffer zone between the Turkish border and Syrian areas controlled by the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia.
The NATO allies agreed to set up a joint operations centre which Turkey said at the weekend was at full capacity.
"We will never allow a delay similar to that in Manbij. The process should advance swiftly," Erdogan said, according to CNN Turk broadcaster.
Turkey and the United States in May last year agreed a road map including the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from Manbij in northern Syria.
"The agreement made with the US towards clearing the east of the Euphrates (river) from the YPG and setting up a safe zone is the right step," Erdogan said after returning from talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He 

Erdogan says won't allow US to delay Syria 'safe zone'

Papua New Guinea officials have sealed off the area around a Chinese-owned nickel plant in the north of the country after the leakage of potentially toxic slurry that has turned the ocean red.
The Mineral Resources Authority said on Thursday it had cordoned off a portion of Basamuk Bay in the north of the country, while emergency tests are carried out to determine the scale of environmental damage.
The water and coastline were dyed ochre red by the slurry, which is said to have overflowed from tanks at the Ramu Nickel refinery for almost an hour.
The multibillion facility is run by the state-owned China Metallurgical Group, which mines and processes nickel, a metal widely used in batteries, including in electric cars.
The Mineral Resources Authority said it had moved to "prevent villagers from going near or fishing within the affected area" while investigations "determine the nature of the slurry, including toxicity, pH" and whether heavy elements were discharged.
The incident is ...

Mine spill turns PNG coastline red

The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rose to three on Thursday, as authorities urged local authorities to stay on alert despite the lifting of some evacuation orders.
The third victim in the rains that prompted the weather agency to issue its highest level warning earlier this week was discovered in a flooded home in southwestern Saga prefecture, officials said.
"An autopsy determined that she had drowned," Saga police spokesman Hiroshi Dan told AFP of the 96-year-old woman.
"When rescuers went to the house yesterday, they didn't see her as the water was already nearly one-metre (3.3-foot) high." Two other deaths were confirmed Wednesday in Saga and neighbouring Fukuoka prefecture. And officials said one person was in critical condition and another was missing in Saga.
Authorities meanwhile lifted evacuation orders that on Wednesday applied to 870,000 people.
By Thursday afternoon, 392,000 people were under orders to seek shelter, while another 884,000 were under lower-level ...

Toll in Japan rains hit 3, some evacuation orders lifted

A Myanmar filmmaker was sentenced to a year in prison on Thursday for criticising the military, as free expression advocates warned of "grave threats" to those who challenge the powerful armed forces.
Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, an activist and founder of human rights film festivals, was detained in April following a Facebook post in which he slammed the 2008 military-drafted constitution.
The charter is deeply unpopular in Myanmar as it gifts the armed services three-quarters of parliamentary seats and control of three ministries despite an ostensible transition to civilian rule.
He was sentenced under a law that criminalises incitement by publishing statements causing "fear or alarm" to the public.
"I wasn't surprised because I expected what was coming," Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi told reporters as he was led from the Insein courthouse in Yangon.
The ruling will take into account time served since his arrest.
The free expression group Article 19 said the case was further evidence of the "grave ...

Myanmar filmmaker jailed for one year after criticising military

The EU's diplomatic chief said Thursday that the bloc would support talks between the US and Tehran, but only if the current nuclear deal with Iran is preserved.
Tehran and Washington have been locked in a bitter standoff since last year when US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its atomic programme.
The idea of direct talks between Washington and Tehran as a way out of the crisis has grown this week after Trump mooted the idea and the new US defense secretary urged Iran's leaders to engage.
The EU has desperately sought to stop the deal from collapsing completely, arguing it is the best way to stop Iran developing nuclear bombs.
EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini gave a cautious welcome to the idea of negotiations, after Trump said Monday he was ready to meet Iran's President Hassan Rouhani within weeks.
"We are always in favour of talks, the more people talk, the more people understand each 

EU backs US-Iran talks but says nuclear deal must stay

China's military on Thursday said fresh troops had arrived in Hong Kong as part of a routine rotation, as the financial hub prepares for fresh political rallies against Beijing's tightening grip on the city.
State media published a video of armoured personnel carriers and trucks driving across the Hong Kong border in the border.
"The Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army on Thursday morning completed the 22nd rotation since it began garrisoning Hong Kong in 1997," Xinhua news agency reported.
A new mass rally was planned for Saturday.  But Hong Kong police denied permission for the demonstration on security grounds, raising the likelihood of another weekend of clashes between police and protesters.
In a letter to the rally organisers the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) on Thursday, police said they feared some participants would commit "violent and destructive acts".
Protesters have not only carried out "arson and large scale road blockades but also used petrol ...

China 'rotates' troops in Hong Kong ahead of planned rallies

South Korea's top court on Thursday set aside former president Park Geun-hye's convictions in the sprawling scandal that saw her ousted from power and ordered the case to be heard again.
Park was convicted in April last year on bribery and abuse of power charges and sentenced to 24 years, later extended for an additional 12 months.
But the Supreme Court ruled that separate verdicts should have been reached on the bribery counts.
"We send the case back to the Seoul High Court," said chief justice Kim Myeong-su.
Park's first trial lasted 10 months and highlighted shady links between big business and politics in South Korea, with Park and her close friend Choi Soon-sil accused of taking bribes from corporate bigwigs in exchange for preferential treatment.
Park, now 67, boycotted most of the proceedings in protest at being held in custody.
Ultimately she was convicted in April 2018 of receiving or demanding more than $20 million from conglomerates, sharing secret state documents, ...

S Korea Supreme Court orders retrial for ex-president Park

The US is ready and willing to help Brazil fight forest fires in the Amazon, an aide to President Donald Trump said Wednesday, but only if it involves working with the Brazilian government.
On Monday the countries of the G7 -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- pledged $20 million (18 million euros) to tackle blazes engulfing parts of the world's largest rainforest that is crucial for maintaining a stable global climate.
"The US stands ready to assist Brazil in efforts to combat fires in the Amazon," National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis tweeted late Wednesday.  But the Trump administration prefers a plan that includes discussion with Brazil's government, he said.
"We didn't agree to a G7 initiative that failed to include consultations w/ @jairbolsonaro . The most constructive way to assist w/ Brazil's ongoing efforts is in coordination w/ the Brazilian Gov." Bolsonaro has repeatedly clashed with European leaders, especially France's .

US ready to fight Amazon fires only in cooperation with Brazil

Two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death for the murder of two British backpackers on a Thai holiday island will learn their fate Thursday when the verdict on their final appeal is delivered.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and of killing David Miller, 24.
The pair's battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern diving resort of Koh Tao in September 2014.
Prosecutors insisted the evidence against the men from Myanmar's impoverished Rakhine state was clear, and a lower court upheld their conviction in 2017.
But during the proceedings, the defence said authorities mishandled the investigation and DNA evidence, not allowing independent analysis of samples and using confessions the pair said were coerced.
Police were accused of buckling to pressure to solve a crime that made global headlines and threatened to damage a tourism sector that accounts for a fifth of Thailand's economy.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun arrived at ..

Myanmar pair await final appeal ruling over Brit killings in Thailand

Measles cases are skyrocketing in Europe and the disease is surging in four countries previously considered to have eliminated it, including the UK, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Thursday, urging countries to step up vaccination efforts.
"Re-establishment of measles transmission is concerning. If high immunisation coverage is not achieved and sustained in every community, both children and adults will suffer unnecessarily and some will tragically die," warned Gunter Pfaff, the head of the WHO's European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination.
The WHO said there were 89,994 cases of measles in 48 European countries in the first six months of 2019, more than double the number in the same period in 2018 when there were 44,175 cases, and already more than the 84,462 cases reported for all of 2018.
Based on 2018 data, the disease is no longer considered eliminated in the UK, Greece, the Czech Republic and Albania.
Measles is considered eliminated .

Four European states lose measles eradication status as cases soar: WHO

Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of "rampant" sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in Islamic schools, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country.
Child abuse in madrasas has long gone unreported in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation where hardline Islamist groups draw their support from the tens of thousands of schools across the nation of 169 million people.
But in the wake of a brutal murder of a teenage girl who was burnt to death in April after accusing her headteacher of sexual assault, such incidents have been subject to national scrutiny and debate for the first time.
In July alone, at least five madrasa teachers have been arrested on rape charges against boys and girls under their care.
Several senior students were also held by police over the rape and beheading of an 11-year-old orphan, while a Dhaka cleric and seminary teacher was charged with sexually assaulting a dozen boys aged between 

Bangladeshis speak up about 'rampant' rapes in Islamic schools

Maurizio Sarri could get the all-clear to be present for his first home clash as Juventus coach on Saturday against his former club Napoli, after missing the season-opener with pneumonia.
The eight-time defending champions' first home game of the campaign pits them against last season's runners-up.
The 60-year-old has reportedly irritated club bosses by continuing to smoke despite his health issues.
Chain-smoking Sarri was photographed holding a packet of cigarettes while posing with fans outside his home earlier this week.
Despite his condition, Sarri has still conducted training sessions, and in recent days has come out on the pitch, according to reports in Italy.
The former Chelsea manager spent three trophyless seasons with Napoli and his decision to join Juventus has been viewed as a betrayal by his former club and supporters.
Sarri's continued absence could however provide a boost for Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli, who won their opening game 4-3 against Fiorentina.
Juventus posted an 

Sarri awaits all-clear for Napoli clash

Marseille won their first match under new coach Andre Villas-Boas on Wednesday thanks to a 2-1 derby win at Nice in a match that was suspended in the first half following homophobic abuse from the home side's hardcore supporters.
Dimitri Payet moved his side up to 13th on four points with a spot-kick with 17 minutes remaining after Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien had levelled Dario Benedetto's first Marseille goal with his own penalty.
The France international's strike also ended Nice's brief perfect start in the new season's third round of matches, but the clash was dominated by the over 10-minute suspension ordered by match officials as part of a crackdown on offensive chanting from French football authorities.
Players from both teams were escorted from the pitch in the 28th minute of the contest following repeated appeals to Nice fans to stop chants of "Marseille are a bunch of queers" and "Go fuck yourself, Ligue 1".
Fans also unfurled homophobic banners including one which called ..

Marseille win at Nice as homophobic chants cause stoppage

Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic fought through shoulder pain to reach the third round of the rain-hit US Open on Wednesday while Roger Federer shook off another slow start to advance.
Djokovic, winner of four of the past five Slam titles and 16 in all, was treated for a sore left shoulder throughout his 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 victory over Argentina's 56th-ranked Juan Ignacio Londero.
"It was definitely affecting my serve and backhand," Djokovic said of his shoulder injury. "I was definitely tested."
Djokovic next faces 27th-seeded Serbian compatriot Dusan Lajovic or American Denis Kudla, but the injury casts grave doubts on his bid to be the first US Open repeat winner since Federer won from 2004-2008.
"This is something I've been carrying for quite a while now," Djokovic said. "It wasn't easy to play with the pain, but you have to hope you will get some opportunities and some lucky shots.
"It's not the first time I'm facing this kind of adversity or challenge. It is what it 

AFP

AFP

Page 436 - Afp