Month: July 2020

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will be sworn-in for a second, six-year term on Thursday despite his country’s continued economic spiral that has sparked the region’s worst ever migration crisis.  

Maduro’s new term will bring further international presssure on Caracas as dozens of countries have called his May re-election fraudulent and pledged not to recognise his new government.

The European Union is expected to release a strongly worded warning hinting that further EU sanctions could be levied on the country, should the president continue to flout human rights and the rule of law.

Guy Verhofstadt, the influential MEP and leader of the liberals in the European Parliament, told the Telegraph, “The EU should no longer recognise the legality or legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s sham presidency.”

The lack of international recognition will be apparent from the lack of foreign visitors to the inauguration ceremony of Maduro, due to be held at 10 am outside the Supreme Court building. Only Cuba and Bolivia have confirmed their presidents will attend, while a handful of other countries will send diplomats.  

Plans to organize a mass boycott of the investiture ceremony by all 28 EU ambassadors to Venezuela appeared to have fallen foul of divisions in the bloc, however.

The Telegraph understands that the Spanish and Greek ambassadors will attend, but Britain’s will not.

Other drastic proposals within Latin America, such as the withdrawal of diplomatic missions from the country or the appointment of a parallel president in exile, have also been rejected for now.

The isolation and new sanctions could also spark further defections from Maduro’s government circle.  On Saturday, former Supreme Tribunal Justice Christian Zerpa fled to the US, telling Miami broadcaster EVTV he was “disavowing” the Maduro government.

“I believe (Maduro) does not deserve a second chance because the election he supposedly won was not free and competitive,” he said.

In his new term Maduro will deal with a country in disarray, facing an unprecedented economic crisis with some economists now projecting inflation to reach 10 million percent in 2019.  Since 2015, UN figures show that three million Venezuelans have fled their country and two million could leave this year alone.

Even the most basic daily tasks have become nearly impossible; there are shortages of plastic for debit cards, the paper used for making passports, and shortages of medicines and foods continue.  The currency is so worthless that vendors across the border in Colombia make bags and wallets using the bills.

“I want somebody to just take this regime out,” said Jacqueline Torres, 48, outside of a Caracas bank on Wednesday.  She had her husband had travelled an hour to Caracas and spent the morning going from bank to bank to get a new debit card, but none had the plastic needed.

Torres, who suffers from a back injury, wants to travel to Colombia for medical exams, but hasn’t received her passport, even though she applied for the document a year ago.

“We’re bad off, and they have kidnapped the public institutions,” she said.  “We can’t do anything.”

Many of the millions with plans to leave the country view Thursday’s inauguration as the end of any hope for change.

“If I stay here, I won’t be able to do what I want and won’t be able to maintain myself,” said Williams Blanco, 30, who plans to leave for Ecuador by bus in three months. “I haven’t bought new shoes in three years, so that gives you an idea,” said the freelance actor and producer.

To quash any discontent, Maduro will rely on the armed forces and paramilitary groups known locally as colectivos, as he did during 2017 street protests.

In the days preceding the inauguration, local media have reported caravans of government supporters, including masked men on truck beds, passing through downtown Caracas. In one of the city’s most emblematic slums, traditionally a bastion of pro-government support, government supporters fired guns into the air on rooftops.

“We’re defending the homeland with arms,” colectivo leader Valentín Santana told local outlet Cronica Uno.  

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Forty men and women have been detained and at least two have died in an anti-gay purge in Russia’s Chechnya republic that is even more brutal than a 2017 crackdown, according to activists.

After the administrator of an LGBT social media group was detained in December, Chechen law enforcement began rounding up suspected homosexuals, LGBT Network said on Monday. It is holding people without charge in an infamous prison where gay men have previously said they were tortured, local residents told activists. 

One of the captives died after officials repeatedly cut him with a knife during an interrogation, Igor Kochetkov of LGBT Network told The Telegraph.  

“We can already say that the torture being suffered by those detained is savage, much worse than for those detained in 2017,” he said. “We know of two dead, but probably more have been killed.”

For the first time, women are also being systematically detained for presumed homosexuality, he added.

A gay man named Alexander who escaped Chechnya for France told the Russian news site Meduza that 10 people had actually been killed in the latest wave of the anti-LGBT “genocide,” and a friend who was imprisoned had seen bodies being carried away.

A post in a local LGBT social media group last week told gay people to “run from the republic as soon as possible”. 

More than 100 were rounded up and at least six died in a crackdown on gay men in the predominantly Muslim republic in 2017. Some were handed over to relatives with the expectation they would be finished off in an “honour killing,” while others had to sign blank criminal charges for possible future use. 

LGBT Network has helped 150 people flee since 2017.

Ramzan Kadyrov

The press secretary of Chechnya’s strongman ruler Ramzan Kadyrov, who was appointed by Vladimir Putin in 2007, called the latest accusations “lies and disinformation”.

Kadyrov has previously claimed there are no gay men in Chechnya and told the BBC during the World Cup that the reports of the purge were “all made up”. 

“The reason this is being repeated is impunity,” Mr Kochetkov said. “The Russian authorities didn’t open a criminal case, and Kadyrov felt this impunity.”

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted that the renewed persecution was "totally unacceptable" if true, and Moscow "must not only stop this from happening but hold those responsible to account".

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in December called on Russia to open an inquiry “in view of the clear evidence of successive purges against LGBTI persons” in Chechnya. 

It also called for a criminal investigation into the case of Maxim Lapunov, a gay man who told The Telegraph and others that he was held for 12 days in Chechnya and tortured in 2017. 

Police beat him until he couldn’t stand, demanding the names of other gay men, he said. Others were tortured with electric shocks.

Mr Lapunov, an ethnic Russian, was released when relatives from another region came looking for him, but police threatened him to keep quiet.

Russian authorities have repeatedly refused to investigate his complaints. Mr Putin’s human rights ombudswoman said last month a criminal case had not been opened because Mr Lapunov had left Russia for Estonia. He fled there fearing for his safety.

Police have now been hunting down contacts from the phones of the administrator of the LGBT social media group and subsequent people they detained, according to Mr Kochetkov.

Some have been released, but in a new development, their passports were ripped up to keep them from leaving Chechnya, he said.

“If we don’t stop this now it could develop further, so it’s very important to spread this information and put pressure on Moscow,” he said.

Human rights groups and Western governments have previously called on Moscow to take action against repressions in Chechnya, where Mr Kadyrov wields absolute power over a fearful populace.  

Last year, police began detaining teenagers en masse after five boys pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and were killed in attacks on police, The Telegraph reported. Other young people have been imprisoned on extremely flimsy terrorism accusations, and 27 were killed without trial in a mass execution in January 2017, according to an investigation by Novaya Gazeta newspaper. 

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Police in Spain on Tuesday arrested 17 men connected to a suspected network of Islamic State supporters, five of whom are accused of forming a terror cell planning to launch attacks in Barcelona, with the rest suspected of having stolen passports from tourists to support the aspiring jihadists. 

The group had been the subject of covert investigation for 18 months, Catalonia’s regional police force said, meaning the probe started at a similar time to the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils of August 2017 in which 16 died. 

Speaking after the raids, Miquel Buch, Catalonia’s interior chief, said there had been no risk “at any time” of the group pulling off an attack as they were being closely tracked by the police with support from Spain’s CNI secret service.

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“Those arrested wanted to commit attacks, but that doesn’t mean they had the actual capacity to carry out a terrorist act”, Mr Buch said.

Five men aged between 33 and 44 were believed to have made up the hardcore of the cell. Police said three of them are from Algeria, while one is Libyan the other Iraqi. All of the suspects lived in Barcelona.

The other 12 arrested in the raids in Barcelona and the Catalan town of Igualada comprise Algerian, Spanish, Egyptian, Iraqi, Moroccan and Lebanese nationals.  

The 12 men are suspected of being part of a criminal support cell and having carried out 369 thefts and robberies, mostly in downtown Barcelona, as well as being accused of criminal conspiracy, document fraud and public health offences.

The gang’s alleged criminal activity focused on the tens of millions of tourists that visit Barcelona each year, and is believed to have funded the alleged terrorist cell, as well as being a source of fake ID papers for jihadi terrorists moving around Europe.

Police sources quoted by Spanish newspaper El Mundo said that passports and ID cards stolen from tourists by the pickpockets were passed on to extremists in need of false documents as part of a pan-European terrorist network.  

“The majority of those investigated are defined by a radical profile and adherence to the jihadi movement’s dogma. The group supported the principal doctrines and actions of the jihadi movement and consumed large amounts of publications containing the precepts of Isil,” the Catalan police said after the operation.

At least 27 elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed in a suicide car bombing on Wednesday night, according to state media, in the second major attack inside Iran within six months.   

The explosion came as the US, Israel, and Gulf Arab states gathered for a major Middle East summit in Poland which was widely seen as anti-Iran gathering. 

The Revolutionary Guard said a suicide bomber had rammed an explosive-laden car into a coach carrying Guardsmen as it drove through the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. 

Media reports claimed at least 10 more people in nearby passenger cars were also killed.

The Army of Justice, a Sunni jihadist group based in the province, claimed responsibility for the attack, state media reported.  The blast came days after the Islamic Republic celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Revolution. 

The Revolutionary Guard blamed “Takfiri terrorists and mercenaries at the service of foreign intelligence agencies of the world’s arrogant powers”. Iran, which is majority Shia, uses the term Takfiri to describe Sunni extremists. 

Tehran has in the past accused Saudi Arabia of funding the Army of Justice, an accusation which the kingdom denies. 

Tansim, a news agency linked to the Guard, said at least 27 people were killed and many more wounded in the blast. Pictures from the scene show the bus was torn apart by the explosion.  

The attack comes months after a shooting at a military parade in Ahvaz in September which left 25 people dead. That attack was claimed by both Arab separatists hoping to form an independent state from Iran and by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). 

Mike Pence, the US vice president and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, are attending along with ministers from the Gulf Arab states opposed to Iran.

European states who support the Iran deal have been less enthusiastic. France and Germany both sent junior representatives while Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, stayed away.  

US officials stressed the summit was not meant to be anti-Iranian but Mr Netanyahu somewhat undermined that claim by declaring “the focus is Iran”.   

Iran condemned the event as “irresponsible and destructive” while Russia, Turkey, and Qatar all snubbed it.

Poland agreed to host the controversial summit as it lobbies Washington to increase the number of US troops on Polish soil as a deterrent against Russia. There are currently around 3,000 US troops in the country on different missions, including Nato deployments.

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, attended the opening of the summit, partly as a chance to convene of meeting of the UK, US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the crisis in Yemen.

He said Yemen may finally be “on the path to peace” after five years of brutal war if the two sides follow through on agreements reached at UN-brokered talks last year.  

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Renault’s Esteban Ocon retired after from Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix after just 26 laps, the victim of the same overheating issue that had sidelined Daniel Ricciardo a week earlier in Austria.

Ocon was in the midst of a good top-ten scrap with Ricciardo when he was sidelined by the cooling issue.

The team’s subsequent investigation concluded that the problem was a repeat of the issue that had forced Ricciardo into retirement in the Austrian Grand Prix, when a small radiator crack led to a sudden loss of water pressure.

Ricciardo: Stroll move was ‘desperate’ – deserved a penalty

In between the two rounds at the Red Bull Ring, Renault sent its batch of radiators back to Enstone for a thorough inspection.

The components were given the all clear, leading the team to believe that it would be fine for the Styrian Grand Prix. Obviously it was not, and team boss Cyril Abiteboul considered Renault’s costly lack of reliability “unacceptable”.

“Lots of emotions after a weekend like this one,” said the Frenchman.

“We had good emotions after qualifying yesterday with both cars reaching Q3 and Esteban who showed a very strong pace in extreme conditions, demonstrating his outstanding driving skills in his second qualifying with us.

“Today, the emotions were much more painful after another retirement for one of our cars caused by exactly the same issue as last weekend.

“We had put lots of effort to return, examine the parts in Enstone, and send it back to the track, but clearly there is something that we missed.

“This poor level of reliability is, obviously, not acceptable in a field that is so tight.”

Ocon accepted the set back but rued a missed opportunity to tag on more points after his P8 finish the weekend before.

“These things happen in motorsport, but we know we had a great opportunity today and it’s a shame where we were running to retire the car,” he said.

“Hopefully it won’t happen again this year. It was good to have some fun with Daniel; we were both on different strategies and I think he had a bit more on tyres.

“We looked on for a good team result, so it’s a shame what happened. We have another opportunity next week to score some points.”

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Chelsea must qualify for next season’s Champions League if they want to sign Kai Havertz, according to a German football expert.

The playmaker has told Bayer Leverkusen he wants to leave the club, and Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign the 21-year-old this summer.

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FEATURE: 16 Conclusions: Sheffield United 3-0 Chelsea

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But Christian Falk, SportBild’s head of football, claims Havertz wants to leave the Bundesliga club because they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

This would suggest he will seek a move to a club playing in the Champions League next season, and that is very much in doubt for Chelsea.

The Blues were demolished by Sheffield United on Saturday to leave their top four hopes in the balance. Read 16 Conclusions on the game.

If Leicester City beat Bournemouth on Sunday and Manchester United win against Southampton on Monday, Chelsea would drop out of the top-four.

The club will also have an eye on whether Manchester City will escape their two-year European ban, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport is set to deliver their verdict on Monday.

 

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Graham Potter claimed that there was “no disgrace” in Brighton’s 5-0 loss to Manchester City.

It has been a difficult few days for Brighton, who lost to champions Liverpool in midweek before having to face last year’s Premier League winners on Saturday.

It did not go to plan, as Man City claimed a 5-0 win at the Amex Stadium. And Brighton boss Potter admitted that their opponents were a level above.

Potter told Sky Sports: “Man City were too good tonight. We were well beaten by the better team.

“First half, we were in it a bit and had a couple of opportunities but they have got players that can hurt you everywhere.

“We are disappointed with how we petered out in the second half but it’s a big ask to play Liverpool and Man City in the space of four days.

“The manner and timing of the second goal was disappointing. To get in at 1-0 having had a few moments was the aim but that was a killer one. We tried to get a foothold but we couldn’t find the answers to them.”

Despite the heavy scoreline, Potter claimed that Brighton will not be the only team to struggle against Man City.

“Better teams than us will find it difficult to live with Man City,” he added. “It’s no disgrace from our perspective but we want to put it to bed as quickly as we can and get as many points as we can from the last three games.

“Our job is to improve our team and players as best we can. We’ve done some things quite well this season but clearly got a lot more to do as well.”

Frank Lampard said he “learned a lot” from Chelsea’s loss to Sheffield United, admitting the performance “concerned” him.

David McGoldrick scored his first two Premier League goals either side of an Oli McBurnie header to give the Blades a big win in their push for Europe.

But while the result left Chris Wilder’s side dreaming, it damaged Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Depending on Leicester and Manchester United’s next results, Chelsea could be outside the top four by the next time they kick a football.

And manager Lampard was visibly downbeat about his side’s performance, admitting they could not afford to play like that again before the end of the season.

“They were better than us, physically, in the mind and with the ball,” Lampard told Sky Sports. “So you lose the game. They were stronger than us.

“You feel and hear every noise and all I could hear was Sheffield United voices. They are a good team. If you come here and perform below par this is what will happen.

“We matched them shape wise. We were too slow and weren’t getting our wingers into the game. We tried to get control, which we did but weren’t threatening.

“At 2-0 down you make it difficult for yourselves. Disappointing. Mistakes. You analyse all season and review and move forward. We need to put that to bed quickly and fight for the top four.

“I learned a lot and I won’t forget that.

“I am not concerned about top four today. All I do is sit and watch the games and consider what we want to do. But today I am concerned with how we performed.

“We will see where we are when we approach Norwich. But we can’t approach Norwich or Manchester United or Wolves like we did today.”

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It was previously reported that NXT Superstar Humberto Carrillo (Ultimo Ninja) was removed from the announcement on The “Worlds Collide” Tournament that will take place at Royal Rumble Axxess later this month. WWE removed Carrillo within two hours of making the original announcement, which had him listed as a WWE 205 Live Superstar. The announcement now says that a Superstar to be named will get the final 205 Live roster spot in the tournament.
The speculation is that Carrillo was removed because he will be making his 205 Live debut on next Wednesday’s show. As previously reported, that show will feature WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy issuing a Non-Title Open Challenge. It is believed that Carrillo may answer that open challenge, making his official 205 Live debut.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley took to Twitter this week and mocked the fans who supported Toni Storm during her recent private photos leak on social media. Storm vs. Ripley is set to take place at Saturday’s NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool Event. You can check out Ripley’s tweet below:

Mood every time I see a #WeSupportToniStorm hashtag… Pathetic#TheNightmare ??#FirstEver #NXTUKWomensChampion pic.twitter.com/HuV1l0frqF
— RheaRipley_WWE (@RheaRipley_WWE) January 10, 2019

Former WWE, ECW & WCW Star Lance Storm took to Twitter this week and gave props to SmackDown LIVE Superstar Carmella. Storm praised Carmella for holding her own in The SmackDown Triple Threat Main Event, which saw Becky Lynch defeat Carmella & Charlotte Flair.
Storm wrote, “@CarmellaWWE gets a lot of flax, from online critics, for her work, so I think i”s worth mentioning that I thought she really held up her end of the main event 3 way this week on #SDLive Not sure fans appreciate how difficult this job is.”

. @CarmellaWWE gets a lot of flax, from online critics, for her work, so I think it’s worth mentioning that I thought she really held up her end of the main event 3 way this week on #SDLive Not sure fans appreciate how difficult this job is.
— Lance Storm (@LanceStorm) January 10, 2019