With Clinton out sick, Obama goes after Trump
With Hillary Clinton sidelined by pneumonia, US President Barack Obama took up the Democrats' fight against Donald Trump, trying to quash the Republican presidential candidate's bid to appeal to working-class voters.
Obama, whose 50 per cent job approval rating could help improve the climate for the Democratic ticket in the Nov 8 election, rallied party faithful against Trump, a 70-year-old New York real estate developer, at an outdoor event in Philadelphia.
"This is a guy who spent 70 years on this earth showing no concern for working people. He spent most of his life trying to stay far away from working people. He wasn't going to let you on his golf course," Obama said.
Obama's campaign appearance was his first as a solo act on behalf of Clinton as he tries to ensure Democrats retain control of the White House once his eight years are over in January.
Israel ex-president Shimon Peres suffers 'major' stroke
Former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres, the last of Israel's founding fathers, suffered a "major" stroke and was breathing with the aid of a respirator in intensive care.
Nationwide concern mounted over the condition of 93-year-old Peres, widely respected as an elder statesman both in Israel and abroad.
Peres' son Chemi told journalists that "we are going to have to take difficult decisions apparently later, but not yet." "Myself and my family members are going through difficult times, difficult hours," he said.
Spanish crash train going four times speed limit: Black boxes
The train that derailed and killed four people in Spain was travelling at 118kmh, a court said based on information from its black boxes, on a track that allowed just 30kmh.
The train carrying tourists to Portugal veered off the tracks and smashed into a pillar in the town of O Porrino on Friday, killing its Portuguese driver as well as a US passenger and two Spaniards, and leaving 49 others injured.
Routine maintenance work was being carried out in the area, forcing it to divert to a secondary track where the speed limit was just 30kmh.
Fury as Russian hackers release US athletes' data
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) slammed Russian hackers who breached its database and published confidential records of US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Wada said in a statement that the Russian cyber-espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bears, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System database.
The hacking group released information gleaned from the files of Biles, the Williams sisters and US women's basketball player Elena Delle Donne. In a posting on its website, Fancy Bears claimed US athletes at the Olympics had "played well but not fair."
Football: Messi hat-trick as Barca hit Celtic for seven
Lionel Messi bagged a hat-trick and Neymar grabbed four assists as Barcelona launched their Champions League campaign in style with a 7-0 thrashing of Celtic.
Messi and Neymar were reunited with Luis Suarez from the start for the first time this season and took no time in getting reacquainted as all three were on the scoresheet.
Two goals from Messi either side of Moussa Dembele's missed penalty for Celtic gave Barca a comfortable half-time lead. And there was no let-up for the Scottish champions after the break, as Neymar, Messi, Andres Iniesta and a Suarez double completed the rout.
