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Venezuela at breaking point as controversial poll nears Venezuela's opposition is calling it "Zero Hour". Analysts refer to a breaking point. It is clear to everyone that Venezuela is in crisis, but there's no easy way out. Divisions in Venezuela run deep. The opposition has been vocal since Hugo Chávez came to power 18 years ago, but problems have become more acute under President Nicolás Maduro, a leader who does not have the following of his predecessor, and under whose watch the economy has been pushed to the brink. When the Supreme Court at the end of March announced that it would be taking over the powers of the opposition-controlled National Assembly (a ruling that was subsequently reversed), tensions rose. Protests have only intensified in recent months as the opposition has called for President Maduro to go. Re-energising 'Chavismo'? The government now wants to create a constituent assembly. Essentially its purpose will be to rewrite the co...

Uber drivers linked to one sex attack a week, figures show After a meal with her boyfriend and drinks at a leaving party, the 26-year-old office worker called it a night. It was only 10.30pm, but she had to be in work early the next day so, using her smartphone, she summoned a cab via the Uber app. It was a decision she would live to regret. Her driver, an Eritrean refugee who had been working for Uber for only three weeks, quickly made her feel uneasy. ‘You are very pretty,’ said Samson Haile, 32. He then asked if she had a boyfriend, before announcing: ‘I want to have sex with you.’ Next, he grabbed her leg, moving his hand up her thigh. Terrified, the woman screamed and jumped out of the Toyota Prius, fleeing into the London night. Hours later, Haile was at it again, telling a female passenger: ‘I want to sleep in your bed.’ As luck would have it, she was an undercover policewoman and Haile would subsequently be arrested and linked to the first attack. Some might dismiss i...

Colombia 'will not recognise' Venezuela's assembly vote Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos says his country will not recognise the result of Sunday's vote in neighbouring Venezuela to elect a new assembly with power to rewrite the constitution. "The constituent assembly lacks legitimacy and because of that we cannot accept the result," he said. Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro called the vote as protests against his government gained momentum in May. The opposition sees it as a move towards dictatorship. The new constituent assembly, comprising 545 members, will rival the National Assembly, currently controlled by the opposition. "We insist on a peaceful solution for the country's situation," said President Santos. Earlier on Friday, police in the Venezuelan capital Caracas fired tear gas and rubber bullets against opposition activists who blocked roads. At least two people were injured. 'Zero hour': Venezuela...

Frozen human remains found near aircraft on Mont Blanc Body parts that could belong to passengers killed in one or other of two Air India plane crashes that took place more than 50 years ago have been found in the French Alps. Daniel Roche, who has spent years combing the Bossons Glacier on Mont Blanc looking for remains, made the discovery on Thursday. He said he had 'never found any significant human remains before' but this time he had found a hand and the upper part of a leg. Two major accidents have taken place at the site with more than 150 people killed in total. In January 1966, an Air India Boeing 707 from Bombay to New York crashed near Mont Blanc's summit, killing all 117 people on board. Another Air India flight crashed on the mountain in 1950, killing 48 people. Mr Roche said the remains he had found could be of a female passenger from the 1966 Boeing 707 flight, as he also discovered one of the plane's four jet engines. He contacted local emer...

Ministers vow to cut motorway speed limit to 60mph Speed limits on parts of the motorway network may be slashed to 60mph in a bid to cut air pollution. Ministers are assessing the environmental impact of cutting speeds, with trials on the M1 expected as soon as this summer. The Government’s controversial air quality strategy this week identified two stretches of motorway needing urgent attention – the M4 in London and the M32 near Bristol. However, the strategy admitted that reducing the limit from 70mph may have no impact on roads that are already congested. And variable speed limits mean part of the M4 heading into the capital from near Heathrow already has a 60mph limit on average. Previous work by Highways England suggests pollution limits are regularly breached on a number of motorways. Data released by the agency in 2015 revealed that the entire M60 around Manchester and long stretches of the M25 around London regularly saw pollution levels breach legal limits. A stre...

Melanie Chisholm looks ripped at Carfest North festival She recently revealed that she restricted her eating and exercised obsessively in her Spice Girls days as she battled depression. But Melanie Chisholm, 43, looked the picture of health as she displayed her incredibly toned physique while performing at Carfest North on Saturday. Wearing a black jumpsuit which flaunted her ripped arms, the former Spice Girl put her past demons behind her as she looked happier than ever. Her black jumpsuit featured a sexy silver zip down the front, and skimmed over her toned torso. Turning to display her incredibly toned back, the star looked stunning as she wore her ombre tresses in a curled bob. Mel previously spoke of how she struggled with an eating disorder and exercised obsessively when she was a member of the Spice Girls. The singer, who shot to fame as one fifth of the iconic girl group in 1996, was dubbed Sporty Spice because of her athletic style and physique. She told the Tele...

US Navy ship fires flares at Iranian patrol boat A US Navy ship has fired flares at an Iranian patrol boat in the Persian Gulf on the day Tehran condemned new sanctions on its missile programme. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that the US Navy had approached their patrol vessels in the Gulf and fired flares in what it called a provocative move yesterday afternoon. In a statement, the Guards said: 'The supercarrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying warship, while being monitored by the Guards' frigates, flew a helicopter near the Resalat oil and gas platform and approached the force's ships. 'The Americans in a provocative and unprofessional move, sent a warning message to the frigates and fired flares.' The Guards 'ignored the unconventional move by the US ships and continued their mission, after which the supercarrier and its warship left the area,' the statement added. On Tuesday, a US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at a Guar...

Scaramucci's wife gave money to Democrat before divorcingAmid reports that his wife wants out of their marriage because of his political ambitions, newly hired White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci tweeted on Saturday that he will have nothing to add on the issue. 'Family does not need to be drawn into this,' he tweeted early Saturday morning. 'Soon we will learn who in the media has class and who doesn't. 'No further comments on this.' Multiple sources tell Page Six that Deidre Ball has decided to call it quits with the foul-mouthed Scaramucci after three years of marriage. 'She is tired of his naked ambition, which is so enormous that it left her at her wits’ end,' said one source. Another source said that Scaramucci's new boss was also causing problems in the couple's relationship. 'Deidre is not a fan of Trump, and she hasn’t exactly been on board and supportive of Anthony and his push to get back into the W...

Scaramucci's wife gave money to Democrat before divorcingAmid reports that his wife wants out of their marriage because of his political ambitions, newly hired White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci tweeted on Saturday that he will have nothing to add on the issue. 'Family does not need to be drawn into this,' he tweeted early Saturday morning. 'Soon we will learn who in the media has class and who doesn't. 'No further comments on this.' Multiple sources tell Page Six that Deidre Ball has decided to call it quits with the foul-mouthed Scaramucci after three years of marriage. 'She is tired of his naked ambition, which is so enormous that it left her at her wits’ end,' said one source. Another source said that Scaramucci's new boss was also causing problems in the couple's relationship. 'Deidre is not a fan of Trump, and she hasn’t exactly been on board and supportive of Anthony and his push to get back into the W...

The reason behind Scaramucci and Priebus' feud When Anthony Scaramucci and Reince Priebus met six years ago in the run-up to the 2012 presidential elections, the two were friendly. But their relationship soured during President Donald Trump's transition after his election in 2016 as the two jostled for power. Priebus, who was appointed chief of staff, told Trump that Scaramucci stood to profit from his proximity to the president in selling off his stake of the hedge fund SkyBridge Capital, according to sources who spoke to the Huffington Post. Scaramucci, who in turn dubbed his nemesis 'Reince Penis' and 'Rancid Penis', tried to claw his way back into Trump's good graces through Jared Kushner and Stephen Bannon before settling on the president's longtime bodyguard, sources said. But in a stunning turn of events, it appears Scaramucci got the last laugh, having finally been appointed communications director days before Priebus was ousted. But Sca...

Bulgarian mother gives birth during flight These heartwarming photos were taken moments after a baby boy was born on board a long-haul flight 39,000 feet above the Atlantic. The Lufthansa flight from Colombia to Germany was quickly diverted to Manchester Airport after the unexpected delivery on Wednesday afternoon. Luckily, three passengers happened to be doctors and were on hand to help deliver baby Nikolai, who was adorably named after one of the medics. The plane was grounded at Manchester at 1pm so the healthy newborn and his Bulgarian mother Desislava, 38, could receive special care at Wythenshawe Hospital. Captain of the flight, Kurt Mayer, said he'd 'never experienced anything like it' in his 37-year career. He said: 'Aside from the birth of my own son, this was the most moving moment of my life. 'The entire crew did an extraordinary job. This was great teamwork, with everyone doing their part. Several passengers were moved to the front of the pla...

British beautician moving to Iraq to work for Helly Luv A British beautician is moving to Iraq to work for a feminist popstar on an ISIS hitlist. Laura Jones, 24, from Fazakerley, Liverpool, has defiantly declared that she isn't afraid of the terror group and is looking forward to her new job with Kurdish revolutionary Helly Luv. Kurdish-Finnish singer and women's rights campaigner Ms Luv was put on the terror group's 'most wanted' list after filming a music video mocking ISIS. Miss Jones’ new home will be Erbil, a city just an hour away from the last ISIS stronghold of Mosul. Miss Jones, who owns Aura Beauty Studio, told the Liverpool Echo: 'I'm not scared because I know I will be safe and ISIS want you to be scared so you don't travel and they have power. But they are the minority in Iraq now.' Ms Luv contacted the 24-year-old via instagram with the job offer and she is now preparing to make the move on Saturday. Miss Jones said: 'I ...

Sadiq Khan vows to make staying in Europe a Labour policy The Mayor of London has said Brexit could be halted if the Labour Party made staying in the European Union a manifesto policy, and won the next election. Sadiq Khan said it could still be possible to 'trump the referendum' result by effectively putting it back to the public as a manifesto pledge. The Mayor has made the intervention at a time his party is in turmoil over its own position, though he has never waivered in his pro-EU stance. He told the Guardian: 'For it to have credibility with the British public, there would have to be a Labour manifesto offer, because the public would say, not unreasonably "Hold on a sec, we voted to leave and you're now sticking two fingers up at us". 'What could trump the referendum result is us having a manifesto offer saying we would not leave the EU, or we would have a second referendum.' The Labour party has been split on Brexit since the referend...

Top Gear's Chris Harris needed stitches for head wound Top Gear presenter Chris Harris has been injured in a freak accident on a race circuit in Belgium. The BBC TV motoring journalist sustained a bloody gash to the back of his head which required stitches, and tweeted about it online. But the accident did not happen while he was driving out on the circuit at Spa, in Belgium, but while he was waiting quietly in the paddock. Harris’s head was sliced open by the sharp edge of an aerodynamic wing of an F3 racing car being carried by a racing crew member. Alongside a graphic photograph of the back of his head, he tweeted: ‘Solid race preparations: nearly getting brained by a delightful man carrying a poorly located F3 wing through the paddock!’ Later he tweeted a photograph of the medical team at Spa who gave him stitches noting: ‘Few stitches from the very wonderful Spa medical staff!’ Later Top Gear presenter Chris Harris posted another picture from the Spa circuit in Belg...

Khloe Kardashian posts photo of Kris Jenner in lingerie Khloe Kardashian has no shortage of pride in her 61-year-old mother Kris Jenner, the mastermind behind the family's global notoriety. The 33-year-old's Instagram page has played host to a mirror selfie Kris took in which she posed in a loose-knit lacy white robe over skimpy lingerie. 'Kris Jenner looking like a snack!' Khloe's crowed in the caption to the photo, adding an emoji of wide eyes before closing out: 'I see you mommy! #6KidsAndBad!' Scroll down for video The photo showed Kris in what appeared to be a bedroom, sunlight streaming in through blinds behind her as she arced one leg and pouted for her own camera. Khloe is the third of the six children she's referred to in her Instagram caption, the eldest two being 38-year-old Kourtney Kardashian and 36-year-old Kim Kardashian. Those three women, as well as their rotund 30-year-old brother Rob, are Kris' daughters by the late lawy...

Khloe Kardashian posts photo of Kris Jenner in lingerie Khloe Kardashian has no shortage of pride in her 61-year-old mother Kris Jenner, the mastermind behind the family's global notoriety. The 33-year-old's Instagram page has played host to a mirror selfie Kris took in which she posed in a loose-knit lacy white robe over skimpy lingerie. 'Kris Jenner looking like a snack!' Khloe's crowed in the caption to the photo, adding an emoji of wide eyes before closing out: 'I see you mommy! #6KidsAndBad!' Scroll down for video The photo showed Kris in what appeared to be a bedroom, sunlight streaming in through blinds behind her as she arced one leg and pouted for her own camera. Khloe is the third of the six children she's referred to in her Instagram caption, the eldest two being 38-year-old Kourtney Kardashian and 36-year-old Kim Kardashian. Those three women, as well as their rotund 30-year-old brother Rob, are Kris' daughters by the late lawy...

Hamburg supermarket knifeman is a 'known Islamist' The knifeman who stormed into a supermarket in Germany and killed one person with a knife, was known to authorities as an 'Islamist'. The attacker is reported to have screamed 'Allahu Akbar' before running into the Edeka shop in Hamburg yesterday where he stabbed one person and slashed at four others while trying to flee. Hamburg's interior minister said he could not rule out Islamism as a motive, but added the man had psychological issues and may have been radicalised. He took the blade - a 20cm kitchen knife - from the shelves of the supermarket, ripped off the packaging and slashed his victims. Andy Grote, Hamburg's interior minister, said 'there are indications of radicalisation' and added: 'He was known as an Islamist but not a jihadist. 'It remains unclear which was the overriding element.' Police are trying to piece together the exact timeline of events and spokeswom...

UK is likely to see a thunderstorms The UK will be battered by heavy rain and thundery storms this weekend as the British summer remains a damp washout.  Most parts of Britain will be unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain breaking up the short sunny intervals with the north and Scotland seeing temperatures drop to 14 degrees. On Sunday, thunder will hit the UK with the Met Office warning that 'any part of the UK' is likely to see a storm. It comes as blustery showers will continue across Scotland and Northern Ireland this evening while strong winds and heavy rain will affect other parts in the north. Tomorrow will see a 'bright start for many' before the rain returns and becomes 'heavy and persistent'.  And today, two women in Liverpool were spotted using their coats to shield themselves from the rain as locals were in a hurry to use their umbrellas during a downpour. After the thunderstoms predicted for Sunday, there will be fewer showers on Monday a...

Telford grooming gang boss pimped girls out at £150 a time A gang boss who pimped out young girls for £150-a-time at a curry house is set for early release just five years into his 22-year sentence. Mubarek Ali, 34, sold teenage girls, some as young as 13, for sex above an Indian restaurant in Telford, Shropshire, after grooming them. His brother Ahdel Ali, 27, was handed a 26-year sentence after the pair sexually abused, trafficked, prostituted or tried to prostitute four teenagers. One of the victims of the notorious Telford child sex abuse ring is said to still be 'living in fear'. Mubarek was convicted of four charges of controlling child prostitution, two of trafficking in the UK for sexual exploitation and one of causing child prostitution. The offences against girls as young as 13 took place between March 2008 and December 2009. He is due to be released on licence in November later this year and the news prompted Telford MP Lucy Allan to raise her concerns in ...

New tapes reveal Diana was deeply in love police bodyguard For a young woman whose troubled life had become the focus of the world, the lure must have been irresistible. 'I want to bring a camera,' actor Peter Settelen told Princess Diana as he gave her voice-coaching sessions. 'I want you to see you and we will do your story. You can tell me your story, then you can watch.' The video exercise would, he explained, 'show you who you are'. No doubt the charming Settelen, who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, meant what he said. And in shooting a total of 16 videos of his pupil at Kensington Palace, the former Coronation Street actor undoubtedly achieved what Diana was after — more confidence and authority in her public speaking on issues such as Aids and eating disorders. These were private £50 lessons at her London home, and the tapes are understood to have been kept under lock and key by Diana. But after her death, the tapes, contain...

Karlie Kloss shows off svelte figure in silk silver dress She's walked the catwalk for designers including Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld and Italian fashion house Gucci. So it was little surprise that Karlie Kloss made a stylish exit from The Nice Guy restaurant in West Hollywood n the early hours of Saturday morning. Leading the ladies, the Victoria's Secret Angel model, 24, showcased her svelte figure in a simple silk frock which was perfect for her night out with her friends. Striving to impress, the fashionista also teased a glimpse of her endless legs in the form-fitted midi dress. The Chicago born beauty added the finishing touches of glamour with a glittering pendant necklace and stud earrings. Karlie walked effortlessly in sky-scraper high stilettos, which further added to her statuesque 6ft 2 ins height For her night on the tiles, she swept her golden locks into a messy bun which showed off her model features which were accentuated by light touches of make-up...

Little Mix 'in talks' about releasing a film project They have been reveling in the success of their latest album Glory Days. But UK pop band Little Mix have hinted that a film project about the band may be in the works. 'We've thought about it a lot. We are in talks about it, it has just got to be right,' songstress Jesy Nelson told the Daily Telegraph this week. 'We have got some proper class footage that no one has ever seen. It's stuff that you'd never see Little Mix be like.' The band also confirmed they are working on a new album but are facing the pressure of outdoing the success of their latest offering. 'We want songs that touch but we also want to stay true to Little Mix and write songs that we can relate to, like Shout Out To My Ex,' Jesy explained. Perrie Edwards concurred: 'We are trying to think how we are going to better Glory Days, it's going to be hard.' It comes weeks after band-member Jade Thirlwall...

Jesinta Campbell gushes over Christian Dior She's the former pageant princess who is now one of Australia's hottest models. And Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) continues to expand her reach with overseas brands, promoting a forthcoming Australian Christian Dior clothing exhibition. The 25-year-old told The Daily Telegraph she was excited to once again associate with the brand, gushing: 'They don’t just dress anyone.' Christian Dior also has special meaning for the pageant princess as her and Buddy both have sponsorship arrangements with the brand. Both Jesinta and her AFL player husband Buddy Franklin have scored endorsement deals which see them promote Dior cosmetics on their social media accounts. It’s nice to be able to work on the brand together. We get thrown so many opportunities to work on projects together, but it has to be right,' Jesinta said.  There is also a sentimental association with the French fashion house that goes back to when the coup...

Jesinta Campbell gushes over Christian Dior She's the former pageant princess who is now one of Australia's hottest models. And Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) continues to expand her reach with overseas brands, promoting a forthcoming Australian Christian Dior clothing exhibition. The 25-year-old told The Daily Telegraph she was excited to once again associate with the brand, gushing: 'They don’t just dress anyone.' Christian Dior also has special meaning for the pageant princess as her and Buddy both have sponsorship arrangements with the brand. Both Jesinta and her AFL player husband Buddy Franklin have scored endorsement deals which see them promote Dior cosmetics on their social media accounts. It’s nice to be able to work on the brand together. We get thrown so many opportunities to work on projects together, but it has to be right,' Jesinta said.  There is also a sentimental association with the French fashion house that goes back to when the coup...

British tourist in Indonesia has neck spiked by swordfish A British tourist dodged death by a millimetre when he was speared in the throat by a swordfish. Retired postman Alan Pope was in a boat preparing for a snorkelling trip in Indonesia when the fish leapt from the ocean and stabbed him in the neck. The impact threw the 57-year-old to the floor of the boat and snapped the tip of the fish’s long bill – leaving six inches in his neck and blood gushing from the wound.  The bill – about the same size, shape and sharpness of a kitchen knife – narrowly missed all the major arteries in his neck. His wife Sharon said: ‘I thought he’d been shot. I heard this thud and saw him on the floor of the boat with a hole in his neck, like a bullet circle. Then he started coughing and spitting up blood.’ It was so close to his jugular and carotid arteries that it took 36 hours, and three hospitals, before doctors dared remove it because of the risks of the surgery. Mr Pope and his wife did not se...

Charlie Gard Celebrities send tributes to parents Pope Francis has led tributes to baby Charlie Gard after he died earlier tonight. As thousands of people took to social media to pay their respects, the Pope wrote that he entrusted 'little Charlie to the Father' and prayed for 'his parents and all those who loved him'. Pope Francis became involved in the case on July 2 when he called for the couple to be allowed to 'accompany and treat their child until the end'. He said then that he had been following Charlie's struggle with 'affection and sadness'. The Pope later tweeted: 'To defend human life, above all when it is wounded by illness, is a duty of love that God entrusts to all.'   On July 4 Mariella Enoc, president of the Vatican's Bambino Gesu hospital, offered to take Charlie in for treatment. She said the clinic had reached out to Great Ormond Street Hospital about taking over care for the boy. Enoc said in a statement at...

Charlie Gard parents may set up foundation in baby's name Charlie Gard's parents will set up a charity in the little boy's name to ensure he didn't 'die in vain'. Connie Yates and Chris Gard said goodbye to their baby boy on Friday evening after a lengthy court battle to save his life and take him to America for treatment for his rare disease. They raised £1.35million to pay for the treatment in the USA and an air ambulance to take him there, which they have already confirmed will be donated to other children in need. But now the grief-stricken parents have hinted that they may go a step further, and set up a foundation to remember the 11-month-old. A family friend told the Sun: 'Now Charlie has gone they are going to struggle to find some purpose in their lives. Everyone thinks that setting up the Charlie Gard Foundation will be fantastic for Connie. 'It will give her something to focus on and help to create a legacy for Charlie and mean that ...

White House insiders cast Mooch rant as a bump in the road Donald Trump is said to have 'loved' Anthony Scaramucci's expletive-filled rant about his White House colleagues. The president's view of his director of communications calling his chief of a staff 'a f***ing paranoid schizophrenic' and accusing his chief strategist of 'trying to suck his own c**k' was according to Axios, which called the Mooch 'empowered'. But whether it was helpful to his long-term prospects at 1600 Penn remains to be seen. Loyalists of the president are casting Scaramucci's unbelievable conversation with a reporter as a bump in the road for the newest Trump aide. Both he and Reince Priebus, the chief of staff, were on Air Force One on Friday - although on the ground they kept their distance and Scaramucci refused to comment on the tiff to reporters. He did not return with the president Friday from Long Island, dropping off after Trump's speech in New Y...

Brother of teacher sacked for ‘joining mile high club with boy’ insists she’s done nothing wrong The brother of a teacher sacked for having sex with a pupil on a plane has insisted she did nothing wrong. Eleanor Wilson was struck off after a disciplinary panel heard she got drunk with the boy before going into a plane toilet where she kissed him, performed oral sex then had unprotected sex. They were on a flight back from a school trip to see the Large Hadron Collider at the time. The alleged incident came to light when another pupil found out what had happened and insisted that Miss Wilson have sex with him too or he would expose her. Now her brother has defended her saying it was ‘rubbish’ and that his sister had done ‘nothing wrong’. Jethro Wilson, from Keighley, Yorkshire, said: ‘I got a phone call this morning about the story and thought where have they got all this other rubbish from? ‘She didn’t get sacked from teaching she left because of all the hassle she was getti...

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez considering transfer request to force Man City or PSG move Alexis Sanchez is reportedly considering handing in a formal transfer request at Arsenal to help force through a move to Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain before the end of the summer. The 28-year-old forward has been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium for much of the summer as he enters the final year of his contract with the club and looks for Champions League football. Arsenal have remained firm that they will not be selling their star player even if it means risking losing him on a free in a year’s time, while it has even been reported that they feel he may be persuaded to sign a new deal. However, Sanchez himself is apparently feeling very differently about the situation, and could hand in a formal transfer request to force his way out of the club. The Chile international strongly hinted recently that he wanted to be allowed a move by saying: ‘I want to play the Cha...