Featured

A British court has refused to return $1 billion of Venezuela’s gold reserves held in London, siding with opposition figure Juan Guaido who asked for the release to be denied. Judge Justice Teare at the English High Court said the government in London had “unequivocally recognized” Guaido as Venezuela’s president …

Officials in Brussels have approved remdesivir to treat severe cases of Covid-19, just days after the US effectively stockpiled the world’s entire supply of the antiviral medication. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to secure efficient treatments or vaccine against the coronavirus,” EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides …

US aerospace giant Boeing will reportedly stop making its iconic 747 aircraft for good after it completes the last of the 16 jets currently on order. Covid-19 has crippled an already declining market for the plane. The final 747 is now expected to roll out of the company’s Seattle-area factory …

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved tough anti-terrorism legislation on Friday that critics fear will be used to target his opponents, stifle free speech and promote authoritarianism in one of Asia’s most liberal democracies. The law grants police and military sweeping powers to tackle security threats, but legal experts warn its …

At least 20 people have been killed and several injured in a collision between a bus carrying Sikh pilgrims and a train near Pakistan’s eastern city of Sheikhupura. Pakistan Railways spokesperson said that the collision occurred at a railway crossing located between Farooqabad and Bahali Wala on Friday. All eight …

Turkish military aircraft launched strikes targeting different areas in Duhok Governorate, Iraqi’s Kurdistan. Zervan Moussa, Director of Darkar, a border district with Turkey, said that “Ankara targeted the Bajawani Valley and Stevlani village. On the other hand, eyewitnesses said that Korzar Mountain, which overlooks the Shiladze area, as well as …

A series of large explosions shook a fireworks factory in northwest Turkey’s Sakarya province on Friday, killing two people and wounding 73, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Fire crews fought to contain the blaze ignited by an initial blast at 11.15 am (0815 GMT) in the province’s Hendek district, Turkey’s …

For the second night in three days, Portland police have declared a riot in the city, opening fire on protesters with non-lethal munitions outside the Multnomah County Justice Center. The demonstration had remained peaceful throughout the night but then all hell broke loose when, at 11:45 pm local time, a …

Oil fell below $43 a barrel on Friday as a resurgence of coronavirus cases raised concern that fuel demand growth could stall, although crude was still headed for a weekly gain on lower supply and wider signs of economic recovery. The United States reported more than 55,000 new coronavirus cases …

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew into the northern Himalayan region of Ladakh on Friday, officials said, weeks after Indian and Chinese troops clashed on their disputed border there, escalating tension between the Asian giants. Modi, who has been under pressure to respond to what India deems Chinese incursions, met …

Twenty Saudi nationals have gone on trial in absentia in Turkey over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Those being tried include two former top aides to Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi was …

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his government resigned on Friday as President Emmanuel Macron acted on a pledge to reinvent his administration and win back disillusioned voters ahead of a possible re-election bid in 2022. Macron’s office said a new prime minister would be named in the next few …

China on Friday rejected criticism by the U.S. Defense Department of its plan to hold military exercises in the South China Sea and suggested that Washington was to blame for increased tensions in the region. The Pentagon said in a statement on Thursday that conducting military exercises over disputed territory …

Speaking at a White House press briefing on Thursday, the US president boasted that his administration had rescued the US economy from “a horrible event” that started in China. Mr Trump said the country “could’ve stopped” the pandemic, adding: “They know it and I know it.” It follows his sharp …

As the ads boycott grows, Mark Zuckerberg shows no sign of backing down. “My guess is that all these advertisers will be back on the platform soon enough” the Facebook chief executive has said. Campaigners accuse the tech firm of being too slow and reluctant to remove some hateful content. …

A new anti-Donald Trump ad by a Republican super PAC has hit out against the president over reports he was briefed about Russia putting bounties on US troops in Afghanistan. The Lincoln Project’s latest ad, entitled “Fellow Traveller”, is filmed with a Russian voiceover and English subtitles. “The most important …

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested in New Hampshire on Thursday on U.S. charges of luring underage girls so that Epstein could sexually abuse them. The arrest of the British socialite adds another twist in the mystery of Epstein, …

Saudi Arabia has issued a dire warning with OPEC members, Nigeria and Angola, warning that it would ignite an oil-price war with them unless they toe the line. In June, OPEC+ members agreed to continue reducing production in an effort to boost oil prices and what they did has helped …

The gap between the U.S. unemployment rates for Blacks and whites widened further in June, to its largest in five years, underscoring the uneven nature of the nascent recovery from the historic job losses triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Jobless rates for both groups fell in June, but the rate …

Former Vice President Joe Biden has bested President Donald Trump once again in fundraising for a second consecutive month after pulling in a record $140 million in June, his campaign confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. The presumptive Democratic nominee has enjoyed staggering fundraising levels after signing a joint agreement …