A persistent crowd of protesters remained outside the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, into the early hours of Saturday as fireworks were shot at the building and plumes of tear gas, dispensed by U.S. agents, lingered above. Thousands of people gathered in Portland streets hours after a U.S. judge denied …
Read More »Hanna expected to hit southern Texas coast as a hurricane
Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to hit the southern Texas coast as a hurricane on Saturday afternoon or early evening, forecasters said, all while another tropical storm approached the Caribbean. Hanna was centered about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said early …
Read More »Tight security outside US Chengdu consulate after China orders closure
Security was tight outside the U.S. consulate in the Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday as staff inside prepared to leave, a day after China ordered it to close in response to a U.S. order for China to shut its consulate in Houston. The tit-for-tat consulate closures have brought a …
Read More »Prison break in South Africa sparks manhunt
A large manhunt has been launched in South Africa after a group of prisoners escaped as they awaited trial. The inmates made a break from Malmesbury Correctional Centre in the Western Cape on Friday afternoon. Police were deployed to the area to search for them on foot and in vehicles, …
Read More »US military claims Russia sending military equipment to Libya
The United States military has said Russia appears to be sending more military equipment to its mercenaries in Libya, including in the flashpoint city of Sirte, in breach of an arms embargo. The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Friday there was mounting evidence from satellite photos of Moscow’s …
Read More »Fauci says “serious threats” have been made against him and his wife and daughters
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for more than three decades, has grappled with several public health crises, including the AIDS epidemic and now, COVID-19. In an interview with CNN’s David Axelrod, Fauci said the magnitude of criticism he is receiving now …
Read More »The wealthy Republicans who want to oust Trump in November’s election
Jimmy Tosh, who runs a multi-million dollar hog and grain farm in Tennessee, is a lifelong Republican. He is pro-gun, supports lower taxes and agrees with most of Republican President Donald Trump’s agenda. He is also spending his money to help defeat Trump in November’s election. “I agree with 80% …
Read More »Trump admin THREATENS filmmakers to stop release of Netflix documentary on ICE officers
US government officials are attempting to prevent the release of a new Netflix documentary series which shows ICE agents breaking laws while enforcing immigration policy, reports claim. Federal officials threatened filmmakers Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau with legal action in an effort to stall its release until after the November …
Read More »Beijing orders US to close its consulate in Chengdu in retaliation for closure of Chinese facility in Houston
The Chinese Foreign Ministry ordered the US government to shutter a diplomatic office in Chengdu, a move Beijing deemed a tit-for-tat response to Washington’s recent expulsion of Chinese consulate staff from a facility in Texas. “China has decided to revoke the license for the establishment and operation of the US …
Read More »Trump tells Putin hopes to avoid US-Russia-China arms race
US President Donald Trump has expressed hope that he will avoid an “expensive” US arms race with Russia and China. This comes as Washington and Moscow are preparing negotiations on a successor to the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) capping their countries’ nuclear arsenals. However, China has so far …
Read More »US claims Russia just tested an ‘anti-satellite weapon’ in orbit
The US Space Command has claimed that it’s found evidence that Russia recently conducted a test of anti-satellite weapons. In a statement on Thursday, the US Space Command said a Russian satellite known as Cosmos 2543 on July 15 released a new object into orbit, similar to a previous anti-satellite …
Read More »Italian politician launches ‘Italexit’ party to take country out of Eurozone
A well-known Italian senator has launched a political party in a move to take his country out of the European Union, amid a rise in anti-EU sentiments over the bloc’s failure to respond quickly to the coronavirus pandemic in Italy. Politician Gianluigi Paragone presented his party, “Italexit,” on Thursday, saying …
Read More »Tanzania’s former president Benjamin Mkapa dies
He was the country’s third president after independence from Britain in 1962. Ruling the East African country for two terms from 1995 to 2005, he’ll be remembered for working to end the conflict in the Great Lakes. Former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa has died age 81 at a hospital in …
Read More »Bulgarian PM and EU summit delegates test negative for coronavirus
Second coronavirus tests of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his political team who attended an EU summit this week came out negative, the government said on Friday, after earlier tests showed positive for one member of the delegation. Borissov went into quarantine after the head of his political office, …
Read More »U.N. rights office urges U.S. to rein in police at protests
U.S. police and security forces must not use disproportionate force against protesters and journalists in U.S. cities including Portland or detain them unlawfully, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday. Law enforcement officers and federal forces must be clearly identifiable so that they can be held to account …
Read More »Russia to resume international flights from August 1: Ifax cites PM
Russia plans to resume international flights from some airports on Aug. 1, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin as saying on Friday. Flights will restart from Moscow, St Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don, Mishustin said.
Read More »Jerusalem protest against Netanyahu results in dozens of arrests
Dozens of protesters opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were arrested in Israel late Thursday and early Friday as they clashed with police. Protesters have been holding demonstrations for weeks, calling for Netanyahu to resign over corruption charges and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. At least 55 people were arrested …
Read More »US fighter jet sparks panic after flying near Iranian passenger plane over Syria
Two US warplanes have conducted dangerous and aggressive maneuvering closed to an Iranian airliner, putting lives of tens of civilian passengers on board in danger. The incident took place on Thursday involving two warplanes and Mahan Air’s Flight 1152 that had taken off from Tehran and was en route to …
Read More »Police blocked from arresting observers in Portland protests
A federal judge specifically blocked U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at the ongoing Portland, Oregon, protests that have sparked confrontations between local officials and President Donald Trump over the limits of federal power. U.S. Judge Michael Simon made his ruling late Thursday, …
Read More »Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia opens as a mosque for Muslim prayers
Thousands of Muslim faithful made their way to Istanbul’s landmark Hagia Sophia on Friday to take part in the first prayers in 86 years at the structure that once was one of Christendom’s most significant cathedrals, then a mosque and museum before its reconversion into a Muslim place of worship. …
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