.WHO sends team to China to set up investigation into COVID-19 origins: report - Fox News
WHO sends team to China to set up investigation into COVID-19 origins: report  Fox NewsWHO virus investigation: Agency to trace COVID-19 origin in China  Al Jazeera EnglishWHO advance team on way to China to set up probe into virus origin  ReutersWHO Experts in China to Begin Investigation of Coronavirus Origins  TIMEWHO experts arrive in China as investigation into the origins of Covid-19 begins  Daily MailView ...

.Serbia, Kosovo renew 'very difficult' dialogue
The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo on Friday held their first talks in 18 months on resolving one of Europe's most intractable territorial disputes, agreeing to a face-to-face meeting next week on the very difficult process. Serbia has refused to recognise Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence after the province broke away in the bloody 1998-99 war that was ended ...

.Turkey’s President Formally Re-Converts Hagia Sophia Into a Mosque
Turkey's president signed a decree handing over Hagia Sophia to the Religious Affairs Presidency and declared it open to worship

.Startling New Report Reveals 90% Reduction in Christian Refugee Resettlement from Countries with Persecution
Resettlement for other religious minorities -- Jewish refugees from Iran, Yezidi refugees from Iraq, Muslim refugees from Burma and others -- are all also on track to end 2020 down more than 90% from 2015.The report drew responses from leaders within the largest streams of American Christianity, including from the National Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist Convention and the ...

.Pompeo slams UN report on deadly US drone strike on Iranian
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has criticized an independent U.N. human rights expert's report insisting a American drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in January was a “watershed” event in the use of drones and amounted to a violation of international law. The report presented by Agnes Callamard to the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council on Thursday ...

.Hagia Sophia, Istanbul's 6th Century Landmark, Converted Back Into Mosque - NPR
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul's 6th Century Landmark, Converted Back Into Mosque  NPRTurkey's Erdogan orders the conversion of Hagia Sophia back into a mosque  CNNErdogan Signs Decree Allowing Hagia Sophia to Be Used as a Mosque Again  The New York TimesHagia Sophia: Turkey turns iconic Istanbul museum into mosque  BBC NewsHagia Sophia Must Revert to a Mosque, Turkish Court Rules  The Wall Street JournalView Full Coverage on ...

.Medical Oxygen Runs Low As Coronavirus Cases Soar in South Africa
The COVID-19 storm has arrived in South Africa, but in the overflowing wards the sound is less of a roar than a rasp

.Lebanon 'spiralling out of control': UN rights chief
Lebanon's economic crisis is getting out of hand, the UN rights chief warned Friday, calling for urgent internal reforms coupled with international support to prevent further mayhem. Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the social fabric of the country was at risk as vulnerable populations are threatened with extreme poverty. This situation is ...

.U.K. Government Relaxes Quarantine Rules For Travelers From 58 Countries
The U.K. government is relaxing quarantine rules for travelers arriving from 58 countries, who will no longer be required to self-isolate for 14 days when entering the country. Starting on July 10, travelers from a range of destinations including Spain, France, Italy and Germany will be able to move freely between countries. The UK Department…

.Iranian official issues denial after another mysterious blast reported in Tehran
Iranian state media reported a blast in western Tehran early Friday, the latest in a string of mysterious incidents to shake the country in recent weeks. However, a senior official in that part of the city later denied there had been an explosion. State broadcaster IRIB said power was cut in several western suburbs near where online reports said an ...

.Six Months on a Planet in Crisis: Greta Thunberg’s Travel Diary from the U.S. to Davos
This essay is adapted from the transcript of a radio program produced for Swedish Radio and broadcast in June. This is the first time the text has been published in its entirety. Chapter 1: UN speech and New York The first thing I see when I enter the United Nations Headquarters building in New York…

.Venice test brings up floodgates for first time - BBC News
Venice test brings up floodgates for first time  BBC NewsVenice's much-delayed flood defence system fully tested for first time  The GuardianFlood-weary Venice puts 'Moses' inflatable barriers to test  ABC NewsView Full Coverage on Google News

.Hospitals in Syria's rebel area reduce services amid virus
Hospitals in Syria's overcrowded opposition-held enclave are suspending non-emergency procedures and outpatient services following the detection of the first case of coronavirus, a leading doctor in the area said Friday. The first case of COVID-19, a doctor in the area, was reported on Thursday in Idlib province, the last opposition-held part of Syria in a sliver of land bordering ...

.Turkey's president formally makes Hagia Sophia a mosque
The president of Turkey on Friday formally reconverted Istanbul’s sixth-century Hagia Sophia into a mosque and declared it open for Muslim worship, hours after a high court annulled a 1934 decision that had made the religious landmark a museum. The decision sparked deep dismay among Orthodox Christians. Originally a cathedral, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque after ...

.Trump could still bounce back, but it looks less likely than ever
One, President Trump will inevitably claw his way back into contention, rallying Republicans who don’t want to lose power and softening Joe Biden’s support — a la what happened in the weeks after that disastrous “Access Hollywood” video in 2016. Or two, the numbers will either stay the same or even get worse for the GOP — since Trump ...

.WHO’s The Boss - POLITICO
WHO’s The Boss  POLITICOView Full Coverage on Google News

.Cited In Many Operations, Russia's GRU Is Suspected In Afghan Bounty Case - NPR
Cited In Many Operations, Russia's GRU Is Suspected In Afghan Bounty Case  NPRPentagon chief confirms he was briefed on intelligence about Russian payments to the Taliban  CNNTop Pentagon officials say Russian bounty program not corroborated  ABC NewsGen. Mark Milley: U.S. 'Perhaps Not' Doing Enough Against Russia In Afghanistan | NBC News NOW  NBC NewsIn Russian bounty debate, once again this administration lacks intelligence | ...

.China says pneumonia possibly deadlier than COVID-19 hits Kazakhstan - New York Post
China says pneumonia possibly deadlier than COVID-19 hits Kazakhstan  New York Post Kazakhstan denies Chinese government report that country has 'unknown pneumonia' outbreak more deadly than Covid-19  CNNKazakhstan says China claims of virus more deadly than COVID-19 untrue - Business Insider  Business InsiderWorse Than Covid-19? China And Kazakhstan Disagree Over “New” Virus  ForbesFlorida county reports 33.5% positivity rate  CNN InternationalView Full Coverage on Google News

.Suicide of Egyptian activist Sarah Hegazi exposes the 'freedom and violence' of LGBTQ Muslims in exile
LGBTQ communities worldwide are mourning the death of 30-year-old Sarah Hegazi, a queer Egyptian activist who ended her life on June 14, 2020.Hegazi, who had been jailed for promoting what the Egyptian state called “sexual deviance” after raising a rainbow flag during a concert in Cairo in 2017, was released on bail three months after her arrest. Shortly afterwards, she ...

.China Rejects Prospect of Joining Arms Control Talks With U.S.
(BEIJING) — China on Friday rejected any prospect of joining in nuclear arms limitation talks with the U.S., calling reports from Washington that it would do so a distortion of its stated position. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters the U.S. was “neither serious nor sincere” in the proposed negotiations and should instead respond…

.Philippine Congress Shuts Down Leading Broadcaster ABS-CBN - The New York Times
Philippine Congress Shuts Down Leading Broadcaster ABS-CBN  The New York TimesPhilippines' largest TV network has license renewal rejected  Fox NewsPhilippines top broadcaster ABS-CBN denied new licence  BBC NewsPhilippine lawmakers block license bid for broadcaster that angered Duterte  ReutersPhilippines Congress silences country's biggest broadcaster, making good on Duterte's threat  CBS NewsView Full Coverage on Google News

.Hushpuppi's lawyer says FBI 'kidnapped' Nigerian Instagrammer from Dubai
"Hushpuppi", who posts about his extravagant lifestyle, is accused of multimillion-dollar fraud.

.Illegal ivory trade shrinks while pangolin trafficking booms, UN says
The illegal global ivory trade has decreased, but trafficking of pangolins is on the rise, a United Nations report into wildlife crime has revealed. The study, compiled using four years of data, showed that revenue from ivory trafficking peaked between 2011 and 2013. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that national bans on selling ivory, particularly ...

.Botswana gets first test results on elephant deaths - Reuters
Botswana gets first test results on elephant deaths  ReutersView Full Coverage on Google News

.China to hit back against US sanctions over Uighur rights - Al Jazeera English
China to hit back against US sanctions over Uighur rights  Al Jazeera EnglishU.S. sanctions Chinese official over Uighur rights  ReutersXinjiang: US sanctions on Chinese officials over 'abuse' of Muslims  BBC NewsChina vows to retaliate against US sanctions over Xinjiang  CNBCTrump administration sanctions Chinese officials over human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims  Fox NewsView Full Coverage on Google News

.Death of Seoul mayor after harassment allegation shocks South Korea - The Guardian
Death of Seoul mayor after harassment allegation shocks South Korea  The GuardianSeoul's mayor found dead, after seven-hour search  CNNMissing Seoul mayor's body found after massive search  Fox NewsSeoul mayor's apparent suicide sends shock waves through South Korea  NBC NewsMayor of South Korea's capital found dead amid impropriety allegation  ReutersView Full Coverage on Google News

.Nikki Haley positions herself to lead the post-Trump Republican party
The ex-US ambassador to the UN is one of the few Trump officials to leave on good terms and has diligently built up a national profileNikki Haley has kept busy since leaving her post in the Trump administration as United States ambassador to the United Nations.A former governor of South Carolina, Haley is often mentioned as a potential Republican presidential ...

.Oxygen already runs low as COVID-19 surges in South Africa
The coronavirus storm has arrived in South Africa, but in the overflowing COVID-19 wards the sound is less of a roar than a rasp. Medical oxygen is already low in hospitals at the new epicenter of the outbreak, Gauteng province, home to the power centers of Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, visiting a hospital ...

.Philippines Lawmakers Vote to Shut Down Country’s Largest TV Network After Attacks From President Duterte
ABS-CBN Corp. had been repeatedly threatened by President Rodrigo Duterte over its critical coverage

.WHO Experts in China to Begin Investigation of Coronavirus Origins
The last WHO coronavirus-specific mission to China was in February, after which the team’s leader, Canadian doctor Bruce Aylward, praised China’s containment efforts and information-sharing

.Bolivia's interim president becomes third Latin American head of state to test positive for Covid-19 - CNN
Bolivia's interim president becomes third Latin American head of state to test positive for Covid-19  CNNBolivian President Tests Positive For Coronavirus : Coronavirus Live Updates  NPRBolivia's president Jeanine Añez says she has tested positive for coronavirus  Guardian NewsBolivia’s president says she has tested positive for Covid-19  The IndependentBolivia's interim president, high-ranking Venezuelan leader test positive for coronavirus  Fox NewsView Full Coverage on Google News

.North Korean Leader’s Sister Says There’s No Reason for Another Trump-Kim Summit
Kim Yo Jong spoke after the U.S.'s top diplomat on the Koreas met with South Korean officials in Seoul

.Bolivia’s President Is Latest World Leader to Test Positive for COVID-19
Bolivia’s interim president and Venezuela’s No. 2 leader announced Thursday that they have been infected with the new coronavirus, just days after Brazil’s leader tested positive as the pandemic hits hard at some of Latin America’s political elite

.U.S. Army Chief Welcomed to Thailand – With a Coronavirus Test
A U.S. Army delegation led by chief of staff Gen. James McConville on Thursday became the first official visitors to Thailand since entry rules were eased

.World Health Organization acknowledges that coronavirus can linger in the air
Under mounting pressure from scientists, the World Health Organization allowed that the coronavirus might float in the air and issued new guidelines recommending people avoid enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.

.Lush gardens. A waterfall. An airport built to awe in Singapore is quieted by COVID-19
Coronavirus health and safety requirements could change the appeal of an airport that even locals visited on their days off. The pressure is felt across Asia, which had been the site of an airport expansion boom prior to the pandemic.

.U.S. approves $620 million missile upgrade package for Taiwan - Reuters
U.S. approves $620 million missile upgrade package for Taiwan  ReutersUS signs off on £493m arms sale to Taiwan  The IndependentThe Taiwanese Island Fortress That Could Halt A Chinese Invasion  ForbesView Full Coverage on Google News

.Georgia tries to avoid calamity, fix election problems - Atlanta Journal Constitution
Georgia tries to avoid calamity, fix election problems  Atlanta Journal ConstitutionSingapore Sees Long Lines at Polling Stations: Election Update  BloombergSingaporeans vote in snap election under coronavirus cloud  Al Jazeera EnglishSingaporeans Head to Polls Amid Coronavirus Outbreak  Bloomberg PoliticsSingapore extends voting hours as pandemic slows poll  ReutersView Full Coverage on Google News

.Tax boss questions value of Rishi Sunak's job bonus and meal discount plans - BBC News
Tax boss questions value of Rishi Sunak's job bonus and meal discount plans  BBC NewsRishi Sunak's COVID-19 'budget doesn't go far enough' to get people shopping  The SunU.K. Chancellor Rishi Sunak Filmed Serving Food to the Wrong Table  NewsweekCometh the hour, cometh the man and that man is Rishi Sunak, says LEO McKINSTRY  Express.co.ukEverything hinges on restoring confidence  Telegraph.co.ukView Full Coverage on Google News

.At some U.S. universities, a time to rethink cops on campus
Students and faculty across the U.S. are pushing for colleges to defund the police, but goals vary across campuses

.Lack of leadership, not COVID-19, is world's biggest threat - cgtn.com
Lack of leadership, not COVID-19, is world's biggest threat  cgtn.comNew WHO guidance calls for more evidence on airborne transmission  ReutersWHO: Aerosols Likely Not Significant Source Of COVID-19 Transmission : Goats and Soda  NPRThe Risks of Coronavirus Aerosol Transmission  Bloomberg QuickTake NewsThe Coronavirus Can Be Airborne Indoors, W.H.O. Says  The New York TimesView Full Coverage on Google News

.Theme park reopens with strange new rule
A theme park in Fujiyoshida, Japan, is banning screaming on its roller coasters to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and instead is urging customers to scream in their hearts.

.Americans are rapidly shrinking their credit card debt
Americans' credit card debt is shrinking rapidly during the coronavirus recession. That's a sharp contrast with the last two economic downturns.

.Starbucks will require customers to wear masks
Starbucks will start requiring customers to wear facial coverings or masks in all 9,000 of its company-owned American stores beginning July 15.

.Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, tries to stop her friends from being named in lawsuit
The battle between Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and a top British tabloid is heating up.

.COVID-19 death tolls now rising in key states after weeks of decline nationwide
As caseloads rose, the Trump administration kept saying that death rates were falling. But in Arizona, Texas and other hard-hit states, deaths are up.

.HSBC may have to choose between East and West as China tightens grip on Hong Kong
HSBC has carved out a lucrative role in global banking over the past 155 years by straddling the line between East and West. Now, a political firestorm over the bank's hometown of Hong Kong could force the bank to choose sides.

.COVID-19 and blood type: What's the link?
Scientists are finding evidence that blood type may be a risk factor for COVID-19. In one study, people with Type A blood were more likely to be hospitalized.

.Walmart is about to give Amazon Prime a serious run for its money
Walmart is reportedly close to launching its own membership program that closely resembles Amazon Prime.

.Coronavirus clobbers Marshall Island communities in U.S.: Infections have 'skyrocketed'
COVID-19 is disproportionately killing Marshallese immigrants in states such as Arkansas, Washington and Oregon, even as their homeland remains free of the coronavirus.

.As COVID-19 patients fill beds, many hospitals choose not to cancel nonemergency surgeries
Unlike earlier in the year, most hospitals are not proactively canceling elective surgeries, even in some places seeing spikes in coronavirus patients.

.TikTok is a national security threat, US politicians say. Here's what experts think
The short-form video app TikTok has quickly become a key part of popular culture in the US, serving as a platform for viral memes as well as political satire and activism. Facebook, the dominant force in social media, has tried to copy the app, but so far that has not slowed down its rapid rise.

.Joe Biden touts $700-billion plan to boost U.S. manufacturing
Joe Biden unveils his economic recovery plan in a speech in Pennsylvania and accuses President Trump of being out of touch.

.Australia suspends extradition with Hong Kong
Australia has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Thursday, as the country moves to offer a path to citizenship for those Hong Kongers who wish to leave the city.

.He's Black, Republican and working to reelect Trump. It's not easy
Immanuel Jarvis, GOP chair in Durham, N.C., sees President Trump as a friend of Black Americans and the media as an enemy.

.Coronavirus, unemployment, uncertainty imperil Texas workers: 'It trickles down'
As coronavirus spikes in Houston, refinery towns to the east that boomed before the pandemic now face business closures and layoffs.

.With a Senate majority in reach, Democratic candidates rake in massive donations
Democratic Senate candidates in several key races announce huge fundraising totals that raise the party's hopes of retaking the chamber in November.

.A nurse's plea: 'Please tell me my life is worth a LITTLE of your discomfort?'
To healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, encountering people who indignantly refuse face coverings can feel like a slap in the face.

.An unlikely alliance? Trump and Mexico's president meet to tout a win during a crisis
President López Obrador uses his first official visit to talk trade with Trump.

.Op-Ed: Mexico's president and Trump have this in common: They both trample human rights
Mexico's Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Donald Trump, who meet face to face for the first time Wednesday, have parallel — and dismal — records on human rights.

.He called the coronavirus 'a little flu.' Now Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has COVID-19
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has long downplayed the coronavirus, says he has COVID-19. More than 65,000 Brazilians have died from the disease.

.This small island chain is leading the way on hydrogen power
Too much clean energy. It's an unusual problem to have, and one that's spurred a group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland to become an unlikely pioneer in hydrogen power.

.A collector rescued 850K discarded negatives. This is what he found
For the last decade, Thomas Sauvin has been purchasing discarded color negatives by the kilogram from a recycling plant outside Beijing. The old 35-millimeter films capture family outings, weddings, birthdays, vacations -- anonymous, everyday memories that would otherwise be lost.

.Vintage photos capture the restlessness of East Berlin's youth
Photography from the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, has received limited exposure in the art world -- not least due to the strict limitations imposed by the former authoritarian state.

.US cities are losing 36 million trees a year. Here's why it matters
If you're looking for a reason to care about tree loss, the nation's latest heat wave might be it. Trees can lower summer daytime temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a recent study.

.How rich people could help save the planet from the climate crisis
Rich people don't just have bigger bank balances and more lavish lifestyles than the rest of us -- they also have bigger carbon footprints.

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