World
Trump nominates Mark Esper as Secretary of Defense: White House
Donald Trump has nominated Mark Esper to be the US Secretary of Defense, the White House said late Friday, hours after the president revealed he had come close to authorizing a strike on Iran.
Fire breaks out at under-construction warship in Mumbai’s Mazgaon Dockyard
A fire broke out at a naval under-construction warship at Mazgaon Dockyard located in Indian commercial center Mumbai’s eastern sea-front on Friday evening.
Trump calls off Iranian strikes, citing likely deaths
President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. was "cocked and loaded" to retaliate against Iran for downing an unmanned American surveillance drone, but he canceled the strikes 10 minutes before they were to be launched after being told 150 people could die.
Iran shows images of U.S. drone wreckage
Iran's state TV on Friday showed images of the wreckage of the U.S. navy drone downed by Iran a day earlier.
Georgian parliament speaker steps down amid mass protests
Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze resigned on Friday amid mass protests in the capital of Tbilisi, Secretary General of the ruling Georgia Dream party Kakha Kaladze said.
At least 240 people injured in Georgia protests
At least 240 protesters and police officers were injured in an overnight demonstration in Georgia, local media reported Friday, citing the health ministry.
NASA engineers install wheels on Mars 2020 rover
Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, have installed starboard legs and wheels, known as the mobility suspension, on the Mars 2020 rover, according to a JPL release on Thursday.
EU leaders fail to agree on candidates for top posts due to wide division
European Union (EU) leaders on Friday failed to reach a deal on candidates for the bloc's top jobs and announced that they will meet again on June 30 to try again.
Fire at Philadelphia refinery starts in butane vat
A fire in a vat of butane at a 150-year-old refinery complex in Philadelphia turned the early morning sky a bright orange and yellow and awakened startled residents with explosions that shook homes Friday.
NASA's Juno spacecraft captures tumultuous clouds of Jupiter
Juno took four images used to produce this color-enhanced view. At the time the images were taken, the spacecraft was between 18,600 km and 8,600 km above Jupiter's cloud tops.
Children among 30 killed in Indonesia matchstick factory fire
At least 30 people, including several children, were killed when a fire ripped through a home that doubled as a matchstick factory in Indonesia on Friday, authorities said.
India celebrates 5th Int'l Yoga Day
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led thousands of people in performing yoga in Ranchi, the capital city of eastern state of Jharkhand on Friday morning, celebrating the 5th International Yoga Day.
Gun 'that ended Van Gogh's life' sells for nearly triple estimate
The revolver with which Vincent van Gogh is believed to have shot himself sold for 162,500 euros ($182,000) at a Paris auction on Wednesday -- nearly three times the estimate.
US-registered planes barred over Mideast areas amid tensions
The U.S. on Friday barred American-registered aircraft from flying over Iranian-administered airspace in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman over the Revolutionary Guard shooting down a U.S. military surveillance drone.
US prepped for strikes on Iran before approval was withdrawn
The United States made preparations for a military strike against Iran on Thursday night in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, but the operation was abruptly called off with just hours to go, a U.S. official said.
South African president outlines new infrastructure development policy
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday outlined his government's new policy on infrastructure development with a focus on efficient use of budgeted money.
Apple urges U.S. gov't not to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports
Apple has urged the U.S. government not to impose additional tariffs on its products imported from China, saying that the new tariffs would reduce its contribution to the U.S. economy, and hurt Apple's global competitiveness.
Ramaphosa vows action to shake off economic woes
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a new pledge to speed up economic reforms, saying concrete steps are going to be taken to get the country's sluggish economy back on track.
Mother sperm whale and baby dead in fishing net off Italy
A mother sperm whale and its baby have died after becoming tangled in a fishing net in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy's western coast, an Italian environmental group reported Thursday.
Skin deep: Japan's 'washi' paper torn by modern life
The world's thinnest paper, produced in Japan, has helped save historical documents at major museums and libraries, including the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum and Washington's Library of Congress, from decay.