Kazakhs Edge Kyrgyz In First Kokpar World Championship
Kazakhstan beat Kyrgyzstan 4-1 to capture the inaugural world championship in kokpar, or kok-boru — an ancient equestrian sport in which a goat carcass is traditionally used as a ball. …
U.S. Assails Azerbaijan For Detention Of News Agency Chief
The U.S. State Department says it is “deeply troubled” by the detention of the director of Azerbaijan’s independent Turan News Agency and urged his immediate release. …
UK Opposition to Offer Alternative ‘Soft’ Brexit in Policy Shift
Britain’s main opposition Labour Party is announcing a policy shift which opens the possibility of the country remaining in the European Union’s single market and customs union for several years as part of a “soft” Brexit, a spokesman said on Saturday. The party would propose the same “basic terms” as Britain’s current relationship with the …
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Venezuela Shuts 2 Radio Stations, Holds Military Exercises
Authorities have shut down two radio stations that aired critical coverage of President Nicolas Maduro’s government by refusing to renew their licenses, a broadcast executive announced, as the country staged military exercises in defiance of Washington and new U.S. sanctions. Enza Carbone, president of the country’s Radio Chamber, said late Friday in a statement that …
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Taylor Swift Sets Records for Spotify Streams, YouTube Views
Spotify says Taylor Swift has set a new global first day streaming record. The music delivery site said Saturday it had logged more than 8 million same-day streams for her new single, “Look What You Made Me Do.” The 27-year-old singer dropped the much-anticipated song late Thursday to streaming platforms and iTunes. She wrote and …
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Russian-Born Gavrilova Wins First WTA Title, Joins Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Svitolina In U.S. Open Next
Unseeded Daria Gavrilova, a Russian-born Australian, upset second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia to win her first career Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title. …
First Fatality Reported As Hurricane Harvey Downgraded To Tropical Storm
The first fatality has been reported in the strongest storm to hit the gulf coast of the United States since 1961, with more powerful rains and “catastrophic” floods expected over the next couple of days. …
Harvey Lashes Texas Coast With High Wind, Torrential Rain
Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. The National Hurricane Center said the eye of the Category 4 hurricane made landfall about 10 p.m. about 30 miles (48 …
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U.S. Investigators Reported Probing Trump Aides’ Russia Connections
U.S. media are reporting that two top former aides of U.S. President Donald Trump are being investigated for Russia connections by a U.S. special prosecutor. …
New Device and App Allows Patients to Conduct Self Checkups
A new device, developed by an Israeli start-up, could make routine visits to the doctor’s office a thing of the past. Faith Lapidus reports. …
Nanotechnology Asphalt Could Last Twice as Long
In spite of many attempts to replace it with a more suitable material, asphalt concrete remains the best and cheapest material for paving roads. Vulnerable to heat, ice, ultraviolet light and mechanical stress, it has a relatively short lifespan and has to be repaired or replaced at regular intervals. Swiss engineers say they may have …
U.S. At UN Accuses Iran Of Smuggling Illegal Arms To Hizballah In Lebanon
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley on August 25 accused Iran of illegally smuggling arms to its ally Hizballah in Lebanon and sharply criticized the United Nations peacekeeping commander there for being “blind” to the activity. …
French President Macron’s Makeup Costs Prompt Criticism
President Emmanuel Macron’s office has confirmed a report that the French leader spent 26,000 euros ($30,695) on makeup during his first three months in power, and says it’s trying to find a cheaper alternative. The report in Le Point news magazine prompted harsh criticism of the president from French social media users. It said the …
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Texas Prepares as Harvey Strengthens to Category 2 Storm
Harvey continued to intensify as it steered for the Texas coast, with the forecasters saying early Friday that it had strengthened to a Category 2 storm. The hurricane with the potential for up to 3 feet of rain, 125 mph winds and 12-foot storm surges could be the fiercest such storm to hit the United …
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Cease-Fire Violations Reported In Eastern Ukraine
The Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatists have accused each other of violating a cease-fire established ahead of the start of the new school year. …
Angolan Ruling Party Wins National Election
Angola’s MPLA party has won the country’s general election, extending its hold on power and ensuring that Defense Minister Joao Lourenco will be the country’s next president. The National Electoral Commission said Friday that MPLA received just over 61 percent of the vote in Wednesday’s election The main opposition UNITA party came in second with …
Tatarstan’s Supreme Court Frees Navalny Campaign Coordinator In Kazan
The Supreme Court of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan has freed the jailed coordinator of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny’s presidential election campaign staff in Kazan. …
Dissenting Chechens Win Minor Moral Victory
The Kremlin appears to be losing patience with Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov’s manner of retaliation against manifestations of public dissent. (The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.) …
Post-Islamic State, Orphaned Children Forced to Work on Mosul Streets
Dozens of Iraqi children, many of whom lost parents during the U.S.-backed fight to remove Islamic State from Mosul, are now working on the streets of the city to provide for their families. VOA’s Kawa Omar reports. …
Massachusetts Hospital Worker Claims Record $758.7M Lottery Jackpot
A 53-year-old Massachusetts hospital worker stepped forward Thursday to claim the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in U.S. history — $758.7 million — after breaking the news to her employer the way the rest of us only dream of: “I called and told them I will not be coming back.” “The first thing I want to …
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North Korea Opens Tourist Office In Moscow To Attract Russian Visitors
North Korea has opened a tourist office in Moscow to encourage Russians to travel to the reclusive country, promising that its nuclear weapons will keep all visitors safe. …
Amazon to Close on Whole Foods Buyout Monday
Amazon will close its $13.7 billion buyout of Whole Foods Market Inc. on Monday and plans to cut prices on grocery staples. Starting Monday, Whole Foods will offer lower prices on bananas, eggs, salmon, beef, and other products. Looking ahead, the Seattle company hopes to give Amazon Prime members special savings and other in-store …
Report: Russian Offshore Wealth Likely Equal To Country’s Entire Household Wealth
Capital flight from Russia is now likely equal to the collective wealth of all Russian households, according to a new report by a respected U.S. research firm, a trend that has helped to drive the country’s income inequality to extreme levels. …
Georgia’s Ruling Party, Opposition Seek Consensus On New Draft Constitution
Leading parliamentarians from Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party met last week with representatives of 20 parliamentary and extraparliamentary opposition parties in a last-ditch attempt to reach a consensus over the country’s new draft constitution. (The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.) …