WORLD

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  The agency that oversees internet addresses late Thursday rejected a controversial bid to let a private equity firm control the .org online neighborhood known as a haven for nonprofits. Ethos Capital made a billion-dollar deal last year to buy the Public Interest Registry (PIR) from …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  With conferences cancelled and revenues hit because of a lack of rent from student accommodation, Britain’s universities are reeling from the global coronavirus pandemic. Schools have already lost millions of pounds thanks to enforced closures under lockdown, and things could get worse still. “British universities …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Stranded on superyachts or confined to their sprawling mansions worrying about their wine cellars, the world’s super rich have invited ridicule throughout the coronavirus pandemic with their apparent insensitivity to the plight of ordinary people. “Sunset last night… isolated in the Grenadines avoiding the virus. …

Washington, United States | AFP |  A man armed with a high-powered assault rifle fired multiple rounds at the Cuban embassy in Washington early Thursday, authorities said, damaging the building and leading Havana to lodge a protest. Police arrested the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Alexander Alazo of Aubrey, Texas. No one …

Washington, United States | AFP |  US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened China with fresh tariffs as he stepped up his attacks on Beijing over the coronavirus crisis, saying he had seen evidence linking a Wuhan lab to the contagion. The diatribe from the Republican incumbent came as data showed …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The suits, shirts and ties remain on their hangers. Skirts, blouses and high heels have been left in the closet. With office workers at home during coronavirus lockdown, the dress code is noticeably more casual. According to clothing brands and marketing studies, comfort has trumped …

United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States and China remained at loggerheads Thursday over a UN Security Council draft resolution calling for a 90-day humanitarian pause in conflicts worldwide in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The stalemate — over a mention of the World Health Organization — …

Washington, United States | AFP | Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, on Thursday unveiled a committee to help him search for and vet a running mate in his White House race against Donald Trump. The step comes as Biden faces mounting pressure to address allegations by a former aide …

Buenos Aires, Argentina | AFP | Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has asked the “Hand of God” to deliver the world from the coronavirus pandemic and allow normal life to resume. The World Cup winner referred to his hand-assisted goal in the 1986 World Cup after Argentine football chiefs voted to …

Strasbourg, France | AFP | Prisons in Britain are “violent, unsafe and overcrowded”, according to a damning report published on Thursday by the Council of Europe. The pan-European rights body’s anti-torture committee also reported “alarmingly high” levels of substance abuse and said large numbers of prisoners suffered from mental health disorders. …