WORLD

At least 1,072 migrants were sailed to the edge of Greece’s water territory on inflatable life rafts and abandoned by Greek authorities, The New York Times reported. The Times analysed evidence from multiple sources, including academic researchers, the Turkish Coast Guard, and independent watchdogs groups. They found that there were at least …

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalise relations, US President Donald Trump has announced. A joint statement by Mr Trump, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Al Nahyan said they hoped the “historic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East”. As a …

Nearly 1,500 new COVID-19 fatalities were reported on Wednesday, the highest single-day toll in three months, The Washington Post reported. The news comes just 48 hours after US President Donald Trump insisted that “the recent rise in cases has not been accompanied by a significant increase in deaths.” The seven-day average of new …

Italian news agencies report that previously conjoined twins have been baptised by Pope Francis in the Vatican City. Ervina and Prefina, whose skulls were fused together, underwent surgery there last month. Their mother Ermine Nzotto is from the Central African Republic (CAR). Soon after the operation, she told local media …

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his running mate – the first black woman and South Asian American in the role. Once a rival for the top job, the California senator of Indian-Jamaican heritage had long been considered the front-runner for the number two slot. The …

Brazil has recorded more 100,000 deaths linked to Covid-19, the world’s second-highest figure, as the outbreak in the country shows no sign of easing. The virus killed 50,000 people in three months, but that number doubled in just 50 days. There have been more than three million confirmed cases so …

International leaders will hold talks on Sunday to raise aid for Beirut, five days after the massive explosion which devastated the Lebanese capital. The virtual conference – set up by France and the United Nations – starts at 14:00 Lebanon time (11:00 GMT). US President Donald Trump has said he …

Dozens of protesters in Beirut have entered the foreign ministry during a wider demonstration over Tuesday’s huge explosion that left at least 158 dead. Several thousand people are on the streets in a planned protest, but there has been violence. Police fired tear gas at stone-throwing demonstrators. Sounds of gunfire …

A black man who called out “I can’t breathe” before dying at the Forsyth County Detention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina was killed as a result of brain injury that was caused by positional and compressional asphyxia during prone restraint. Five officers and a nurse were last month charged with …

Health authorities fighting Covid-19 in Liberia say they have forcibly placed under quarantine five people who were taken off a plane while attempting to return to the US after attending a funeral in Liberia. The incident happened when one of those who had travelled with the group from the US …