United Kingdom

LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - London's High Court has rejected President Nicolas Maduro's latest efforts to gain control of more than $1 billion of Venezuela's gold reserves stored in the Bank of England's underground vaults in London.

The court ruled on Friday that previous decisions by the Maduro-backed Venezuelan Supreme Court aimed at reducing opposition leader Juan Guaido's say over the gold, should be disregarded.

LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the European countries using the euro currency shot up to another record in July, pushed by higher energy prices fueled by Russia’s war in Ukraine, but the economy still managed better-than-expected, if meager, growth in the second quarter.

Annual inflation in the eurozone’s 19 countries rose to 8.9% in July, an increase from 8.6% in June, according to numbers published Friday by the European Union statistics agency.

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday said there was no deal yet with the United States on swapping detained U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner and a former marine for a jailed Russian cast by prosecutors as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had made a "substantial offer" to Russia to release U.S. citizens held in Russia, and a source said that Washington was willing to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death." 

LONDON (AP) — A British judge jailed a man who killed his grandfather for life Thursday in the first crown court sentencing to be televised in Britain.

Judge Sarah Munro’s remarks were the first to be broadcast live on news channels after a change in law to allow cameras in British crown courts, which deal with serious criminal cases.

The legal change was made in 2020, but it was only implemented Thursday because of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

July 26 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

Experimental chewing gum reduces Omicron particles in saliva

An experimental chewing gum that "traps" SARS-CoV-2 particles in saliva holds promise for curbing transmission of new variants of the virus, according to new data, as researchers prepare to launch the first human trial.

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - Scientists advising the World Health Organization (WHO) on monkeypox say the window is closing to stop its spread, with cases currently doubling every two weeks, raising concerns that it will take several months for the outbreak to peak.

WHO Europe has forecast just over 27,000 monkeypox cases in 88 countries by Aug. 2, up from 17,800 cases in nearly 70 countries at the latest count. 

LONDON (AP) — The two candidates vying to be Britain’s next prime minister will face off in a TV debate Monday, after both sought to woo the Conservative Party’s right-wing base by backing a controversial plan to deport some asylum-seekers to Rwanda.

LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - Britain's two contenders to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister promised on Sunday to tackle illegal immigration as a priority, with both backing the government's policy of sending migrants to Rwanda.

Former finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss are battling to become Britain's next prime minister after a revolt over Johnson's scandal-ridden administration forced the prime minister to say he would stand down. 

GRANTHAM, England, July 23 (Reuters) - Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday described himself as the underdog in the contest to become Britain's next prime minister.

Sunak's resignation helped trigger a revolt that saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson agree to step down after a series of scandals. Members of the ruling Conservative Party will vote for a successor over the summer, with an announcement due on Sept. 5.

Sunak led all rounds of the voting among party lawmakers to reduce the field to two candidates.

LONDON (AP) — The expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Saturday, a declaration that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for scarce vaccines.