As Venezuela girds for what could be a historic presidential election this weekend, one of the most important names in the race isn’t on the ballot: María Corina Machado – the woman who galvanized Venezuela’s opposition movement, and whom many voters see as the real challenger to socialist incumbent Nicolás…
Ambar Leáñez grows quiet when she thinks of a future beyond this weekend. A staunch supporter of Venezuela’s opposition movement, she’s buoyant about her coalition’s chances to win this Sunday’s presidential election. The thought of another six years under the incumbent – Venezuela’s entrenched authoritarian president Nicolás Maduro – would drive her to…
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Hong Kong to prevent Russia from using the Asian financial hub to bypass Western sanctions during a visit to the city on Thursday. The United States and European Union have sanctioned dozens of companies in Hong Kong and mainland China for evading the extensive…
A debt-ridden laborer in central India said his family’s life has been “changed forever” after he unearthed a 19.22-carat diamond worth almost $100,000. Raju Gond normally makes about $4 a day taking whatever work comes his way to provide for his large family, working in fields or diamond mines in his…
An emotional, accelerating campaign to allow assisted dying for terminally ill adults in Britain has reached parliament, with activists hoping the country will become one of few to legalize the process. A Private Member’s Bill is to be introduced in the House of Lords on Friday, putting the issue back…
France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by multiple “malicious” acts including arson on Friday, in what has been described as “an attack on France” and “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt travel ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The French state railway company SNCF called the overnight disruption a…
3D-printed blood vessels which closely mimic the properties of human veins could transform the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, scientists have said. In a two-stage process, a team of researchers led by the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering used a rotating spindle integrated into a 3D printer to create tubular…
The UK, US and South Korea have accused a North Korea-backed cyber group of carrying out an online espionage campaign to steal military and nuclear secrets. The “Andariel” group has been compromising organisations around the globe as it attempts to get hold of sensitive and classified technical information and intellectual…
The chief executive of AstraZeneca has criticised a public health body for refusing to make one of its breast cancer treatments available to NHS patients in England and Wales. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decided in March this year that patients should be denied access to…
A man who revealed how he has only eaten toast for the past five years as he can no longer taste things has helped inspire a high-tech spoon which enhances flavours for dementia sufferers. The device, known as Tasty Spoon, looks like a normal one but it uses electrostimulation to…