News archive of July 2018

LAGOS (Reuters) - Google launched a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Nigeria on Thursday, part of its effort to increase its presence in Africa's most populous nation.

A boat with illegal migrants sank near Turkey, six people died. Among the victims are three babies.

On the vessel that traveled to the Greek island of Lesbos, there were a total of 16 people, all Turkish citizens. Nine of the passengers were rescued, and one person was declared missing.

About 1.2 million Syrians have returned from refugee camps back to their homes after September 2015, the official newspaper of the Russian Federation Krasnaya Zvezda writes.

"Since September 2015, 1,186,000 Syrian citizens have returned home from refugee and internally displaced camps," the newspaper reported.

Strong wind and rain were accompanied by a thunderstorm. One lightning struck and damaged the minaret on a mosque located in the central parts of the town.

Local media are reporting that nobody was injured, but that the storm caused power outages in some parts of the town.

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İYİ (Good) Party founder and leader Meral Akşener signaled she would continue to be the party's leader after announcing she would not be a candidate for the leadership position in the upcoming extraordinary congress amid efforts to persuade her from her supporters.

Albania's Vetting Commission claimed a major scalp on Monday when it sacked High Court Judge Shkelzen Selimi, citing his connections with organised crime - based on intelligence gathered over several years by both domestic and foreign secret services.

The judge was not present at the hearing and has issued no comment on the decision so far.

This handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on July 29, 2018, shows displaced Syirans returning to their villages in the province of Daraa. AFP PHOTO / SANA

Taxi drivers across Spain joined a strike on July 30 against ride hailing competitors such as Uber and Cabify who they say unfairly threaten their livelihoods.

The Yerköprü Waterfall in Mut is said to have been formed as a result of erosion caused by the Ermenek Stream. Click through for the story in photos...

Although Bulgaria has one of the lowest levels of overall public spending in the European Union, outcomes from this spending still lag behind the EU average, especially in policing and firefighting, a new World Bank report says.