Vietnamese state media reported on Friday the country’s first ever death of a person with the coronavirus as it struggles with a renewed outbreak after 99 days without any cases.

Counterterrorism police acting on intelligence raided a suspected militant hideout in a remote town in eastern Pakistan early Friday, triggering a shootout that killed five members of a separatist group, a spokesman said.

July 24 – July 30, 2020

Streets were empty in Zimbabwe's cities and towns on Friday as the military and police kept a strong presence to thwart an anti-government protest and enforce a coronavirus lockdown.

Dutch carrier KLM said Friday it will cut between 4,500 and 5,000 jobs because of the coronavirus crisis.

Nokia has reported better than expected second-quarter earnings on the back of improved margins for telecoms equipment and software despite the coronavirus crisis causing a substantial drop in revenue.

Global shares were mixed Friday, with European indexes rising in early trading, after Asian benchmarks mostly tumbled, as investors looked ahead to central bank meetings and corporate earnings reports.

Champagne is losing its fizz. For months, lockdown put the cork on weddings, dining out, parties and international travel – all key sales components for the French luxury wine marketed for decades as a sparkling must at any celebration.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani dashed hopes Friday for a start to negotiations with Taliban insurgents, announcing the final 400 Taliban prisoners whose release is a prerequisite to start talks, will remain jailed. The announcement frustrates U.S. efforts to find an end to Afghanistan's years of relentless war.

Small groups of pilgrims performed one of the final rites of the Islamic hajj on Friday as Muslims worldwide marked the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday amid a global pandemic that has impacted nearly every aspect of this year’s pilgrimage and celebrations.