Venezuela’s Ministry of Finance and the country’s Central Bank plan to gradually pull the country’s gold reserves out of the US, Canada, and Europe. A member of the National Assembly of Venezuela Braulio Alvarez told a Press TV correspondent that, “Studies have been carried out and have resulted in the necessity of returning these assets. Why are we paying custody in other countries... 

A seventh grade special-education student in Missouri is suing the school district for their actions involving repeated rapes she was subjected to on school grounds. Not only did the educators in the Republic School District not believe the girl’s cries of rape a few years ago, but they responded by reprimanding her for it and forcing her to fork over a hand-written apology to the alleged assailant,... 

Two cars burnt by unidentified arson attackers in Berlin on August 18, 2011. Arson attackers in the German capital of Berlin have severely damaged some 50 vehicles on three consecutive nights, arousing concerns that the incidents could be politically motivated. Most of the 50 vehicles damaged since Monday are luxury cars, Financial Times reported. “The arsonists want to hit what they say are ‘Fat... 

Duília de Mello, Brazilian researcher at NASA, will talk about blue bubbles, isolated stars outside of galaxies. Rio is again the scene of debates on the latest discoveries in astronomy from the workshop of the series “The Evolving Universe”, PUC-Rio, that from 15-19 August will feature more than 40 lectures by researchers from South America, the U.S. and Europe. The event was conceived... 

For the last decade cancer research has been guided by a common vision of how a single cell, outcompeting its neighbors, evolves into a malignant tumor. Through a series of random mutations, genes that encourage cellular division are pushed into overdrive, while genes that normally send growth-restraining signals are taken offline. With the accelerator floored and the brake lines cut, the cell and... 

Romanian Workers Spain has been given the green light by the EU executive to tighten restrictions on Romanian workers as it struggles with the highest unemployment in the 27-nation block. Spain will now require Romanians to have a work contract before settling in Spain and reverses a two and a half year moratorium that gave Romanian workers unrestricted access as fellow members of the European Union. The... 

After just a few days of calm, stock markets heaved again on Thursday, sending major American indexes down as much as 5 percent on persistent worries about the economy and Europe’s debt problems. The turmoil of last week returned with a vengeance as investors dumped stocks of companies that would suffer if worldwide growth slowed and the United States, in particular, broached another recession. But... 

The newfound gas-giant planet TrES-2b is black with a slight red glow, experts estimate. Scientists have discovered a Jupiter-size gas giant planet in our galaxy, dubbed Coal-Black planet, as the darkest world in the universe, which reflects almost no light. Researchers indicate that the inky planet absorbs 99% of the light its star sends its way and reflects only one percent of the light that strikes... 

Riot police are seen on the University of the Free State campus where a protest got out of hand. Chaos broke out at the University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein campus on Wednesday, after about 800 people – believed to be mostly ANCYL members – stormed the main building. The group, who had been bussed in to the campus, protested against the fact that no political activities by... 

A group of nearly 27,000 South Koreans is suing Apple for £15.8 million over what they claim are privacy violations from the collection of iPhone user location information. Each person in the suit is seeking one million won (£568) in damages, Kim Hyeong-seok, one of their attorneys, announced today. He said they are targeting Apple and its South Korean unit to ‘protect privacy’ rights. Apple’s... 

President Barack Obama’s bus During a three-day tour by bus of the Midwest, President Obama provided an early snapshot of his reelection strategy, one in which he’ll try to convince voters that his approach offers the rational path and seek to define Republicans as so unwilling to compromise they would risk financial chaos. And despite alarming levels of unemployment and a volatile market,... 

Endangered Asian elephants are also being targeted by poachers. Elephant poaching in Africa and Asia is being fuelled by China’s economic boom, says a study of the ivory trade. Authors of the report say the number of ivory items on sale in centres in southern China has more than doubled since 2004, with most traded illegally. The survey comes amid reports of a dramatic rise in rhino poaching... 

A suicide bomb attack on a police station in eastern Algeria early Sunday injured 29 people, according to reports. The suicide bomber rammed the entrance of the police station causing major damage, French language daily El Watan said. The paper said that two Chinese nationals had been injured, while Mohamed Nedir, director of the university hospital in Tizi Ouzou, around 100 kilometres (60 miles)... 

Though the US State Department said it was unable to confirm the reports of attacks by naval ships on the city, the violent crackdown in the Syrian port of Latakia continues apace, with major human rights implications. Yesterday’s reports had attacks from ground troops and tanks as well as shelling from the Syrian Navy, with at least 31 people killed and dozens of others wounded. The crackdowns... 

The Chief of the General Staff of China’s People’s Liberation Army, Chen Bingde, has met his Israeli counterpart Benny Gantz and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv. Chen stressed that ties between the two countries’ militaries have been developing in recent years, and the deepening of Sino-Israeli cooperation contributes to regional peace and stability. For his part, Gantz said...