Several major world economies, including Russia and China, have recently been discussing ways to abandon the dollar in bilateral transactions. Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of using the status of its currency as a tool of pressure against other states and said that it undermines global trust in the dollar. [...]

The rise of cryptocurrency has sparked intense debate on its role in central banking systems, as well as economic viability in monetary supply chains. [...]

The US military has marketed its new $1.5 trillion fifth-generation fighter's stealth capabilities as one of its main features, along with its advanced avionics and sensor systems. [...]

UK authorities in Gibraltar seized Iran’s Grace 1 oil tanker and detained some members of its crew on 4 July over suspicions that it was circumventing EU sanctions against Syria. Tehran denies these allegations and has slammed London for endangering freedom of navigation. [...]

Millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been found “injured and in a fetal position” in his New York jail cell with marks around his neck, leading to speculation that he’d been attacked or injured himself to get transferred. [...]

Syria’s ancient city of Aleppo was filled with bustling markets and historical buildings before it was engulfed in the devastating conflict. Now, before and after photos show progress in rebuilding its war-torn sites. [...]

Pyongyang says it has no other choice but to continue developing and testing new types of deterrence weapons as long as ‘warmongers’ in the South keep buying modern arms and holding joint military drills with the US. [...]

Just one day into his premiership and it’s already clear that Britain’s new Prime Minister Boris Johnson means business. The question is: what kind? There’s wielding the knife and there’s wielding the knife, and Johnson, with his merciless cull of Theresa May’s deadwood from his new cabinet, has moved with the alacrity of the leader of a right-wing coup rather than a democracy to assembl [...]

The US has advised Turkey not to deploy Russian S-400 systems under the threat of more sanctions, even though the White House has been cautious about punishing its NATO ally which could respond by closing its bases to US troops. [...]

Deutsche’s net income also dropped by over 40 percent to €231 million in the second quarter, year-on-year - the lender is predicted to report a full-year loss for 2019. Deutsche shares fell 2.4 percent in response to the results. [...]

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump in multiple letters to Congress said he rejected resolutions that call for prohibiting weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and several other countries. [...]

Newly surfaced cellphone footage captures the moment in which a passenger aboard a Los Angeles-bound American Airlines flight on Sunday opted to lay hands on her partner, who reportedly had wandering eyes. [...]

The US dollar will struggle to remain the top international currency in the coming decades as the rising power of Asian economies is set to undermine its leading position, Wall Street bank JPMorgan Chase has predicted. [...]

The US erodes global security and seeks “absolute superiority,” but Beijing won’t follow the “beaten track” of big powers in seeking hegemony, focusing instead on having a “world-class” army, says a new Chinese military document. [...]

Russia has unveiled its Concept of Collective Security in the Persian Gulf, outlining arms control, joint anti-terrorist efforts and giving up on foreign military presence as keys conditions for stability in the turbulent region. [...]

Malaysia can’t accept the conclusions of the Dutch-led probe into the downing of flight MH17, as the probe didn’t seem interested in establishing the truth about the tragedy, the country’s prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has said. [...]

New Delhi (Sputnik): India is likely to be subjected to US sanctions under the CAATSA (Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) legislation by the "extremely frustrated" Donald Trump administration for continuing to purchase Russian defence equipment ignoring US concerns, a top American government official has said. [...]

The New York Times’ editorial board, fresh from peddling anti-Russia conspiracies for two years, has made a remarkable about-turn. Now the paper wants closer relations with the Kremlin, all to thwart China’s ambitions. [...]

The growth rate of the Russian economy increased last year, while inflation remained low, the World Bank said in its 2019 World Economic Outlook. “Although economic sanctions tightened, Russia experienced relatively low and stable inflation and increased oil production. [...]

Huawei has laid off around 70 percent of staff at its Futurewei Technologies research arm in the US. Despite recent signals that Washington was easing pressure on the Chinese tech giant, the ban is still in force. [...]

Iranian secret services uncovered a 17-member spy ring working against the country, according to state-affiliated media. Some of the agents have been given capital punishment. [...]

A Venezuelan Su-30 fighter “aggressively shadowed” an American spy plane over the Caribbean Sea, the US military said, claiming the jet was at an “unsafe distance” and blaming Russia for its “irresponsible” support for Caracas. [...]