Venezuelan opposition leader pre-recorded video released after his arrest

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez urged his supporters to keep up the fight against President Nicolas Maduro in a video message posted hours after his arrest in a raid on his home on Tuesday, August 1.Lopez had been under house arrest at his home in Caracas, where he says he recorded this video on July 17 in anticipation of possibly being taken to prison.Lopez confirmed in a video sent to his Twitter followers, that his wife, Lilian Tintori and amp;#39;s pregnancy was another reason to fight for Venezuela and added it was the best news he had received in the last three and a half years. Lopez was granted house arrest in July following three years in prison for his role in anti-government street protests in 2014.Government opponents called the abrupt removal of the men from their homes by security forces in nighttime raids a sign of Venezuela and amp;#39;s President Nicolas Maduro and amp;#39;s determination to silence rivals and stamp out four months of massive street protests against him. Aug 2, 2017

Anthony Scaramucci out as Trumps communications director

The White House said in a statement that newly-appointed communications director Anthony Scaramucci has resigned: Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House Communications Director. Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. Aug 2, 2017

Suicide attack on Shia mosque in Afghanistan's Herat city kills dozens

A suicide bomb attack on a Shia mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat on Tuesday (1 August) evening has killed at least 29 people and badly injured 60 others. Authorities say there were at least two attackers but have not ruled out the possibility of there being more.President Ashraf Ghani has urged religious scholars to raise their voices against the terrorist attacks. His administration has been facing serious security challenges in recent years due to increasing instances of Islamist militancy. Aug 2, 2017

Tillerson comfortable working with Trump: We have a good relationship

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has put an end to speculation that he is frustrated in his job and that he wants to quit. Despite not being on the same page with President Donald Trump on North Korea and Iran, Tillerson said he is comfortable in his job and that he shares a good relationship with the commander-in-chief. Speaking to reporters at a nearly hour-long news conference in Washington, DC, on Tuesday (1 August), Tillerson said he and Trump have policy disagreements on things like JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), notably over the Iran nuclear deal. Aug 2, 2017

Tillerson tells North Korea US is not seeking regime change: Were not your enemy

As tensions rise over the Korean peninsula with North Koreas repeated missile launches, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the White House is not seeking to topple the Kim Jong-un regime in Pyongyang. Instead it only wants to have a dialogue with the country at some point, Tillerson said on Tuesday (1 August).Were not your enemy, were not your threat but youre presenting an unacceptable threat to us and we have to respond, he said. Aug 2, 2017