The Liberian-flagged oil tanker Mercer Street, owned by a London-based firm reportedly controlled by an Israeli billionaire, suffered an explosion in the waters of the Arabian Sea, in the vicinity of the coast of Oman.

Over the course of the pandemic, the governor has been criticised for not implementing stricter safety restrictions such as the mandatory wearing of face masks or сlosing of non-essential businesses. Critics of the governor claim that his policy contributed to a high death toll in the Sunshine state.

The news comes as the former president maintains high levels of popularity with the GOP voters and regularly voices hopes for a 2024 rematch for the Oval Office. At the same time, Biden's ratings have tanked to a 2021 low, with 50% of US citizens approving his policies.

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The death toll from the wildfires in Turkey has increased to eight, while the number of injured now stands at 864, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday.

The US Department of Justice tried to challenge the Texas governor's order that seeks to prevent the transportation (and potential release) of detained immigrants who are infected with COVID-19. Governor Abbott slammed the administration for failing to uphold federal immigration laws and endangering Americans.

LONDON (Sputnik) - The UK government will let Scotland hold a second independence referendum if there is a "settled will" of public, Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove told Sunday Mail in an interview.

The two officials have a “loving” relationship. Kevin McCarthy recently chastised the House Speaker for introducing a mandate which requires lawmakers to wear masks inside the Capitol, while Pelosi called McCarthy a “moron” for voicing opposition to her decision.

BANGKOK (Sputnik) - Protesters in Bangkok on Sunday took to the streets in their cars to protest the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to video footage by The Reporters online broadcaster.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claimed earlier that Tel Aviv has evidence proving that Tehran was behind the attack on an oil tanker, Mercer Street, on 30 July off the Omani island of Masirah.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pfizer and Moderna have boosted the prices for their vaccines in latest EU supply contracts, Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The Nord Stream 2 project is a system of offshore gas pipelines, running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. The United States and a number of European countries have voiced opposition to the pipeline, saying that it would increase Europe’s dependence on Moscow.

SEOUL (Sputnik) - US-South Korean drills will harm relations between the two Koreas and undermine the the leaders' intention to restore mutual trust, the North Korea leader's sister Kim Yo Jong, who is a deputy department director of the Workers' Party of Korea, said on Sunday.

According to local media, the incident occurred at 3 am local time, when a person in a car opened fire on another vehicle. Police arrested one person, although there is no information available on whether he or she was the shooter.

Last December, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla revealed that he'd requested a meeting with the CEO of Apple when his electric vehicle company was plagued by financial and manufacturing problems. Musk wrote that he wanted Apple to buy Tesla, but said Cook refused to meet with him.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Five people are dead after a mortar shell hit a car in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, media reported on Sunday.

Earlier this week, former US President Donald Trump scolded Senate Republicans for cooperating with their Democratic counterparts on a hefty infrastructure package.

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Japan has recalled its deputy head of the mission to South Korea, Hirohisa Soma, over inappropriate remarks about the hosting country's president, the Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday, citing a Japanese government source.

India's opposition parties and media organisations have demanded an independent probe into the alleged snooping on phones with the use of Pegasus spyware. The country's apex court has agreed to hear on 5 August a plea filed by senior journalists N. Ram and Sashi Kumar on the snooping row.

The Pakistani government reportedly said that it has reached its limit and cannot accept more Afghan refugees. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi earlier in July expressed concern about miscreants trying to enter their country under the guise of being refugees.

The migration crisis continues to persist in the US, with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealing last month that they had detained over 188,000 undocumented migrants along the country's southern border with Mexico in June, the biggest monthly total since April 2000.