Sudan donors to meet in Geneva as 72-hour truce enters second day

KHARTOUM, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An international donors’ conference for Sudan was set to kick off in Geneva on Monday, one day into a 72-hour ceasefire between the country’s warring generals aimed at allowing for the delivery of desperately needed aid. The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has since…

US gun violence: At least 6 killed, dozens injured in weekend shootings across US

CHICAGO, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least six people including a Pennsylvania state trooper were killed and dozens injured in a string of weekend violence and mass shootings across the US. The shootings in suburban Chicago, Washington state, Pennsylvania, St. Louis, Southern California and Baltimore follow a surge in homicides…

US, China see path to more stable ties in Blinken visit

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and China agreed to expand dialogue to try to bring relations back from historic lows, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken held what officials called candid talks on soaring tensions during a rare trip to Beijing. The highest-ranking US visitor to Beijing…

EU, Kenya to announce trade deal: EU officials

NAIROBI, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union and Kenya are set to announce a trade deal on Monday, EU officials said, in a coup for Brussels as it seeks deeper economic ties with Africa. Negotiations for the agreement are due to formally conclude at a ceremony in Nairobi attended…

US plan keeps migrants waiting farther from border

SAN JOSE, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The opening of US migrant processing centers in Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala ensures that more than ever these countries will become waiting rooms for asylum seekers wanting American visas. The “Safe Mobility” initiative rolled out by Washington in Central America — the main…

Gun violence: Serbians hold mass protest against government

BELGRADE, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of people protested against the government in the Serbian capital Saturday, the latest such rally since mass shootings claimed the lives of 18 people. Thousands turned out at similar marches, dubbed “Serbia against violence”, went ahead in the Balkan country’s three other…

Greece: Mitsotakis on course to return as Greek PM in new vote

ATHENS, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — After an inconclusive election in May, Greece returns to the ballot box next Sunday with conservative former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on course to win a second straight four-year term. Polls show that Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party is in line to be the clear winner,…

Switzerland: Seven injured in hot-air balloon accident

GENEVA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Seven people were injured, three of them seriously, when a hot-air balloon caught fire after take-off in northern Switzerland, police said. The balloon had just taken off in the early Saturday morning from at around 06:00 local time from Mattenboden when it caught fire and…

Three killed in light aircraft crash in southern France: Army

     MARSEILLE (France), June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three people, including two members of the military, were killed when their light aircraft crashed in a hilly region in the south of France, the army and regional prosecutor said. An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the crash Saturday close…

France counts cost after rare earthquake hits west

    BORDEAUX (France), June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Residents of a region in western France counted the cost after being stunned by a rare earthquake that has left dozens of homes damaged. Cracks appeared in several homes in the Charente-Maritime department just north of the major city of Bordeaux, while churches were…