Smoke choking Canadians but cooling wildfires by blocking out sun

 OTTAWA, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Wildfire smoke blanketing western Canada has triggered health warnings in several cities, but was also helping to cool blazes by blocking out a hot sun across hard-hit portions of the country Sunday. The wildfires in Alberta province have displaced tens of thousands of people and…

Spain says containing wildfire as conditions improve

MADRID, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spanish authorities said that firefighters and soldiers were managing to contain a blaze in the country’s west that has forced hundreds of people to evacuate from nearby villages. “Today, we’re hoping to strike a blow against this fire… It’s a very intense task,” said civil…

Attack On Rally Drivers Leaves 10 Dead In Mexico

TIJUANA (Mexico), May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A shooting targeting a group of amateur rally drivers in the northern Mexican town of Ensenada, near the US border, left 10 dead and nine wounded, authorities said. The motorists, who were participating in a race, were parked on the side of a highway…

Sudan crisis: Air strikes shake Khartoum as rivals agree 1-week ceasefire

KHARTOUM, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country’s warring generals kept up their struggle for control even as they agreed to a brief humanitarian pause. With heavy fighting raging in Khartoum, the rival sides…

Pres Biden invites Japan, South Korea leaders to US for talks

HIROSHIMA (Japan), May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden invited the leaders of Japan and South Korea to formal three-way talks in Washington, a senior US administration official said. The leaders met briefly on the sidelines of the G7 summit, to which host Japan invited South Korea as long-frosty…

Greece PM’s party wins election, but not outright victory: initial results

ATHENS, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ party has registered a resounding victory at the election, the first results show but would likely call a new ballot in a month’s time as it fell short of an outright majority to rule alone. With just over 50 percent…

Talks between Argentina and IMF “progressing constructively”

WASHINGTON, May 10 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) admitted negotiations with the Argentine Government were still going on toward a redesigning of the country’s program in light of the present drought, while Casa Rosada sources agreed that “the conversations” were “progressing constructively.” “The IMF and the Ministry of…

Ecuadorian National Assembly votes for impeachment proceedings against president

QUITO, May 10 (NNN-XINHUA) — Ecuador’s National Assembly on Tuesday approved a resolution to continue an impeachment proceedings against Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso on embezzlement charges. Under the resolution with the support of 88 of the 116 legislators present, Lasso and his opposition rivals will have to each testify to…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: US, UK say Russia exploiting hunger with grain deal delay

WASHINGTON, May 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and Britain pressed Russia to extend again a deal to export Ukrainian grain, accusing Moscow of exploiting global hunger for advantage in the war.    The Black Sea Grain Initiative, in place since July after diplomacy by the United Nations and Turkey, allows…

Ex-policeman goes on trial in France over Rwanda genocide

PARIS, May 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A former Rwandan military policeman will go on trial here, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1994 slaughter in his home country. Philippe Hategekimana, 66, fled to France after the genocide, obtaining refugee status under a fake name. It is the fifth…