UK rail workers announce July 27 strike in pay row

People wait on an empty platform on the first day of a national rail strike at Manchester Piccadilly station in June LONDON, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British rail workers and station staff will strike this month in disputes over pay and conditions, two unions said, announcing the latest in a…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Lithuania will allow sanctioned Russian goods trade to Kaliningrad

VILNIUS, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — European Union member Lithuania will allow sanctioned Russian goods to transit its territory on their way to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, its Foreign Ministry said, reversing its policy after new European Commission guidelines. The new guidelines on Wednesday followed weeks of tension among Moscow, Lithuania and…

IMF reaches staff-level agreement to release $1.17 billion in funds for Pakistan

WASHINGTON, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Monetary Fund said it had reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan that would pave the way for disbursement of $1.17 billion, if approved by the IMF board, and was considering adding further funds to the program. In a statement, the IMF said its…

Uruguay, China to start formal negotiations on free trade agreement

China is Uruguay’s first export destination for products such as beef MONTEVIDEO, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uruguay and China have decided to enter formal negotiations on a free trade agreement, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou told a press conference. Teams from the two countries will meet in coming days to…

Covid-19: Pandemic is ‘nowhere near over’, says WHO

  GENEVA, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fresh waves of Covid-19 cases show that the pandemic is “nowhere near over”, the World Health Organization’s chief warned.  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was worried that case numbers were continuing to rise, putting further pressure on stretched health systems and workers. “New waves of the…

US racism: First Lady Jill Biden sorry for comparing Latinos to Tacos

First Lady Jill Biden attempted to pay tribute to the diversity of San Antonio’s Latino community  WASHINGTON, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US First Lady Jill Biden has apologised for likening Hispanic people to “tacos” in a botched compliment. She was addressing Latinos in Texas on Monday when she referenced the…

Ireland’s Government wins confidence vote

Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave a wide-ranging defence of his administration’s performance  DUBLIN, July 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Irish government has comfortably won a vote of confidence. The three-party coalition had 85 TDs (MPs) vote with them and 66 against. The motion came about after the government lost its majority in…

Mexico racism: Schoolboy set on fire for being Indigenous

MEXICO CITY, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Mexican schoolboy was set on fire and badly burned in a classroom — his “only crime” was speaking an Indigenous language in a country struggling to end racial discrimination. Two classmates are accused of pouring alcohol on Juan Zamorano’s seat at a high…

South Africa bar shootings death toll climbs to 20

JOHANNESBURG, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from two weekend bar shootings in South Africa that shocked the country climbed to 20 after a victim died in hospital, police said. The latest death came after a shooting at a bar in Soweto township near Johannesburg early on Sunday, taking…

Western Europe wilts under fresh heatwave

   MADRID, July 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Firefighters battled wildfires in Spain and Portugal as Western Europe faced its second heatwave in less than a  month which threatened glaciers in the Alps and worsened drought conditions. The mass of hot air which pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in large parts of…