Opposition wins no seats in Belarus parliamentary election as Pres Lukashenko vows to stay put

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko MINSK, Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko maintained his hold on power after results published early on Monday showed not a single opposition candidate had won a seat in parliamentary elections over the weekend. Lukashenko has governed the former Soviet country with an iron…

UN envoy begins negotiations to bring peace to Bolivia

LA PAZ, Nov 18 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — The United Nations envoy for Bolivia, Jean Arnault, began a series of meetings here with the aim of promoting the pacification of the country, curbing violence and preserving life. After meeting with the self-proclaimed president, Jeanine Áñez, Arnault insisted on the urgent need…

First batch of Cuban doctors return to Cuba from Bolivia

HAVANA, Nov 18 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, welcomed back the first group of health workers who returned from Bolivia for lack of guarantees of their physical integrity, after the rightist coup in that country. In welcoming the doctors, the Cuban Minister of Public Health, Jose Angel…

62 illegal immigrants deported by Libya

TRIPOLI, Nov 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — Libya’s Immigration Control Department in the eastern city of Benghazi announced the deportation of 62 illegal immigrants to Chad and Sudan. The immigrants were deported by land through the southern borders with Chad and Sudan, the department said in a statement. The International Organization for…

Fresno shooting: Four dead and six injured at football party after ‘gunman sneaks into yard and opens fire’

FRESNO (California, US), Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four people were shot dead and six injured after a gunman sneaked into a garden football party in California Sunday night and opened fire, police say. A huge manhunt is underway for several possible suspects after the shooting in Fresno on the city’s…

Update: Bolivians queue for chicken and fuel as protests cripple highways

LA PAZ, Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bolivians suffered long lines on the streets of La Paz to secure chicken, eggs and cooking fuel as supporters of ousted President Evo Morales continued to cripple the country’s highways, isolating population centres from lowland farms. Officials said a massive Hercules military plane had…

Haiti’s president warns of humanitarian crisis, calls for support

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Haiti needs international support to tackle an unfolding humanitarian crisis, President Jovenel Moise said in an interview, two months into anti-government protests that have exacerbated food insecurity in the Americas’ poorest nation. Moise also said he was holding closed-door talks with civil society groups and…

Russia set to return seized Ukrainian ships: report

MOSCOW, Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia is set to return Ukrainian navy ships seized a year ago, as it prepares for a summit to try and resolve the wider conflict between them, Interfax news agency said. “In accordance with agreements concluded with the Ukrainian side, three Ukrainian ships … are…

Over 30,000 march in Greek annual anti-junta demos

ATHENS, Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Over 30,000 Greeks demonstrated under a heavy police presence on Sunday to mark the anniversary of a 1973 anti-junta uprising, the first since the election of the new conservative government. The protest, one of the largest and most uneventful in years, was heavily influenced by…

St Mark’s Square closed as water again invades Venice, rain lashes Italy

Tourists walk in St. Mark’s Square after days of severe flooding in Venice VENICE, Nov 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venice’s St Mark’s Square was closed on Sunday as the historic city suffered its third major flooding in less than a week, while rain lashing the rest of Italy prompted warnings in Florence…