Brazil oil auction raises disappointing US$17 billion: Official

Members of the auction commission attend Brazil’s auction for offshore oil fields, in Rio de Janeiro RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s auction of drilling rights to four deep-sea oil fields raised a disappointing US$17 billion on Wednesday, officials said, well short of expectations for the highly-anticipated mega sale.…

EU urges faster Greece vetting of migrants as arrivals soar

BRUSSELS, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Commission urged Greece to speed up the processing of asylum-seekers as a jump in new arrivals in its already overcrowded island camps pushed the situation to “unbearable” levels. MEPs heard from EU officials that the basis of a controversial 2016 migrant deal with…

ICC has info on location of Ghadaffi son, other Libya fugitives: Prosecutor

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Saif Al-Islam UNITED NATIONS, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Criminal Court has “reliable information” about the location of one of former dictator Muammar Ghadaffi’s sons as well as two other Libyan war crimes fugitives, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the UN Security Council. “I urge…

US Pres Trump says talks on controversial Nile dam ‘went well’

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump said he had hosted successful talks in the White House with representatives of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on a controversial dam being built on the Nile. Trump was mediating in a dispute over Ethiopia’s construction of the huge dam which Egypt…

Brazil lawmakers water down Pres Bolsonaro’s bill to ease gun controls

BRASILIA, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lawmakers in Brazil have watered down pro-gun President Jair Bolsonaro’s proposal that would have allowed ordinary people to carry weapons in public. The lower house of Congress voted late Tuesday in favor of giving hunters, sports shooters and collectors easier access to weapons.  But they…

Congolese ‘Terminator’ warlord to be sentenced at ICC

Congolese militia commander Bosco Ntaganda at the International Criminal Court in the Hague THE HAGUE, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — International Criminal Court Judges will on Thursday sentence Congolese rebel chief Bosco “Terminator” Ntaganda after he was convicted earlier this year of war crimes and sexual slavery. Ntaganda faces life in prison…

Forensic experts exhume remains of victims of El Salvador’s civil war

SAN SALVADOR, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An international team of forensic experts exhumed the remains of 11 people killed by soldiers during the infamous El Mozote massacre in El Salvador’s 1980-1992 civil war. The new find will be part of a case against soldiers of the Atlacatl Battalion who carried…

German cabin crew kicks off ‘massive’ Lufthansa strike

FRANKFURT, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of Lufthansapassengers faced disruptions Thursday as cabin crew in Germany kicked off a “massive” 48-hour walkout in the biggest escalation yet of a bitter row over pay and conditions. The strike called by Germany’s UFO flight attendants’ union was scheduledto start at…

US: Public hearings in Pres Trump impeachment probe start next week

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The first open impeachment hearings into US President Donald Trump will begin next week, the congressman leading the probe said, as the investigation heads into a highly anticipated public phase. William Taylor, Washington’s top diplomat to Ukraine, and deputy assistant secretary of state George Kent…

Chilean president to unveil measures to support 6,800 SMEs affected by protests

SANTIAGO, Nov 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said that he will introduce measures intended to support some 6,800 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the vandalism in the last three weeks in the South American country. Pinera said he hoped that these affected SMEs will be paid…