Peru in crisis after president dissolves opposition-run Congress

LIMA, Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra consolidated power Tuesday in a tense stand-off with the opposition over corruption, confirming the backing of the armed forces, police and the international community after dissolving Congress. Opposition lawmakers accused Vizcarra of mounting a “coup d’etat,” voting to suspend him temporarily…

Spain: On anniversary of banned referendum, Catalan separatists keep up their fight

BARCELONA (Spain), Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Separatist leaders in Catalonia pledged to keep up their struggle for independence on the second anniversary of an ill-fated independence referendum, prompting Spain’s acting prime minister to warn them “not to play with fire”. The banned referendum and the short-lived declaration of independence that…

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says U.K. will submit concrete Brexit proposals within days as leave date looms

MANCHESTER (England), Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that Britain will make firm proposals for a new divorce deal with the European Union within days, saying “this is the moment when the rubber hits the road.” Britain is due to leave the 28-nation bloc at the…

Migrant death toll in Mediterranean tops 1,000 for 6th year – UNHCR

GENEVA, Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 1,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea this year, the sixth year in a row that that “bleak milestone” has been reached, the United Nations refugee agency said. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR called for European Union (EU) member states to reactivate…

Mass repatriation of Burundi refugees in Tanzania to start on Thursday – official

Burundi refugees in Tanzania BUJUMBURA, OCT 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Burundi said that a first group of its refugees in Tanzania would return home on Thursday, as a mass repatriation planned by the two governments begins, a Burundian official said. About 1,000 refugees are in the first group, Nestor Bimenyimana, the…

Zimbabwe’s president pleads for patience in bringing economy back from “dead”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa pleads for time and patience to bring the economy back from the “dead” HARARE, Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday pleaded for time and patience to bring the economy back from the “dead”, as his government faces blame for surging inflation evoking dark…

UK: Man held outside parliament in ‘petrol’ incident – police

LONDON, Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — London police said they detained a man who was dousing himself with what appeared to be aflammable liquid outside parliament. “The man, who had a lighter, was sprayed with a fire extinguisher,” theMetropolitan Police said in a statement. “There was no ignition and the manwas…

Major oil spill along the Brazilian coastline of eight states, 3.000 kilometers

BRASILIA, Oct 1 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — An oil spill has contaminated beaches and coastline across eight Brazilian states, the country’s environment agency said, although authorities are still stumped as to its origin. Environmental agency Ibama said that beaches along a 3,000-kilometer coastline of Brazil’s Northeast region had been hit by the…

Some 15.8 million Argentines living in poverty according to the latest data

BUENOS AIRES, Oct 1 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Poverty in Argentina rose to 35.4% of the population in the first half of the year, the highest officially recorded level since 2001, the INDEC national statistics bureau reported. This means that some 15.8 million Argentines are now considered poor, INDEC’s data indicates. At…

International Criminal Court puts Mali war crimes suspect to trial

Malian militant Al-Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud THE HAGUE, Oct 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said they would put a man suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Mali to trial. The judges confirmed the charges against Al Hassan…