Brexit: PM Johnson faces mounting legal, political, diplomatic challenges

LONDON, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan was facing mounting legal, political and diplomatic challenges as Ireland accused Britain of being unreasonable and former British leader John Major sought to stop the suspension of parliament. The ultimate outcome of Britain’s tortuous three-year Brexit crisis remains unclear…

US: Man who stole $50 to be freed after 36 years in jail

Alvin Kennard ALABAMA (US), Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An Alabama judge has ordered that a man who robbed a bakery of $50.75 be released from his life sentence.Alvin Kennard, 58, was handed the harsh sentence under strict rules introduced in the 1970s to deter repeat offenders.The ruling provoked an emotional…

US blacklists Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya: Treasury

WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States on Friday sanctioned an Iranian oil tanker previously held for weeks by Gibraltar and released despite Washington’s efforts to keep it detained. The US Department of Treasury said the vessel, previously known as the Grace 1, is “blocked property” under an anti-terrorist…

Caribbean: Bahamas battens down for Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian churning closer to the Bahamas ST. JOHN’S (Antigua and Barbuda), Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Residents in the Bahamas rushed to prepare as “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Dorian barreled toward the island chain Friday, with government offices on lockdown and thousands told to evacuate their homes. Currently a Category 4…

US Pres Trump prods General Motors over its auto plants in China

The General Motors Corporation logo in Detroit, Michigan WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump, who is engaged in a trade war with Beijing, said that American automaker General Motors had opened major plants in China before he took office and should begin moving its operations back to…

Italian PD leader calls for tax cuts, new investments

ROME, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy’s next government must cut income taxes to boost consumption, relaunch investment and focus on health and education, the leader of the Democratic Party (PD) said after talks with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Conte is looking to form a new coalition and is holding talks…

South African arms firm Denel says gets 1.8 bln rand bailout

A mechanic works on an Oryx helicopter engine in a workshop hangar on the Denel Aviation site in Boksburg.  PRETORIA, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South African state arms firm Denel said on Friday it had received a 1.8 billion rand cash injection from the government after a liquidity crunch left…

Resurrected Uganda Airlines flies into crowded African skies

KAMPALA, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uganda Airlines has taken to the skies once more after almost two decades out of action, but flies into a crowded aviation market in Africa where carriers have the weakest finances and emptiest planes of any region in the world. The state carrier launched commercial…

Angola and Comoros prepare joint commission

Angolan Pres Joao Lourenco (R) speaks with Comoros counterpart Azali Assoumani YOKOHAMA (Japan), Aug 31 (NNN-ANGOP) — Angola and the Comoros are to set up by December this year a Joint Commission with a view to facilitating the interchange between the two countries, the Comorian president, Azali Assoumani said. The…

Congolese girl, 9, dies from Ebola in Uganda: health official

KAMPALA, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A nine-year-old girl who tested positive for Ebola in Uganda after travelling from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo has died, a Ugandan health official said. “She passed on at around 0800 this morning (Friday),” said Yusuf Baseka,health director in Kasese, a district in southwestern…