Italy political crisis: Second day of talks after PM resigns

ROME, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy’s president will hold a second day oftalks aimed at solving the political crisis shaking the country on Thursdayafter the disintegration of the populist government. President Sergio Mattarella will meet the main parties, including the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and far-right League, after thebreakdown…

Russia to send ‘Fedor’ its first humanoid robot into space

MOSCOW, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia was set to launch on Thursday an unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot that will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts on the International Space Station. Named Fedor, for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research with identification number Skybot F850, the robot is…

Toll from Tanzania truck blast reaches 100

NAIROBI, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from a fuel truckexplosion in Tanzania on Aug 10 hit 100 on Wednesday after several victimsperished from severe burns. Aminiel Aligaesha, a spokesman for the National Hospital in Dar es Salaam,told reporters “two people died on Tuesday during the day, and another…

US: Pentagon axes troubled $1 bn contract for missile defense

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it is terminating a troubled billion-dollar program to develop a ballistic missile interceptor, citing design problems. The Defense Department said it would seek bids for a new version of the weapons system called the Redesigned Kill Vehicle, or RKV. The…

Bolivia: Pres Evo Morales says opposition protests branded a ‘failure’

LA PAZ, Aug 22 (NNN-TELESUR) — Bolivia’s opposition had planned to block all major roads in every region of the country on Wednesday; however, the government and transport authorities have confirmed that no major roads are blocked and called the protest a ‘failure’. The protesters believe that President Evo Morales should…

Brazil: Pres Bolsonaro blames the Amazon fires on environmentalists

BRASILIA, Aug 22 (NNN-TELESUR) — After blaming the fires on the drought, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday that environmental charities are behind the forest fires hitting the Amazon Basin because they have lost international financing and want to hit him. Bolsonaro, however, provided no evidence of his allegations. “Bolsonaro said ‘everything…

Brazilian Congress Committee approves US to use Alcantara Base

BRASILIA, Aug 22 (NNN-TELESUR0 — The Foreign and Defense Committee of the Brazilian Congress has approved by majority vote the U.S.’ commercial use of the Alcântara Base along Brazil’s north Atlantic coast.  This move comes just months after President Jair Bolsonaro inked a deal with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to…

International Commission Against Impunity Leaves Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY, Aug 22 (NNN-TELESUR) — The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) presented on Tuesday a closing report that summarized its work in the defense of human rights with more than 120 high-impact cases analyzed, 70 disjointed criminal structures and 120 formal requests for trial. “I contributed with…

Venezuela: About 4 million sign petition against US blockade

CARACAS, Aug 22 (NNN-TELESUR) — Venezuela’s government announced that the petition to collect signatures calling on the United States to lift the unilateral blockade under the “#NoMoreTrump” campaign has reached four million rubrics with about three weeks still to go. “We already reached four million signatures. Do not be left…

South Africa: Court nullifies inquiry into Zuma’s 1999 arms deal

PRETORIA, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A High Court in South Africa has nullified the findings of a commission that found no wrongdoing in a 1999 arms procurement deal. South Africa spent more than $2bn on military hardware for its armed forces, 20 years ago. But the deal was mired in…