US sanctions Venezuela emergency food ‘corruption network’

WASHINGTON, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against three of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s stepsons, a Colombian businessman and six others for running a “corruption network” that profited from emergency food imports. The US has in recent months escalated sanctions against Venezuela, which is struggling…

US Senate panel backs Saudi sanctions measure

WASHINGTON, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday backed legislation that would impose some sanctions on the Saudi royal family and block some weapons sales, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s close ties to the kingdom. The vote was 13-9 for the legislation, as three Republicans…

Spain PM loses confidence vote after coalition talks fail

MADRID, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain’s caretaker socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez lost a crunch post-election vote of confidence on Thursday after coalition talks with the far-left failed, pushing the country closer to repeat polls. Sanchez faced the vote in parliament after his Socialist party won most seats in an inconclusive…

Russia warns of ‘consequences’ after Ukraine seizes tanker

KIEV, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ukraine on Thursday seized a Russian tanker it said was used in a naval confrontation last November amid sensitive prisoner swap talks between the two countries who have been at loggerheads since 2014. Kiev’s SBU security service said it stopped the tanker, the Neyma, as it…

Honduran hospitals overrun by dengue fever epidemic

TEGUCIGALPA, Juloy 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Of Honduras’ 32 public hospitals, 26 are overflowing with patients due to what health authorities are calling the worst dengue fever epidemic in the past half century. The disease has struck 28,000 people this year, of which 54, mostly children, have died. The enormous case…

Update: Determined EU defies Johnson push for Brexit rewrite

BRUSSELS, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union flatly rejected an aggressive push by Britain’s new prime minister Boris Johnson to rewrite the Brexit agreement. Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned EU member states that Johnson was trying to divide them by amping up the threat of a damaging “no-deal” divorce.…

Singapore: Two detained under ISA for intending to join Daesh in Syria

SINGAPORE, July 26 (NNN-CNA) — Two Singaporeans have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for intending to travel to Syria to join the Daesh militant group, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. In a press release, the ministry said that the first case involved 36-year-old licensed money…

Singaporeans advised to avoid Hong Kong airport, border town ahead of protests

SINGAPORE, July 26 (NNN-CNA) — Singaporeans were advised on Friday to avoid travelling to Hong Kong’s airport and the rural town of Yuen Long due to planned protests in those areas. Hong Kong is in the grip of one of its worst crises after millions of demonstrators took to the streets in protests that…

Video emerges of kidnapped aid workers in Nigeria

ABUJA, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An international charity says six of its aid workers who were kidnapped in Nigeria last week have appeared in a video.Action Against Hunger says the six – comprised of one staff member, plus drivers and health workers employed locally – are “apparently in a good…

Update: Tunisian speaker takes over after president dies

TUNIS, July 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tunisian government has declared seven days of mourning following the death of its first democratically elected president on Thursday morning, as condolences poured in from several Arab countries. In a hasty ceremony hours after the death of the 92-year-old President Beji Caid Essebsi, the head of parliament, Mohamed Ennaceur,…