DR Congo: Second Ebola case is detected in Goma, eastern Congo’s main city

GOMA (DR Congo), July 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A second Ebola case has been confirmed Tuesday in Goma, one of the largest cities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The city had reported earlier this month its first Ebola death since the beginning of the outbreak last year.  Officials and health workers have…

Costa Rica and Panama bust migrant-smuggling network

SAN JOSE, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — Costa Rican and Panamanian officials arrested Tuesday nearly 49 people linked to an international human smuggling network that would charge migrants thousands of dollars to take them through Central America en route to the United States. The operation constitutes one of the largest ever…

Puerto Rico governorship crisis: Newly appointed Secretary of State to be Rossello’s replacement

SAN JUAN, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — Puerto Rico’s outgoing Governor Ricardo Rossello has named Pedro Pierluisi, as his new secretary of state, filling a void and placing him next in line to succeed the governor when he steps down on Friday. The representative to Rossello’s New Progressive Party (PNP), Jose…

St. Kitts and Nevis officially recognizes Palestine

BASSETERRE, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — The government of the Carribean island of St. Kitts and Nevis announced that it will formally recognize the state of Palestine, joining 135 countries around the world, predominantly in the global south.  “[St Kitts and Nevis] reiterates its support of a credible two-state solution to…

Guatemala’s top court to rule on ‘safe third country’ agreement with US

GUATEMALA CITY, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — Guatemala’s Human Rights Prosecutor Jordan Rodas filed an urgent appeal to the Constitutional Court to curb the “Safe Third Country” (STC) agreement signed by President Jimmy Morales administration in Washington on July 26. “The agreement contradicts not only the Guatemalan Constitution but also the Vienna Convention,” Rodas…

Venezuela: Six farmers killed by alleged Colombian paramilitary forces – ruling party PSUV

CARACAS, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — Diosdado Cabello, the first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), lamented the killing of six farmers by far-right paramilitaries in the Barinas state at the Colombia-Venezuela border area. “We want to alert you to what happened in the Barinas state. Venezuelans were killed by paramilitary groups,” Cabello said.…

Russia to ‘abstain’ attending international talks on Venezuela in Lima

MOSCOW, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — Russia will not be participating in international talks on the political crisis in Venezuela due to be held in Peru next month, its Foreign Ministry said. Peru invited China, Russia, Cuba, the United States and dozens of other countries earlier this month to discuss the situation in Venezuela in…

Peru: Protestors demand definitive end of open-pit mining project

LIMA, July 31 (NNN-TELESUR) — A regional strike in Arequipa is set to start on Aug 5 under the demand that the mining project, granted to Southern Copper, is once and for all definitively terminated.  After 15 days of an ongoing indefinite strike against the construction of the major open-pit mining project…

US arms sales to Saudi to proceed as Senate fails to override veto

WASHINGTON, July 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Senate failed to prevent the controversial sale of $8.1 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia, after President Donald Trump vetoed congressional resolutions blocking the deal. Despite bipartisan votes this month that served as a rebuke to the president — and an expression of…

US-China trade talks to restart after G20 tariff truce

SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON, July 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US and Chinese negotiators meet in Shanghai on Tuesday to resurrect trade talks between the world’s two biggest economies, with both sides downplaying expectations of an imminent deal. The negotiations in China’s financial hub will be the first face-to-face discussions since negotiations collapsed in May,…