Violence main cause of humanitarian needs in DRC: UN envoy

UNITED NATIONS, July 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — Violence continues to be the main cause of humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN envoy for the DRC said. Leila Zerrougui, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for the DRC, told the Security Council that the level of violence…

Cuba, Russia vow to deepen political, trade ties amid U.S. hostility

HAVANA, July 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov pledged to strengthen bilateral political and trade ties amid a “difficult international situation,” particularly growing U.S. hostility towards both nations. In a press conference after holding a private 90-minute meeting, Lavrov and Rodriguez said…

At least 13 dead due to heavy rains in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — At least 13 people were killed by mudslides after heavy rains hit the metropolitan region of Recife, in the northeastern state of Pernambuco in Brazil, local authorities said. The Pernambuco fire department confirmed five deaths in Recife, three in Olinda and five in…

US, China to resume trade talks next week

WASHINGTON, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US and Chinese officials will resume negotiations next week in an effort to resolve the year-long trade dispute between the world’s top two economies, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. The meetings in Shanghai on Tuesday and Wednesday will be the first face-to-face discussions since negotiations…

Italy’s government wins confidence vote on decree targeting migrant rescue ships

ROME, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Italian government won a parliamentary confidence vote on Wednesday on a security and immigration decree, in a victory for Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who heads the far-right League party. The government, which has been riven by internal strife in recent weeks, won the vote…

World Bank deploys US$300m to DR Congo to contain Ebola outbreak

WASHINGTON, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank announced it was deploying another US$300 million in crisis aid for DR Congo to help contain the year-old Ebola outbreak. The financing comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) last week declared the current outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.…

Venezuela: Pres Maduro blames ‘desperate’ US for latest blackout

CARACAS, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro blamed the “desperate” United States for a major power cut that affected large parts of the crisis-wracked country on Monday. The outage left chaos on the streets of the capital Caracas as traffic lights lost power, while many people were forced…

Update: US Senate sets vote to override Trump’s vetoes on weapons sale to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Senate will vote within days on whether to override President Donald Trump’s vetoes of legislation to block the sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. McConnell said the Senate would hold the vote before…

Puerto Rico governor resigns after weeks of mass protests

SAN JUAN, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said he would resign after almost two weeks of protests calling for him to step down over a scandal involving offensive chat messages and government corruption that rocked the bankrupt island. “I announce that I will be resigning from the governor’s post…

Zimbabwe Central Bank eases forex rules for fuel, chrome miners

HARARE, July 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwe’s Central Bank said oil firms, chrome miners, embassies and international organisations could conduct local transactions in foreign currencies, as the country battles an acute dollar crunch and soaring inflation.Last month, Zimbabwe banned the use of foreign currencies in domestic transactions after it made its…