Venezuela: Pres Maduro ‘optimistic’ after talks with opposition resume in Barbados

CARACAS, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said he was “optimistic” after dialogue between his government and the opposition resumed in Barbados. The South American nation was plunged into political turmoil in January when National Assembly speaker Juan Guaido declared himself acting president in a direct challenge to…

US, China to relaunch talks with little changed since deal fell apart

WASHINGTON, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and China are set to relaunch trade talks this week after a two-month hiatus, but a year after their trade war began there is little sign their differences have narrowed. After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Japan just in late…

Biggest-ever anti-doping blitz arrests 234 people in 33 countries

ROME, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A vast international police operation involving 33 countries and the World Anti-Doping Agency has seized millions of doping substances and counterfeit medicines and arrested 234 people, Europol said. The operation involving 23 European Union nations and 10 other countries, including Albania, Colombia, Iceland, Switzerland and…

US Department of Homeland Security requests 1,000 soldiers to manage migrant crisis

WASHINGTON, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Department of Homeland Security requested 1,000 additional soldiers to help manage the migrant crisis in Texas, the Pentagon said, amid growing outcry over conditions in migrant detention facilities. In a statement, the Pentagon said they had been asked to authorize the Texas National Guard…

US State Dept approves potential $2.2 bln arms sale to Taiwan

WASHINGTON, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US State Department has approved the potential sale to Taiwan of $2.2 billion in arms, including Abrams tanks and Stinger missiles, the Pentagon said on Monday. The announcement is likely to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and has previously…

US Pres Trump hits out at outgoing British PM May after leak of damning cables

WASHINGTON/LONDON, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Donald Trump launched an extraordinary attack Monday on outgoing British premier Theresa May, following the leak of diplomatic cables highly critical of his presidency. London has been scrambling to stem the damage caused by the weekend release of confidential telegrams in which its envoy to…

US slaps new duties on steel from Mexico and China

WASHINGTON, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States announced fresh duties on some Mexican and Chinese steel goods on Monday, saying those countries helped their manufacturers with unfair subsidies. The decision comes two months after President Donald Trump agreed to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum from Mexico and Canada…

Cuban-trained doctors urged to drive change in South Africa

PRETORIA, July 9 (NNN-SANEWS) — Newly graduated South African medical doctors, who were trained in Cuba, have been encouraged to drive change in their communities. The eighty-seven South African medical doctors graduated at the Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, on Friday. This is the largest group to graduate…

Former leader of Algerian ruling party held in custody for suspected corruption

ALGIERS, July 9 (NNN-XINHUA) — The Algerian supreme court held a former leader of the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) in custody as part of a wide-scale crackdown on corruption. Djamel Ould Abbes, former secretary-general of FLN and former minister of solidarity, attended a court hearing over charges of involvement…

China EximBank funds over US$87 billion in African projects

BEIJING, July 9 (NNN-GNA) — The Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank) has so far funded over 600 billion yuan (US$87 billion) in projects in 46 African countries.The funding mainly supports major projects with prominent economic and social benefits in Africa, said the bank.The bank will step up efforts in…