Nearly 1,000 murder suspects held in Brazil police operation

SAO PAULO, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazilian police carried out a giant anti-murder operation in nearly every state of the country, arresting 968 suspects in one day, according to the National Council of Civilian Police Chiefs. The arrests included 56 people suspected of killing someone in an act of domestic…

Kushner visits Middle East to press US peace plan

WASHINGTON, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is visiting the Middle East, the White House said, signaling a fresh push on a long promised but yet to be delivered peace plan for the region. The trip comes amid a flurry of other administration moves to…

Death toll in DR Congo boat disaster rises to 47: official

KINSHASA, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from a weekend boat disaster in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to at least 47 people, with dozens more possibly missing, local authorities said. The boat capsized in rough waters on Lake Mai-Ndombe on Saturday, the latest in a string…

Mexico: 21 killed in fiery road accident, says officials

COATZACOALCOS (Mexico), May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A semi truck and a bus carrying passengers back from a pilgrimage to a Catholic shrine crashed and burst into flames Wednesday in eastern Mexico, killing at least 21 people, officials said. Thirty others were injured. Most of the victims were pilgrims from the…

General strike against inflation paralyzes Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Opponents of Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri launched a 24-hour strike on Wednesday to protest the government’s inability to reduce inflation that has reached 55 percent over the past year. The strike has paralyzed public transport while all flights to and from the country’s airports…

US-UAE defense agreement comes into force

ABU DHABI, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and the United Arab Emirates announced that mutual defense cooperation agreement had come into force, amid increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran. “The DCA (Defense Cooperation Agreement) will enhance military coordination between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, further…

Saudi Arabia calls on Muslim world to reject Iran ‘interference’

JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia), May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Saudi Arabia on Wednesday sought to rally support among Islamic nations against arch-rival Iran, demanding “firmness” over attacks on Gulf oil facilities ahead of three summits as regional tensions soar. Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf blasted Iranian “interference” in the region, just hours after…

Bangadesh-Japan vows to fight terrorism in unison

TOKYO, May 30 (NNN-BSS) — Bangladesh and Japan reiterated their firm stance to fight terrorism together as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held bilateral talks here. “The two leaders pledged to work in unison against terrorism and violent extremism both at the national and international…

Turkey frees US scientist but tensions remain

WASHINGTON, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey released a NASA scientist with dual US-Turkish citizenship whose nearly three-year detention had soured relations, but the NATO allies remained divided over issues including Ankara’s purchase of a Russian missile system. Serkan Golge, a naturalized US citizen working for the US space agency in…

Kenya engages World Bank for $750 million loan for budget support

NAIROBI, May 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Kenya is negotiating with the World Bank for a $750 million loan for budgetary support, documents on the proposed funding posted on the lender’s website showed on Tuesday. The East African nation has multiple development funding programmes, worth billions of dollars, with the Washington-based lender,…