IMF provisionally agrees on a three-year loan deal with Congo Republic

WASHINGTON, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An International Monetary Fund mission said that it had agreed on a three-year lending programme with Congo Republic subject to the government’s fulfilment of reforms and approval by the IMF’s executive board.Negotiations over a bailout for the oil-dependent economy have dragged on since 2017, as…

Update: Deputy to Venezuela’s opposition leader Guaido imprisoned, Pres Maduro accuses sacked general of behind failed coup attempt

CARACAS, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The deputy to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was jailed on Friday at a military prison in Caracas following his dramatic arrest, while President Nicolas Maduro accused his sacked intelligence chief of being a CIA “mole” and the architect of a failed military uprising 10…

Libya: Battle for Tripoli gives chance to Daesh

TRIPOLI, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The battle for Tripoli between rival Libyan forces both championing the fight against “terrorism” has created a security vacuum, allowing the Daesh group a chance to re-emerge, analysts warn. Libya expert Emad Badi says the fighting has given Daesh “the opportunity to reorganise, recruit and…

Mexicans march for their missing children on Mother’s Day

MEXICO CITY, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexicans with missing children led marches on Friday — when Mother’s Day is celebrated here — to protest the government’s failure to find their sons and daughters or bring their cases to justice. There are more than 40,000 missing persons in Mexico, which has…

French troops free hostages in Burkina Faso

Frenchmen Laurent Lassimouillas (L) and Patrick Picque are among four captives freed  PARIS, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four foreign hostages have been freed by French forces in the West African country of Burkina Faso, France says. Commanders launched the operation to rescue two French tourists snatched in neighbouring Benin earlier…

Trade War: Pres Trump Says US-China Relations Remain ‘Very Strong’

US and Chinese officials have held several rounds of talks in an attempt to strike a deal  WASHINGTON, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump says US-China relations remain “very strong” despite the two countries being embroiled in a trade war. Trump said talks between Washington and Beijing will continue…

Venezuelan Court Orders Jail For Vice President Of National Assembly

CARACAS, May 11 (NNN-XINHUA) — A special court has ordered that the vice president of the National Assembly be held in detention, Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) said. The ruling against Edgar Zambrano was “related to terrorism” in Caracas, according to a Friday statement issued by the court. The court said Zambrano was held…

At Least 443 Migrants Recorded Dead While Trying To Reach Europe By Sea This Year: IOM

GENEVA, May 11 (NNN-XINHUA) — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that as of May 8 this year, 443 migrant deaths had been recorded on the three main Mediterranean Sea routes, almost three-fourths of the 620 deaths confirmed during the same period in 2018. However, this past week was marked by several tragedies in…

US says 13 suspected Daesh members killed in Somalia airstrike

NAIROBI, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US forces in Africa launched an airstrike against the Daesh group in Somalia, killing 13 suspected militants, a military statement said. The strike was carried out in the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia, where three militants were killed in April. “At this time, it is…

Prison riot in northern Myanmar leaves four dead

YANGON, May 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four prisoners were killed during a riot at a northern Myanmar jail, officials said, coming on the heels of an amnesty which saw more than 6,000 inmates released – including high-profile Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. The unrest at Sagaing region’s Shwe Bo…