India poll body watchdog orders Modi TV channel clampdown

NEW DELHI, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Indian election officials have ordered a clampdown on a television channel devoted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which they say breaches campaign rules. As the country of 1.3 billion people embarks on its huge vote, the Election Commission said NaMo TV, which is sponsored by…

Sixteen killed as blast hits market area in Pakistan’s Quetta

ISLAMABAD, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 16 people, including one security personnel and two children, were killed and 30 others injured when a bomb ripped through an open-air market in Pakistan’s southwest city of Quetta on Friday morning. Deputy Inspector General of police Abdul Razzaq Cheema confirmed the death…

British court finds Assange guilty of breaching bail

LONDON, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A London court found WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange guilty of breaching his bail conditions in 2012 and remanded him into custody pending sentencing. Assange faces up to 12 months in prison on the charge. He will face another court hearing on May 2 on a…

Italy: Pro-migrant mayor charged with setting up fake marriages

ROME, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A high-profile pro-migrant mayor in populist-ruled Italy was ordered to face court over charges he set up fake marriages to help foreign women stay in the country after their asylum applications were rejected. Domenico Lucano, under house arrest after being apprehended in October, was told…

US to send 100 agents to Mexico border to cut delays: Congresswoman

EL PASO (Texas, US), April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will send about 100 agents to the Mexico border to speed up crossing times, a US congresswoman said, as businesses grapple with trade delays after officers were redeployed to immigration duties. The slowdowns began late last month after…

Oil tankers leave Venezuela for Cuba following sanctions

CARACAS, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA has shipped one million barrels of oil to Cuba days after the United States imposed fresh sanctions on vessels and firms involved in exports to the island in an effort to halt oil trade between the political allies, according to a PDVSA document…

Trump to attend 75th anniversary of Normandy landings in France

WASHINGTON, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump said that he will attend ceremonies to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy that broke Nazi Germany’s grip on France. “I’ll be there,” he told reporters in the White House. Operation Overlord was launched on June 6,…

Singapore hopes to improve relationship with China even further: DPM Teo

BEIJING, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said that Singapore’s relationship with China has progressed “very well” over the past year and hopes this can be taken further in 2019. DPM Teo made these comments as he met Chinese leaders in Beijing on Thursday, as…

Singapore’s GDP growth slows to 1.3% in Q1: MTI advance estimates

SINGAPORE, April 12 (NNN-CNA) — The Singapore economy grew 1.3 per cent year-on year in the first quarter of 2019, according to advance estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Friday. The official estimate marked a slowdown from 1.9 per cent in the previous quarter, and came…

Nigeria plans special economic zones to double manufacturing by 2025

ABUJA, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria announced a target to double its manufacturing output to 20 percent of GDP within six years and will set up production hubs across the country in partnership with regional aid banks.Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy but it lacks a strong manufacturing base, which contributes…