US, China committed to reaching trade deal by deadline: Mnuchin

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Both sides in the US-China trade negotiations are making a “big commitment” to reach an agreement by the March 1 deadline, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day truce in the ongoing trade war, but…

Pres Rouhani says Iran ready to accept friendly US ties if it ‘repents’

TEHRAN, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country would be ready to establish “friendly relations” with the United States if it apologised for past wrongs. “Our slogan is friendly relations with the whole world,” he said. That would even include “America, if it repents … and…

At least two killed after building collapses in Turkey’s Istanbul: Official

ISTANBUL, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least two people were killed and six wounded after an eight-storey residential building collapsed in Istanbul on Wednesday, the governor’s office said. It was not immediately clear why the building, in the Kartal district on the Asian side of the city, had collapsed. Istanbul Governor…

Taliban say Moscow talks with Afghan politicians ‘very successful’

MOSCOW, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Taliban hailed unprecedented talks with Afghan politicians as “very successful”, despite disagreements over women’s rights and the group’s demand for an Islamic constitution in the war-torn country. The extraordinary two-day gathering in Moscow saw Taliban leaders stand shoulder-to-shoulder with former president Hamid Karzai, who called…

Canada opens doors to some 750 ex-slaves from Libya

OTTAWA, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canada will welcome some 750 ex-slaves from Libya as refugees, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said. The number of migrants traveling through Libya to reach Europe has increased tenfold since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, according to the United Nations. And their fate was highlighted…

Israel: PM Netanyahu election rival moots West Bank settlement removals

JERUSALEM, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s toughest election rival voiced openness to a future removal of settlements from the occupied West Bank, sparking debate over diplomacy with the Palestinians as a U.S. peace plan looms. The secret plan is widely expected to be unveiled after Israel’s…

Indian Hindu temple board reverses opposition to entry of women

NEW DELHI, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A board that oversees an ancient Hindu hill temple in southern India said it now favored allowing women of menstruating age to enter the temple, reversing its previous support for a centuries-old ban. The Sabarimala temple has been the site of tension since India’s…

Zimbabwe president invites opposition for talks as teachers strike

HARARE, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa invited opposition leaders to a meeting to draw up terms for a national dialogue, they said, following a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. More than 20 politicians who contested July’s presidential election were invited, two of whom – Lovemore Madhuku and…

Malaysia Ranks 1st In World’s Best Healthcare Category

Hospital Kuala Lumpur is a public hospital in the Malaysian capital and is one of the largest hospitals in the world spread across 150 acres of land. KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Malaysia, with a score of 95 out of 100, ranked first in the Best Healthcare in the World category of the 2019 International Living Annual Global…

Brazil: Ex-President Lula Gets Nearly 13-Year Extra Sentence

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 7 (NNN-XINHUA) —Brazil’s ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 13 more years in prison on Wednesday on corruption and money laundering charges, judicial sources said. Lula, who served as Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010, is currently serving a sentence of 12 years and one month…