Italy: In world first, Venice to trial day tickets for tourists

 VENICE (Italy), April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venice will this week begin charging day trippers for entry, a world first aimed at easing pressure on the Italian city drowning under the weight of mass tourism. On Thursday — a public holiday in Italy — day visitors will for the first time…

Namibia en route to becoming another Guyana oil discovery success story

LISBON, April 23 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Portugal’s oil company Galp Energia shares skyrocketed on Monday after the company announced that the first phase of its exploration in the Mopane field in offshore Namibia could contain some 10 billion barrels of oil. This follows on Galp operations at the Mopane-1X well in…

PowerChina launches construction of photovoltaic power plant in Algeria

ALGIERS, April 23 (NNN-XINHUA) — Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) on Monday started the construction of a photovoltaic power plant in northern Algeria, with a total installed capacity of 220 MW. Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, attended the project’s groundbreaking ceremony in Bir Naam, Biskra province,…

Colombian gov’t, rebel faction agree to hold new round of talks in Venezuela

Colombia and the ELN attend the fourth cycle of peace talks in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept 4, 2023 CARACAS, April 23 (NNN-XINHUA) — Colombia’s government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas announced here on Monday their decision to hold a new round of peace talks in May. “From May 20…

Cuba receives more than 809,000 tourists in the first quarter of the year

HAVANA, April 23 (NNN-ACN) — The National Statistics and Information Office (ONEI by its Spanish acronym) published that up to March this year, 809,238 tourists have arrived in Cuba, a figure that represents 107.5 % (%) of that registered in the same period of 2023, when 56,807 arrived in the…

Nigeria army vows revenge after soldiers killed in ambush

Six soldiers were ambushed and killed while on a peace mission in the central state of Niger ABUJA, April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Nigerian army has vowed revenge for the killing of six soldiers who were ambushed while on a peace mission in the central state of Niger last week.The…

Heavy rains and floods bring Mauritius to standstill

PORT LOUIS, April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mauritius has been struck by heavy rains and severe flooding, causing major inundation across the island nation.As a result of the adverse weather conditions, all schools will remain closed.Both public and private sector employees have been advised not to report to work on Monday.…

Mexico’s leading presidential candidate stopped by masked men who ask for help in stemming violence

Presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum MEXICO CITY, April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Masked men stopped a vehicle carrying Mexico’s leading presidential candidate while she was traveling between campaign stops Sunday to ask that she address the violence in the southern state of Chiapas if she wins the June 2 election. Former Mexico City…

Eyeing China, EU parliament to back ban on forced labour

STRASBOURG (France), April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU lawmakers will vote on Tuesday to ban products made using forced labour under a new law that has China in its sights, risking raising tensions with Beijing. The law does not directly mention China, but many lawmakers hope it will be used to…

Tensions flare at US universities over Gaza protests

NEW YORK, April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Classes at Columbia University were shifted online as protests over the Israel-Hamas war heightened tensions on US campuses and led to dozens of arrests at Yale University. A large group of demonstrators has established a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on lawns at Columbia, with some…