Trump slaps sanctions on Venezuela

WASHINGTON• • US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that prohibits dealings in new debt from Venezuela's government or its state oil company in an effort to halt financing that the White House said fuels President Nicolas Maduro's "dictatorship".

REUTERS

US embassy staff's woes: Spy ops to blame?

HAVANA • An outbreak of hearing loss and other health woes affecting at least 16 employees at the US embassy in Havana could have been caused by a botched electronic surveillance operation, former intelligence officials told The Guardian on Friday. The US State Department said no device or perpetrator had been found and that Cuba was cooperating with the probe.

Turkey opposition chief hosts 'justice congress'

CANAKKALE• • Turkey's main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu yesterday began hosting a four-day "justice congress" in the wake of the success of a month-long march protesting against alleged judicial abuse under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He told the Canakkale gathering there was a "thirst for justice" after the July 15 failed coup that saw over 50,000 arrested.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE