Venezuela govt, opposition may meet

CARACAS • Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said his government is prepared to meet the opposition for talks, offering a glimpse of a breakthrough in a political stand-off marked by months of deadly protests.

Mr Maduro made the surprise announcement on Tuesday in a televised Cabinet meeting in Caracas.

The opposition in turn announced it would hold an exploratory meeting with Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina, who offered to broker the talks.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Italy moves to curb fascist propaganda

ROME • Italy's Lower House of Parliament has approved a Bill aimed at curbing fascist propaganda, more than 70 years after the death of wartime dictator Benito Mussolini.

The draft law, proposed by the ruling Democratic Party, follows a politically charged summer, with human rights groups warning of growing racism in Italy in the face of mass immigration across the Mediterranean from Africa.

The legislation passes to the Upper House Senate for further approval.

REUTERS

Amtrak engineer not negligent in accident

NEW YORK • A judge in Pennsylvania has dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against an Amtrak engineer who was driving a train that derailed in Philadelphia in 2015, killing eight people.

The judge on Tuesday said the episode appeared to be an accident and not the result of criminal negligence.

The charges were filed in May by the state's attorney-general, who brought the case before the statute of limitations was thought to expire.

NYTIMES