Nicaragua joins Cuba, Venezuela on human rights black list

WASHINGTON, March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) put Nicaragua on its human rights black list along with Venezuela and Cuba, the group said. In its annual report, citing a group of experts’ conclusion in December, the IACHR said authorities committed crimes against humanity while cracking…

Six dead as car hits crowd in China, police kill driver

BEIJING, March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A car rammed into a crowd in centralChina Friday, killing six people and injuring seven others, and the driverwas fatally shot by police, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The injured were taken to hospital following the early morning incident inZaoyang City in Hubei Province, CCTV said.…

Update: Venezuela’s Guaido says intelligence agents seize his chief of staff

CARACAS, March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said intelligence agents had arrested his chief of staff following a pre-dawn raid, signaling that President Nicolas Maduro may be cracking down on the opposition’s challenge to his rule. Guaido invoked the constitution in January to assume the interim presidency…

Russia accuses U.S. of stoking tensions by flying bombers near its border

MOSCOW, March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia said that flights by U.S. B-52 strategic bombers across the Baltic Sea’s neutral waters near Russia’s borders created tension in the region. Russia’s Defence Ministry said earlier on Thursday that it had scrambled fighter jets to intercept a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber after it…

U.S.-backed fighters say operation at last Islamic State enclave not over

DEIR AL-ZOR (Syria), March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — U.S.-backed Syrian fighters said they were still searching territory captured from Daesh at its final enclave in eastern Syria and denied a report the jihadists had been finally defeated. The final capture of the Baghouz enclave at the Iraqi border will mark the…

Update: Aid workers widen search for Mozambique, Zimbabwe cyclone survivors, death toll mounts

BEIRA (Mozambique), March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rescue workers widened their search in Mozambique and Zimbabwe for survivors of devastating floods following a cyclone that ripped through southern Africa a week ago, killing hundreds and destroying buildings and farmland. The death toll in Mozambique has risen to 217 and around 15,000…

Zimbabwe raises public workers pay by 29 percent, averts strike for now

HARARE, March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zimbabwe’s public workers have accepted a 29 percent salary hike for the lowest paid employees, which the government says will cushion them against double-digit inflation, unions said, and likely averting a strike in the interim. Civil servants in the southern African nation twice rejected a…

Algeria general praises public’s ‘noble aims’ in sign of distance from outgoing Pres Bouteflika

ALGIERS, March 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria’s army chief declared that the public has expressed “noble aims” during weeks of demonstrations against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, his strongest signal yet that the military is distancing itself from the long-serving ruler. Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah said the month had been “marked by…

SADC holds Solidarity Conference on Western Sahara

FLAGS OF SADC MEMBER COUNTRIES LUANDA, March 22 (NNN-ANGOP) — The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold a symposium on solidarity with the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on March 25-26 in the city of Pretoria, South Africa. According to the SADC website, which advances information, the collaboration of…

Angola, Rwanda eye strengthened cooperation

PRESIDENTE JOÃO LOURENÇO (R.) WITH COUNTERPART PAUL KAGAME LUANDA (Angola), March 22 (NNN-ANGOP) — Angola and Rwanda have pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discussed the possibility of the official airlines of the two countries (TAAG and RwandAir) linking the capitals, Luanda and Kigali. This was announced by Angolan President…