Spain to exhume Franco’s remains in June

MADRID, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain will exhume the remains of late dictator Francisco Franco from its opulent mausoleum and move them to a location outside Madrid in June, the government announced Friday. The move has long been talked about by sympathisers of the left-leaning government but fiercely resisted by…

US to deny visas to ICC members probing US troops in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States announced  it would deny visas to members of the International Criminal Court involved in investigating the actions of US troops in Afghanistan or other countries. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was prepared to take further steps, including economic sanctions, if the…

American Airlines says suspending flights to Venezuela

NEW YORK, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — American Airlines said it is suspending flights to Venezuela amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation and increased safety concerns in the country. “American has temporarily suspended our operation into Caracas and Maracaibo,” the carrier said in a statement. “The safety and security of our team members…

Venezuela: Pres Maduro creates military unit to protect public service installations

CARACAS, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro created a military unit on Friday charged with protecting basic installations and services such as electricity and water just over a week after the country was hit with a massive blackout. Maduro blamed that on a cyber attack directed by the…

EU leaders urge clarity from Britain before Brexit delay

LONDON, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU leaders sought clarity from Britain before they consider any delay to Brexit after a series of chaotic votes by MPs just two weeks before the deeply divided country is due to leave the bloc. Quitting the EU after 46 years on March 29 remains the legal…

US Pres Trump issues veto over Mexico border emergency declaration

WASHINGTON, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump has vetoed a measure from Congress revoking his declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border.Lawmakers, including 12 Republicans, had passed the rejection resolution on Thursday in a surprising rebuke of Trump’s pledge to build a border wall.Congress will now need…

Ethiopia plane crash investigation team arrives in Paris

ADDIS ABABA, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An Ethiopian team investigating the crash of flight ET302, which killed 157 people, has arrived in Paris, where the aircraft’s black boxes are being examined, the airline said. “The Ethiopian delegation led by the chief investigator of Accident Investigation Bureau has arrived in the…

Cyclone Idai lashes Mozambican port, hits communications

MAPUTO, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Parts of Mozambique were cut off on Friday as a tropical storm battered the coast and the major port city of Beira with heavy rain and winds of up to up 170 kph (105 mph). Cyclone Idai was bringing more floodwater and destruction to areas…

South Africa: Labour court blocks mine union’s plan for industry-wide strike

RUSTENBURG (South Africa), March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa’s labour court has rejected a request by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) to hold an industry-wide strike covering the platinum and gold sectors, Anglogold Ashanti, Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin said. AMCU has been on strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s…

Algeria ruling party turns on Bouteflika as new protests mount; a senior official says he is ‘history’

ALGIERS, March 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria’s ruling FLN party showed more signs of turning its back on Abdelaziz Bouteflika as new protests against him began on Friday, with one senior party figure saying in an interview overnight the long-serving president was “history now”. Bouteflika has reversed a decision to stand…