Death toll from Alabama tornadoes likely to rise as search resumes

BEAUREGARD (Alabama, US), March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rescuers in Alabama stepped up the search for survivors after two back-to-back tornadoes ripped across the southern state, with the death toll of 23 expected to rise further. “I would describe the damage that we have seen in the area as catastrophic,” Lee County…

Spain and Britain sign Gibraltar tax deal

MADRID, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain and Britain on Monday signed a fiscal treaty on Gibraltar as Brexit nears to fight tax fraud and money laundering via the British overseas territory. Hailed as “massively significant” by Gibraltar’s leader, it was signed separately by Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell and David…

Brazil: Rio’s carnival set for last night of partying and political protest

Members of the Sao Clemente samba school perform during the second night of Rio’s Carnival parade RIO DE JANEIRO, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rio was gearing up for the second and final night of its celebrated carnival, with the stage set for an event that will blend huge party with…

Libya’s NOC lifts force majeure at El Sharara oilfield

TRIPOLI, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libyan state oil company NOC said it had lifted force majeure at the El Sharara oilfield, the country’s biggest, which has been closed since December when state guards and tribesmen seized it. An oil engineer said oil production of the 315,000 barrels a day field…

US backs away from allowing suits against foreign companies in Cuba

WASHINGTON, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States backed away from a threat to allow Cuban exiles to file suit in US courts against foreign companies operating in Cuba, limiting such legal action to Cuban entities. The 1996 Helms-Burton Act in theory permits Cuban exiles to pursue claims against companies…

Mexico government apologises for deaths of youths taken by police

MEXICO CITY, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican government officials apologised to families of five youths killed after police kidnapped them and turned them over to a brutal drug gang, a rare instance of officials admitting the state’s culpability in such crimes. Relatives said the apology is the first official recognition…

Pres Trump extends US sanctions against Zimbabwe by a year

WASHINGTON, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — U.S. President Donald Trump extended by one year sanctions against Zimbabwe saying that the new government’s policies continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary” threat to U.S. foreign policy. The renewal comes despite calls by African leaders, including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the…

Mexico: Cave of relics found under Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza

Pre-columbian artifacts in a cave at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza MEXICO CITY, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Archaeologists have discovered a cave filled with hundreds of artifacts beneath the ruins of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, the lead researcher on the project said, calling the find “incredible”. The…

Hero’s welcome as opposition leader Guaido returns to Venezuela

CARACAS, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido received a hero’s welcome from thousands of flag-waving supporters chanting “Yes, you can!” as he returned to Caracas, defying the threat of arrest from embattled President Nicolas Maduro’s government. “We know the risks we face, that’s never stopped us. The regime,…

Russia suspends INF arms treaty with US

MOSCOW, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Vladimir Putin officially suspended Russia’s participation in a key Cold War-era arms treaty, after the US first moved to ditch the INF deal. Putin “signed a decree regarding the suspension of Russia’s participation in the agreement between the USSR and the US,” the Kremlin…