Zimbabwe disused gold mine flooded, many feared dead

HARARE, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 23 gold miners were feared dead in Zimbabwe on Thursday after water flooded two disused shafts in a mining town 145km south-west of the capital, Harare. Rescuers were trying to use pumps to extract water in the search for survivors and bodies at…

Nigeria: Atiku and Buhari pitch for votes on Twitter

ABUJA, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The candidates in Nigeria’s presidential election are making their final pitches before voting on Saturday. Campaigning is supposed to end by midnight local time, so there are only a few hours left to change people’s minds. The main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar,…

Mexico: President Obrador says Pemex will pay debt, vows to boost finances

MEXICO CITY, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican state oil firm Pemex will make all of its debt payments, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday, promising measures to shore up its finances after credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded the firm’s rating last month. Lopez Obrador, a veteran leftist who…

Nearly 1,000 Madagascar children dead of measles since October

GENEVA, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 922 children and young adults have died of measles in Madagascar since October, despite a huge emergency vaccination program, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The number of deaths is based on official numbers, but these are likely to be very incomplete, as…

Update: Kashmir car bomb kills 44; India demands Pakistan act against militants

Protestors clash with police during a shutdown against the killing of 37 CRPF personnel in the Pulwama terror attack, in Jammu. At least 37 CRPF personnel were killed yesterday when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. Photo…

Spain: Catalan separatist refuses to answer prosecutors at trial

MADRID, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The lead defendant in a rebellion case against Catalan separatist leaders refused to answer prosecutors’ questions as he took the stand on Thursday at Spain’s most politically explosive trial in decades. Former regional vice president Oriol Junqueras, 49, is one of 12 separatists on trial over…

Russia to Turkey: You can’t have Syrian safe zone without Assad’s consent

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia told Turkey it had no right to create a “safe zone” inside Syria unless it sought and received the consent of President Bashar al-Assad, signalling tensions as a three-way summit on the Syrian conflict began. President Vladimir Putin, one of Assad’s closest allies, was…

Football: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to present joint 2030 World Cup bid

SANTIAGO, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay are to submit a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera announced. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay had already submitted a joint bid to host the centenary edition of football’s most prestigious tournament, but Pinera said…

Venezuela Supreme Court orders prosecution of new oil boards

CARACAS, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that executives appointed to boards affiliated with state oil firm PDVSA – in a bid for control by opposition leader Juan Guaido – face criminal prosecution. The court – packed with loyalists for Nicolas Maduro – ordered legal action against 15…

US officials to meet Xi as trade talks near end

BEIJING, Feb 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Top US economic officials were to meet on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the sides aim to wrap up trade talks in Beijing with enough goodwill to extend a truce in their tariff war. The world’s two biggest economies are seeking an accord…