Major quake hits Caribbean, triggering evacuations

Workers leave the building of the Lonja del Comercio (Commerce Market) building after a quake in Havana HAVANA, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) —  A major 7.7-magnitude quake struck Tuesday in the Caribbean between Jamaica and Cuba, triggering a brief tsunami alert and sending hundreds of people pouring onto the streets of…

Peru court orders opposition leader Keiko Fujimori to return to prison

Keiko Fujimori arrives at a Lima courthouse with her husband Mark Villanella  LIMA, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Peruvian judge ordered opposition leader Keiko Fujimori to return to prison for a further 15 months’ pre-trial detention as part of an investigation into Latin America’s sprawling Odebrecht corruption scandal. Fujimori, 44,…

Cuba promotes foreign investment in special development zone

HAVANA, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cuba’s Mariel Special Development Zone is now one of the main drivers of the economy and aims to attract half a billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment each year, an official said. “Our goal is to grow. We are never going to give up our…

Bolivia: MAS presidential candidate returns to Bolivia for campaign

LA PAZ, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bolivian presidential candidate Luis Arce, who is running for the leftist Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, returned on Tuesday to Bolivia to start the campaign for the general elections to be held in May. Arce was met at the airport by scores of supporters…

EU to assess Trump’s Mideast peace plan: top EU diplomat

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) will study and assess the U.S. Middle East peace plan announced by the U.S. President Donald Trump, said Josep Borrell, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, in a declaration. The top EU diplomat pledged the EU’s “firm and…

US CDC estimates 8,200 deaths associated with flu this winter

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that there have been at least 15 million influenza illnesses, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths associated with flu so far this season in the United States. A total of 54 influenza-associated pediatric deaths were…

EU says could assist with repatriations from China as coronavirus spreads

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Commission said it could help finance the repatriation of Europeans affected by the coronavirus, which is spreading quickly in China, through a so-called EU Civil Protection Mechanism. A spokesman for the bloc’s executive told a news briefing that there had not been any…

Airbus agrees to settle corruption probes with France, Britain, US

PARIS, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — European planemaker Airbus SE (AIR.PA) said that it has agreed to reach a settlement with French, British and US authorities regarding a probe into allegations of bribery and corruption.“Airbus confirms that it has reached agreement in principle with the French Parquet National Financier, the U.K.…

Libya: Two children killed by shelling near school

TRIPOLI, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two children have reportedly been killed in shelling on the Libyan capital Tripoli, despite a ceasefire that was meant to come into effect earlier this month. The internationally recognised government based in the capital said that a stray shell fell near a school. It accused…

Ugandan air force jet crashes killing two

UPDAF Jet Ranger KAMPALA, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two crew members aboard a Ugandan air force jet were killed when their jet crashed, the army said.According to the spokesman of the Ugandan Peoples’ Defense Forces, UPDF, Richard Maremire, the UPDAF Jet Ranger was on a training mission when the incident…