Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli rabbi and a soldier in the occupied West Bank, the Shin Bet internal security service said.
Troops, police and security agents Tuesday surrounded a building in the West Bank village of Abwein, north of Ramallah, in which the suspect was hiding according to a Shin Bet statement.
The suspect, Omar Amin Abu Laila, opened fire and was killed in the shootout, Shin Bet said.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian suspect in West Bank killings: security agency

PTI Automatic

The United States is extending a waiver to let energy-hungry Iraq keep buying power from Iran, despite Washington's campaign of sanctions aimed at curbing Tehran, an official said.
The State Department issued a second three-month exemption from Iran sanctions for Iraq, mindful not to destabilise the war-torn country increasingly reliant on Iranian gas and electricity to cope with chronic blackouts that have triggered unrest.
"While this waiver is intended to help Iraq mitigate energy shortages, we continue to discuss our Iran-related sanctions with our partners in Iraq," a State Department official said.
The official said that increasing Iraq's capacities and diversifying imports "will strengthen Iraq's economy and development as well as encourage a united, democratic and prosperous Iraq free from malign Iranian influence."
Despite Washington's repeated warnings, Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein has walked a fine line and maintained warm ties with Iran, with which Iraq's majority 

US extends Iraq waiver over Iran sanctions

US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has formally directed an internal watchdog office to audit the certification process for Boeing's 737 MAX 8 aircraft following recent deadly crashes.
Chao's request comes amid reports US authorities have also launched a criminal probe into the certification of the top-selling jet, which has been grounded around the world.
Nearly 350 people have died aboard 737 MAX 8 aircraft in crashes less than five months apart in Indonesia and Ethiopia, with the most recent occurring March 10 outside Addis Ababa.
Preliminary reports have identified similarities in between the two crashes, in which the planes plunged to earth shortly after takeoff.
In a Tuesday memo to Transportation Inspector General Calvin Scovel, Chao said Boeing had requested an "amended type certification" for the 737 MAX 8 in January 2012, which it received in March 2017.
Chao said she was requesting the audit to develop "an objective and detailed factual history" of the process of ...

US transport watchdog to audit Boeing 737 certification

At precisely 11:48 am on December 18, 2018, a large space rock heading straight for Earth at a speed of 19 miles per second exploded into a vast ball of fire as it entered the atmosphere, 15.9 miles above the Bering Sea.
From below, the only witnesses to this fiery event may have been the fish that inhabit the frigid waters between Russia and Alaska, as no human eye caught sight of it.
A meteor is the luminous phenomenon that results when an asteroid or other celestial body enters the Earth's atmosphere. It is commonly called a shooting star. If it does not fully vaporise and some part of it hits the Earth's surface, it is called a meteorite.
One of the first researchers to detect the event was Peter Brown, a meteor scientist at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario.
On March 8, he was poring over December data from the system used by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization to detect atmospheric explosions caused by nuclear tests.
The ...

The powerful meteor that no one saw (except satellites)

Over 2,000 artefacts, including about 100 that were looted and found abroad, have been unveiled in a museum in Basra province on the southern tip of Iraq, authorities have said.
Basra is the most oil-rich province in Iraq but its heritage sites have long been neglected.
On Tuesday, between 2,000 and 2,500 pieces went on display in the Basra Museum, the second largest in Iraq, said Qahtan al-Obeid, head of archeology and heritage in the province.
"They date from 6000 BC to 1500 AD," he told AFP, referring to the Assyrian, Babylonian and Sumerian periods.
Obeid said about 100 artefacts -- most of which came from Jordan and the United States -- were given back to Iraq to be displayed in the museum, a former palace of deposed dictator Saddam Hussein.
The heritage of Iraq, most of which was former Mesopotamia, has paid a heavy price due to the wars that have ravaged the country for nearly four decades.
Following the US-led invasion that overthrew Saddam in 2003, Islamic State group ...

Iraqi museum unveils 'looted' artefacts

US President Donald Trump has slapped down ambitious proposals being circulated by some Democratic White House candidates to expand the number of justices on the US Supreme Court, dismissing it as election sour grapes.
Trump Tuesday said Democrats were seeking to rebalance the nine-member court or draw it once again to a more liberal lean after the high court shifted to the right with the president managing to place two of his nominees -- Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh -- on the bench.
"So if they can't catch up through the ballot box by winning an election, they want to try doing it in a different way," Trump said at a White House press event with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.
"We would have no interest in that whatsoever, it'll never happen. I guarantee it won't happen for six years," Trump added, referring to his remaining time in office should he win re-election in 2020.
The remarks come as several Democratic 2020 hopefuls said they might seek to expand the number of 

Trump: Expanding US Supreme Court will 'never happen'

The death toll in Zimbabwe from Tropical Cyclone Idai stands at around 100 but could rise to as much as 300, a minister has said.
Local Government Minister July Moyo told reporters at a post-cabinet meeting Tuesday that the current toll was around 100.
"The total number, we were told they could be 100, some are saying there could be 300. But we cannot confirm this situation," he said.
"I understand there are bodies which are floating, some have floated all the way to Mozambique," said Moyo.
At least 217 people are missing and 44 stranded, according to the information ministry.
The worst-hit region was eastern Zimbabwe, especially the town of Chimanimani.
The area was pounded by Tropical Cyclone which on Friday ripped into neighbouring Mozambique before wreaking havoc in southern Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe says cyclone fatalities could surge to 300

The US Supreme Court has ruled that authorities can detain some immigrants with criminal records at any time, marking a victory for the administration of President Donald Trump and its hard line on migrants.
Justices of the country's highest court, which has a conservative majority under Trump, Tuesday decided by five votes to four against a lower court ruling from California's Ninth Circuit appeals court.
Trump's measures to curb migration have faced numerous court challenges.
In this case, two permanent residents of the US had filed class actions over their arrest and detention without bond hearings by immigration authorities years after they had served criminal sentences and been released.
The Ninth Circuit -- whose rulings Trump has previously criticized as "dangerous" -- said that aliens deemed deportable under a 1996 law and who have committed certain crimes must be arrested immediately by immigration agents upon release from jail.
Otherwise, the alien must have a chance for a ..

Top US court sides with govt on detaining some immigrants

President Donald Trump fired off one of his Twitter insults Tuesday to retaliate against a prominent lawyer -- married to one of his top aides -- accusing him of being mentally sick.
"A total loser!" Trump tweeted about George Conway, who has taken to social media and The Washington Post to question Trump's mental state.
The unseemly row is made unique by the fact that Conway's wife is Kellyanne Conway, a fiercely loyal advisor to Trump.
A frequent guest on the television networks, where she promotes Trump's agenda and defends him in multiple controversies, Kellyanne Conway now finds herself also having to bat down questions about her outspoken husband.
Trump's tweet came with a retweet of his election campaign manager Brad Parscale, who belittled George Conway as a jealous failure.
"We all know that @realDonaldTrump turned down Mr. Kellyanne Conway for a job he desperately wanted," Parscale wrote. "Now he hurts his wife because he is jealous of her success." Conway has posted ...

Trump fires back at top aide's husband: 'loser!'

President Donald Trump raised the possibility Tuesday that Brazil could become a member of NATO as he greeted far-right President Jair Bolsonaro for security talks at the White House.
"I... intend to designate Brazil as a major non-NATO ally or even possibly, if you start thinking about it, maybe a NATO ally," Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden.
"I have to talk to a lot of people, but maybe a NATO ally, which will greatly advance security and cooperation between our countries.

Trump floats idea of Brazil becoming NATO member

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will return to Beijing next week as the United States and China inch toward resolving their trade war, a senior administration official told AFP on Tuesday.
The renewed shuttle diplomacy is a sign of progress in the talks after several weeks in which momentum toward a resolution appeared to have slowed.  Following the renewed talks in Beijing, Chinese trade envoy Liu He will return to Washington the following week, with talks in their final stages, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday told reporters the talks were going "very well," reiterating the positive message of recent months.
But he also said last week he was in "no rush" to strike a bargain, insisting any deal had to do more than make cosmetic changes.
US and Chinese officials in recent weeks have alternated between projecting optimism and warning that they have much to do before reaching a final ...

US negotiators to return to China next week: official

The death toll in Mozambique after Tropical Cyclone Idai struck the southern African nation at last week has climbed to more than 200, President Filipe Nyusi said Tuesday.
"According to the information given to us here, ... we already have more than 200 dead, and nearly 350,000 people are at risk," the president said after attending a cabinet meeting in the central city of Beira.

Mozambique cyclone death toll surges to more than 200: president

President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that the United States could impose "a lot tougher" sanctions on Venezuela as he urged the country's military to depose leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.
Meeting Brazil's new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, an avowed opponent of socialism, Trump declined to predict a time-frame for the fall of Maduro, who has clung to power for nearly two months since the United States and Latin American powers declared him illegitimate.
"We haven't done the toughest sanctions," Trump told a joint news conference with Bolsonaro.
"We've done, I would say, right down the middle, but we can go a lot tougher if we need to do that," Trump said.
"What is happening there is a disgrace. This was one of the wealthiest countries in the world and all of a sudden, it is grief-stricken, poverty-stricken -- no food, no water, no air-conditioning, no anything," Trump said.
Trump renewed his call on Venezuelan security forces to desert Maduro, who still enjoys support from the .

Trump warns of 'a lot tougher' sanctions on Venezuela

President Donald Trump stepped up claims of political bias by Big Tech firms Tuesday after one of his key congressional allies sued Twitter claiming it discriminates against conservatives.
"Facebook, Google and Twitter, not to mention the Corrupt Media, are sooo on the side of the Radical Left Democrats," Trump tweeted after news of a lawsuit filed by
Republican Representative Devin Nunes seeking $250 million in damages from Twitter.
Trump returned to his familiar refrain of bias by Silicon Valley despite strong denials from the industry.
In another tweet, the president pointed to a separate incident in which his social media director Dan Scavino was temporarily blocked on Facebook.
"I will be looking into this!" Trump wrote, adding hashtag #StopTheBias.  Facebook said Scavino was briefly blocked as a result of activity detected as spam, not for any political reason, and added that it had apologized to him.
Nunes meanwhile alleged in his lawsuit filed in a Virginia state court that ...

Trump ramps up claims of Big Tech bias

- British Prime Minister Theresa May will write to EU President Donald Tusk with a plan for delaying Brexit beyond March 29, her spokesman said Tuesday, admitting the parliamentary deadlock had reached crisis levels.
The letter will be sent before May heads to a Brussels summit on Thursday, where she has already promised to seek what could be a lengthy postponement of Britain's exit from the European Union.
May had hoped to persuade MPs before then to back the divorce agreement she has struck with the EU, but her plan to hold a fresh vote was dramatically blocked by the speaker of the House of Commons.
Exasperated European leaders are now demanding London tell them clearly what it wants, warning that the risk still remains that Britain could crash out of the bloc in 10 days, ending its 46-year membership without formal arrangements.
Michel Barnier, the European Union's chief negotiator, warned on Tuesday that any extension of the Brexit talks would have "political and economic costs" .

May tries to save Brexit plan ahead of EU summit

Football world's governing body FIFA is "following with concern" the detention of one of its officials for allegedly defaming the Bangladeshi prime minister, a FIFA spokesman said Tuesday.
Mahfuza Akhter, a FIFA council member since 2017 and the national chief of women's soccer, was arrested on Saturday after a local football organiser accused her of making derogatory comments about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A court in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka has granted her bail and she is expected to be released in a day or two, her lawyer said.
Mahfuza in a press conference last month criticised Hasina for neglecting football in the cricket-mad country.
In an email to AFP, a FIFA spokesman said they "have requested further details about the situation of Ms Mahfuza Akhter and are currently awaiting information from the Bangladesh Football Federation.
"FIFA is monitoring this matter with concern and working closely with the AFC (Asian Football Confederation)".
FIFA's statement came a day ...

FIFA 'concern' over Bangladesh arrest

The European Union's chief negotiator warned Tuesday any extension of the Brexit talks would come at a cost to the bloc, urging London not to take one for granted.
Michel Barnier said when EU leaders meet to consider any request to postpone Brexit beyond March 29 they would expect Britain to explain why it might help.  Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to send a letter in the coming hours to ask EU leaders to delay Brexit as Britain seeks an orderly divorce.
The leaders, who will meet May on Thursday at their Brussels summit, are expected to approve an extension to avoid the chaos of a cliff-edge split.
But it is still not clear whether May can command a House of Commons majority to approve the deal she signed in November and remains the only one available.
Barnier told reporters the leaders would decide but that any "long extension... should be linked to something new, a new element or new political process." "Extending the uncertainty without a clear plan would add to the ...

Barnier warns any Brexit delay would come at 'cost' to EU

Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz has been hospitalised with flu and will miss the team's Euro 2020 match against Norway on Saturday.
The Napoli player was suffering from a fever and left team-training Monday for treatment for flu symptoms, the Spain squad said in a statement.
"If his condition improves he could leave the hospital sometime Tuesday and return to Napoli" for further treatment and convalescence at home, the statement added.
Spain coach Luis Enrique has called Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid into the squad to replace Ruiz ahead of the Norway game in Valencia and the Malta match on March 26 in Ta' Qali.

Spain midfielder Ruiz ruled out with flu for Euro qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo rejoined his Portugal team-mates on Tuesday ahead of the start of Euro 2020 qualifying this week following a nine-month absence from the national team.
The 34-year-old Juventus forward was recalled by Portugal coach Fernando Santos for games at home to Ukraine and Serbia, having not played for his country since the 2018 World Cup.
Ronaldo was rested for the last six Portugal games while he settled at his new club following his departure from Real Madrid last July.
The reigning European champions, who are through to the UEFA Nations League final in June, kick off their Group B campaign in Lisbon on Friday against Ukraine before facing Serbia on March 25.
"Cristiano adds quality to any team. It's a pleasure to play with him and he's very important for us," Portugal defender Joao Cancelo, Ronaldo's team-mate at Juventus, told reporters on Tuesday.

Ronaldo joins Portugal camp for Euro 2020 qualifiers

The United States slapped sanctions Tuesday on a Venezuelan state mining company, charging that its illicit gold operations were being used to prop up President Nicolas Maduro and his inner circle.
"Treasury is targeting gold processor Minerven and its president for propping up the inner circle of the corrupt Maduro regime," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement announcing the action.

US sanctions Venezuela state gold mining company: Treasury

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev shocked the nation on Tuesday by announcing his resignation after nearly 30 years in power.
The Central Asian strongman, 78, had ruled Kazakhstan since before the collapse of the Soviet Union and leaves no obvious successor.
His announcement came a year ahead of the country's next scheduled presidential election and amid growing frustration over falling living standards.
In a broadcast address to the nation, Nazarbayev said he had decided to step down and that the chairman of the Kazakh senate would take over.
"I have taken the decision to resign from the post of presidency," Nazarbayev said.
"The mandate of the presidency will pass to the chairman of the senate for the remainder of my presidential term."
The senate chair position is currently held by Nazarbayev loyalist Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 65, a former prime minister and career diplomat.
The announcement came less than a month after Nazarbayev sacked his government, citing a lack of ...

AFP

AFP

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