Chicago, United States | AFP | Former US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle are planning a star-studded gathering at the end of October, in their ongoing post-White House effort to support future leaders. Prince Harry, Gloria Estefan, and Chance the Rapper are among the names attending the two-day Chicago …
Read More »Trump administration rejects World Bank capital increase
Washington, United States | AFP | The Trump administration on Friday rejected a capital increase by the World Bank, which the Bank says is necessary to expand its global anti-poverty mission. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the huge Washington-based institution is inefficient and can be more effective in the nearly $60 …
Read More »UN chief hopes Iran nuclear deal will survive
United Nations, United States | AFP | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “very much hopes” the nuclear deal with Iran can be salvaged, a spokesman said Friday, as President Donald Trump was set to de-certify the 2015 agreement. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres considers the deal to be a “very important …
Read More »Nobel peace laureates denounce Trump’s Iran move
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The nuclear weapons disarmament campaigners awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize denounced US President Donald Trump’s decision on Friday to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, saying it makes proliferation more likely. “President Trump’s rejection of the JCPOA is an incitement to proliferation, makes achieving further agreements …
Read More »The 2015 Iran nuclear deal
Tehran, Iran | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday declared a more aggressive strategy on a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers but stopped short of withdrawing from the 2015 deal. Struck in Vienna by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, …
Read More »Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez to host telethon for hurricane victims
Miami, United States | AFP | Celebrities including Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez and Stevie Wonder are set to appear Saturday night at a telethon for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Appearing from both Miami and Los Angeles, performers will raise funds to provide food, shelter, medicine, electricity and …
Read More »US House approves $36 bn for disasters including Puerto Rico
Washington, United States | AFP | The US House of Representatives on Thursday easily approved a $36.5 billion disaster relief package for hurricane-affected communities like Puerto Rico, and for areas devastated by wildfires including those in California. The measure outlining “supplemental” disaster spending passed 353 to 69, with all votes in …
Read More »Men dominate American Music Awards nominations
New York, United States | AFP | Bruno Mars, Drake and Ed Sheeran led nominations Thursday for the American Music Awards, where for the first time no women were vying for the top prize. In the televised gala, set for November 19 in Los Angeles, winners are determined by fan voting, …
Read More »US, Israel pull out of UN cultural body over ‘anti-Israel’ bias
Paris, France | AFP | The United States and its ally Israel said Thursday they were pulling out of the UN’s culture and education body, in a move that underlined Washington’s drift away from international institutions. The US decision, announced in Washington, follows years of tension at the organisation which it …
Read More »California fires kill 31, deadliest in state’s history
Santa Rosa, United States | AFP | The death toll from raging California wildfires rose to 31 Thursday as body recovery teams used cadaver dogs to locate victims, making it the deadliest series of blazes in the state’s history. The fires, which began on Sunday, have swept through California’s wine country, …
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