Aden, Yemen | AFP | The UN expressed concern on Wednesday for more than 40,000 displaced Yemenis who had sought refuge in second city Aden, only to find themselves caught in deadly fighting between troops and separatist militia. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it had been unable to distribute …
Read More »Top US health official resigns in conflict of interest
Washington, United States | AFP | The top US public health official resigned Wednesday due to financial conflicts of interest, a day after US media reported she bought tobacco stocks while heading the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A statement from the US Department of Health and Human …
Read More »UN launches appeal for over 200,000 displaced by Boko Haram
Niamey, Niger | AFP | The UN refugee agency appealed on Wednesday for $157 million (126 million euros) to help over a quarter of a million people affected by the insurgency led by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The UNHCR, acting with more than 40 other agencies, said it …
Read More »British PM says she is ‘not a quitter’: reports
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May batted away critics of her leadership on Wednesday, saying she was “not a quitter”, according to media reports. May is under pressure from across her Conservative party over her Brexit strategy and her domestic policy programme, with one veteran …
Read More »Melania braves public eye after Trump cheating claim
Washington, United States | AFP | First Lady Melania Trump made a very visible return to the public stage Tuesday by attending her husband’s maiden State of the Union address, her first official appearance since accusations of infidelity surfaced about the president. The enigmatic wife of Donald Trump emerged publicly …
Read More »Facebook bans ads for cryptocurrencies
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook says it is banning all ads related to cryptocurrencies in an effort to fight scams. The social media giant said it is barring ads for “financial products and services that are frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices, such as binary options, …
Read More »IMF head warns of public frustration in Middle East, North Africa
Marrakesh, Morocco | AFP | IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned Tuesday that “public dissatisfaction is bubbling up” in the Middle East and North Africa, calling for reforms that “respond faster to the expectations and sometimes to the frustration of the people”. Speaking at a conference in Morocco’s Marrakesh, the head of …
Read More »Pope to send investigator to Chile over accused bishop
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis will send the Vatican’s top expert on sex abuse to Chile to hear from witnesses in the case of a Chilean bishop accused of covering for a paedophile priest, the Vatican announced Tuesday. The pope’s decision was taken on the basis of …
Read More »Putin laughs off Washington’s ‘Kremlin list’
Moscow, Russia | AFP | President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday laughed off a US list of Russians tapped for possible sanctions, joking that he was offended his name was not on it, but nevertheless branded it an “unfriendly act”. The 65-year-old Russian leader — who spoke before the US Treasury said …
Read More »Kremlin says will analyse US ‘Putin list’ without ‘giving into emotions’
Moscow, Russia | AFP | The Kremlin on Tuesday said it would take its time to study a new US Treasury list of Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions, while refraining from giving into “emotions”. “We have to analyse this publication, analyse specifically this list that includes members …
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