Washington: IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday the fund would only support a “comprehensive program” for Lebanon that would tackle all the country’s ills, including corruption. “Our team is working very closely with their Lebanese counterparts,” Georgieva told reporters. “We are stressing that it has to be a comprehensive program.” Lebanese officials began […]
AFP
Omicron sub-variant found in 57 countries: WHO
Geneva: A sub-variant of the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus strain, which some studies indicate could be even more infectious than the original version, has been detected in 57 countries, the WHO said Tuesday. The fast-spreading and heavily mutated Omicron variant has rapidly become the dominant variant worldwide since it was first detected in southern Africa […]
UN extends its Libya mission by just three months
United Nations: The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a British-drafted resolution extending its political mission in Libya for just three months, after several days of a standoff between the United States and Russia. The extremely short text, which was adopted unanimously, provides for a continuation of the mission until April 30. An earlier version […]
One year after Myanmar coup, sanctions and new charges
Yangon: Myanmar’s junta marked one year in power on Tuesday despite fresh foreign sanctions as demonstrators promised to rally against the army and its bloody crackdown. The military takeover ending the Southeast Asian country’s brief democratic interlude has triggered mass protests and a crackdown on dissent with more than 1,500 civilians killed, according to a […]
Facebook’s crypto project Diem sold after pushback
San Francisco: The Facebook-backed digital currency project Diem announced Monday the winding down and $182-million sale of its technology, capping a years-long initiative that drew significant concern from regulators. Facebook’s announcement in 2019 of plans to design a cryptocurrency and payment system raised immediate red flags for global finance officials, who expressed a barrage of […]
US judge rejects plea deals for murderers of Black jogger
Washington: A US judge on Monday rejected plea deals from two white men convicted of murdering a Black jogger in Georgia after relatives of the victim vehemently objected to the agreements. Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and their neighbor, William Bryan, were sentenced to life in prison in January for the February 2020 murder […]
Beauty pageants ‘devastated’ by suicide of Miss USA 2019
New York: Organizers of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants said Monday they were “devastated” by the suicide a day earlier of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, who had often spoken out about stress and mental health. In a statement sent to AFP, the Miss Universe and Miss USA organisations said they were “devastated […]
Over 1400 US flights cancelled after winter storm in Northeast
NEW YORK; About 1,400 U.S. flights were canceled on Sunday after the northeastern part of the country was walloped by a fierce winter storm a day earlier, with much quieter weather expected on Sunday. Several U.S. states had declared emergencies in response to the storm, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Carolinas and […]
UAE intercepts Yemen rebel ballistic missile: defence ministry
Dubai: The UAE said Monday it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards the Gulf country with no casualties reported, the third such incident this month. The defence ministry said in a statement that United Arab Emirates “air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist […]
Saudis near Yemen border learn to live with Huthi fire
Saudi Arabia: Huthi fire from Yemen this month in the UAE, traditionally a haven of security in a turbulent Middle East, stirred alarm at home and abroad, but for many Saudis it’s nothing new. In the Jizan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia, the local population has had to live for years with the threat of […]