Middle East and North Africa

Coronavirus could push half a billion people into poverty, Oxfam warns

April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 NewsEditorafrica, business, coronavirus outbreak, Economics, g20, Global development, Global economy, Infectious diseases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Middle East and North Africa, Oxfam, Poverty, Society, World Bank, World news

Nearly half of all jobs in Africa could be lost without urgent action, says charity More than half a billion more people could be pushed into poverty unless urgent action is taken to bail out poor countries affected by the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, plans to offer debt relief to the worlds poorest countries and whether to increase the funds available to the IMF through the creation of special drawing rights (SDRs), a form of international currency that can be used to help struggling countries. The UN, which…

Headlines

Baghdad explosions: rockets strike near US embassy in Iraq

February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 NewsEditorIraq, Middle East and North Africa, US news

Multiple blasts and circling aircraft heard near enclave where US mission is located Multiple rockets hit near the US embassy in US assets in the country. The assault sent warning sirens blaring across the diplomatic compound but it was unclear what was hit and how many rockets made impact, the US source and a western diplomat based nearby said. There were no casualties and only minor damage, a US military spokesman said. Agence France-Presses correspondents heard multiple strong explosions followed by aircraft circling near the green zone, the high-security enclave…

Headlines

Trump’s foreign policy is cynical and self-interested. His ‘peace plan’ is no exception | Michael H Fuchs

February 1, 2020February 1, 2020 NewsEditorDonald Trump, Foreign policy, Israel, Middle East and North Africa, Palestinian territories

The plan is a giant middle finger to the Palestinian people, and a way for Trump and Netanyahu to distract voters from domestic political problems Donald Trumps foreign policy is all about advancing the interests of Donald Trump, and the release of his Israeli-Palestinian peace plan is yet another illustration of Trumps disregard for Americas national security when he believes doing so will benefit him personally. At the same time that Trumps lawyers stood on the floor of the US Senate defending the president from impeachment charges of abuse of…