Niger’s President-elect Mohamed Bazoum has ruled out a power-sharing deal with the opposition and blamed it for bringing children from rural areas for post-election protests.Governing party candidate Bazoum was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election runoff on Tuesday, setting off allegations of fraud by the opposition which also organised protests in which and more than 400 were arrested.The electoral commission said Bazoum secured 55.75 percent of the votes cast on February 21, while opposition candidate and former President Mahamane Ousmane garnered 44.25...…Niger’s President-elect Mohamed Bazoum has ruled out a power-sharing deal with the opposition and blamed it for bringing children from rural areas for post-election protests.Governing party candidate Bazoum was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election runoff on Tuesday, setting off allegations of fraud by the opposition which also organised protests in which and more than 400 were arrested.The electoral commission said Bazoum secured 55.75 percent of the votes cast on February 21, while opposition candidate and former President Mahamane Ousmane garnered 44.25...WW…

Myanmar security forces have moved decisively, firing rubber bullets at protesters in a bid to prevent opponents of the military government from gathering, after the country’s own United Nations envoy urged the world body to use “any means necessary” to stop the leaders of the February 1 coup.The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the army seized power and arrested elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership, alleging fraud in a November election her party had won by a landslide.Uncertainty has grown over Aung San Suu Kyi’s whereabouts, as the independent...…Myanmar security forces have moved decisively, firing rubber bullets at protesters in a bid to prevent opponents of the military government from gathering, after the country’s own United Nations envoy urged the world body to use “any means necessary” to stop the leaders of the February 1 coup.The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the army seized power and arrested elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership, alleging fraud in a November election her party had won by a landslide.Uncertainty has grown over Aung San Suu Kyi’s whereabouts, as the independent...WW…

Canada’s stimulus plan is valued at $100 billion Canadian dollars ($79bn) – and justified by the economic hole caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, government sources told Reuters news agency, as analysts warned Ottawa against racking up too much debt and making investments that fail to boost growth.The International Monetary Fund fired a shot across the bow of sorts last week when it said Canada’s fiscal risks had risen and that unjustified further spending could “weaken the credibility of the fiscal framework”. Canada’s Liberal Party government plans to roll out the stimulus over three...…Canada’s stimulus plan is valued at $100 billion Canadian dollars ($79bn) – and justified by the economic hole caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, government sources told Reuters news agency, as analysts warned Ottawa against racking up too much debt and making investments that fail to boost growth.The International Monetary Fund fired a shot across the bow of sorts last week when it said Canada’s fiscal risks had risen and that unjustified further spending could “weaken the credibility of the fiscal framework”. Canada’s Liberal Party government plans to roll out the stimulus over three...WW…

Ivory Coast has become the second country to receive a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines via COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing programme.The vaccines, 504,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, arrived on Friday in the commercial capital, Abidjan, paving the way for the West African nation to launch a vaccination campaign next week.Ghana received the first COVAX shipment on Wednesday, marking the start of what the WHO and UNICEF call the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history.By the end of 2021, COVAX plans to deliver nearly two...…Ivory Coast has become the second country to receive a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines via COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing programme.The vaccines, 504,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, arrived on Friday in the commercial capital, Abidjan, paving the way for the West African nation to launch a vaccination campaign next week.Ghana received the first COVAX shipment on Wednesday, marking the start of what the WHO and UNICEF call the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history.By the end of 2021, COVAX plans to deliver nearly two...WW…

An explosion has struck an Israeli-owned ship near the strategic mouth of the Gulf, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security firm said on Friday.The crew and vessel were safe, according to the UKMTO, which is run by the British navy. The explosion forced the Bahamas-flagged ship, the MV Helios Ray, to head to the nearest port.The incident occurred at 20:40 GMT on Thursday, the UKMTO said, but gave no details about a possible cause.“Vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise caution,” it said.The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet was “aware and...…An explosion has struck an Israeli-owned ship near the strategic mouth of the Gulf, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security firm said on Friday.The crew and vessel were safe, according to the UKMTO, which is run by the British navy. The explosion forced the Bahamas-flagged ship, the MV Helios Ray, to head to the nearest port.The incident occurred at 20:40 GMT on Thursday, the UKMTO said, but gave no details about a possible cause.“Vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise caution,” it said.The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet was “aware and...WW…

At least three people have been killed in Iraq’s anti-government protests after security forces fired live ammunition into a crowd of demonstrators, according to a human rights monitor.Friday was the deadliest in five days of protests that have left a total of five protesters dead in the southern Nasiriya city, the semi-official Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights said.“Another 47 people were wounded but the hospitals are all full of coronavirus patients. We’re struggling to find places to treat them,” a medic told AFP news agency.Amnesty International said the wounded were treated in...…At least three people have been killed in Iraq’s anti-government protests after security forces fired live ammunition into a crowd of demonstrators, according to a human rights monitor.Friday was the deadliest in five days of protests that have left a total of five protesters dead in the southern Nasiriya city, the semi-official Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights said.“Another 47 people were wounded but the hospitals are all full of coronavirus patients. We’re struggling to find places to treat them,” a medic told AFP news agency.Amnesty International said the wounded were treated in...WW…

Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped 317 schoolgirls in the northwest Nigerian state of Zamfara, police said in a statement on Friday, the second such kidnapping in little over a week.Earlier, Sulaiman Tanau Anka, information commissioner for Zamfara state, told Reuters news agency that “unknown gunmen … took the girls away” in a midnight raid on the Jangebe Government Girls’ Secondary School.“Information available to me said they came with vehicles and moved the students, they also moved some on foot,” Anka said, adding that security forces were hunting through the area.The United Nations...…Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped 317 schoolgirls in the northwest Nigerian state of Zamfara, police said in a statement on Friday, the second such kidnapping in little over a week.Earlier, Sulaiman Tanau Anka, information commissioner for Zamfara state, told Reuters news agency that “unknown gunmen … took the girls away” in a midnight raid on the Jangebe Government Girls’ Secondary School.“Information available to me said they came with vehicles and moved the students, they also moved some on foot,” Anka said, adding that security forces were hunting through the area.The United Nations...WW…

Libya’s newly-elected prime minister failed to name members of a much-anticipated Cabinet ahead of an expected deadline on Thursday, raising questions over whether his transitional government can unite Libya’s factions.Prime Minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah was set to announce his Cabinet in a news conference from the capital, Tripoli, and send it to Libya’s House of Representatives for approval.Instead, Dbeibah told reporters he only shared with Libyan legislators proposed guidelines for the selection of Cabinet members and a “vision” of his priorities in the coming period.“We...…Libya’s newly-elected prime minister failed to name members of a much-anticipated Cabinet ahead of an expected deadline on Thursday, raising questions over whether his transitional government can unite Libya’s factions.Prime Minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah was set to announce his Cabinet in a news conference from the capital, Tripoli, and send it to Libya’s House of Representatives for approval.Instead, Dbeibah told reporters he only shared with Libyan legislators proposed guidelines for the selection of Cabinet members and a “vision” of his priorities in the coming period.“We...WW…

The killing of a Palestinian man by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem last year was an “extrajudicial execution”, according to a London-based group specialising in the investigation of violations of human rights.Ahmed Erekat was shot at the Container checkpoint in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank in June 2020 and left to bleed to death for more than an hour after Israeli soldiers stopped a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance from treating him.In a report published on Tuesday, Forensic Architecture said that the 27-year-old posed no threat to the Israeli...…The killing of a Palestinian man by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem last year was an “extrajudicial execution”, according to a London-based group specialising in the investigation of violations of human rights.Ahmed Erekat was shot at the Container checkpoint in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank in June 2020 and left to bleed to death for more than an hour after Israeli soldiers stopped a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance from treating him.In a report published on Tuesday, Forensic Architecture said that the 27-year-old posed no threat to the Israeli...WW…

The United Kingdom’s highest court has ruled Shamima Begum, a woman who was stripped of her citizenship after fleeing to Syria to join ISIL (ISIS), should not be allowed to return to the country to challenge the decision, because she poses a security risk.Begum left London in 2015 when she was 15 and travelled to Syria, via Turkey, with two friends from her school.Now 21, she is currently being held in a detention camp in Syria after her British citizenship was revoked in 2019 by then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid.Keep readingJavid argued at the time that Begum was eligible for Bangladeshi...…The United Kingdom’s highest court has ruled Shamima Begum, a woman who was stripped of her citizenship after fleeing to Syria to join ISIL (ISIS), should not be allowed to return to the country to challenge the decision, because she poses a security risk.Begum left London in 2015 when she was 15 and travelled to Syria, via Turkey, with two friends from her school.Now 21, she is currently being held in a detention camp in Syria after her British citizenship was revoked in 2019 by then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid.Keep readingJavid argued at the time that Begum was eligible for Bangladeshi...WW…

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused top military officers of attempting a coup after the army demanded his resignation, prompting a rally of thousands of supporters.The army’s demand, in a written statement on Thursday, came in response to his handling of the country’s conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended in November last year with Armenia’s loss of control over the disputed region and surrounding areas.“The ineffective management of the current authorities and the serious mistakes in foreign policy have put the country on the brink of collapse,” the...…Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused top military officers of attempting a coup after the army demanded his resignation, prompting a rally of thousands of supporters.The army’s demand, in a written statement on Thursday, came in response to his handling of the country’s conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended in November last year with Armenia’s loss of control over the disputed region and surrounding areas.“The ineffective management of the current authorities and the serious mistakes in foreign policy have put the country on the brink of collapse,” the...WW…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to ship surplus coronavirus vaccines to a group of allied nations was frozen on Thursday following a legal challenge to the deal, his office announced.It was the latest twist in a saga that has raised questions at home about Netanyahu’s decision-making authority, as well as his move to help far-flung nations in Africa and Latin America at a time when the neighbouring occupied Palestinian territories are struggling to secure their own vaccine supplies.The plan has also illustrated how at a time of global shortages, the vaccine...…Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to ship surplus coronavirus vaccines to a group of allied nations was frozen on Thursday following a legal challenge to the deal, his office announced.It was the latest twist in a saga that has raised questions at home about Netanyahu’s decision-making authority, as well as his move to help far-flung nations in Africa and Latin America at a time when the neighbouring occupied Palestinian territories are struggling to secure their own vaccine supplies.The plan has also illustrated how at a time of global shortages, the vaccine...WW…

The killings of hundreds of civilians by Eritrean troops in the ancient Ethiopian town of Axum in November last year amounted to “a series of human rights and humanitarian law violations”, according to Amnesty International.The killings in Axum, located some 187km (116 miles) north of Mekelle, capital of the Tigray region, occurred during the armed conflict between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) last year.On November 28 and 29, Eritrean troops killed hundreds of civilians in a “coordinated and systematic” manner in order “to terrorize the...…The killings of hundreds of civilians by Eritrean troops in the ancient Ethiopian town of Axum in November last year amounted to “a series of human rights and humanitarian law violations”, according to Amnesty International.The killings in Axum, located some 187km (116 miles) north of Mekelle, capital of the Tigray region, occurred during the armed conflict between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) last year.On November 28 and 29, Eritrean troops killed hundreds of civilians in a “coordinated and systematic” manner in order “to terrorize the...WW…

Sales of new U.S. homes rose in January by more than forecast to a three-month high as buyers took advantage of attractive mortgage rates that are now starting to increase.Purchases of new single-family homes increased 4.3% to a 923,000 annualized pace in January from an upwardly revised 885,000 rate in the prior month, government data showed Wednesday. The median forecast called for an 856,000 pace.The median sales price rose 5.3% to $346,400 from a year earlier, the highest for any January on record.Historically-low mortgage rates helped fuel a housing boom last year when many Americans...…Sales of new U.S. homes rose in January by more than forecast to a three-month high as buyers took advantage of attractive mortgage rates that are now starting to increase.Purchases of new single-family homes increased 4.3% to a 923,000 annualized pace in January from an upwardly revised 885,000 rate in the prior month, government data showed Wednesday. The median forecast called for an 856,000 pace.The median sales price rose 5.3% to $346,400 from a year earlier, the highest for any January on record.Historically-low mortgage rates helped fuel a housing boom last year when many Americans...WW…

The US House of Representatives passed legislation enshrining LGBTQ protections in the nation’s labour and civil rights laws on Thursday as Republican and Democratic lawmakers feud over protections for transgender individuals.The Equality Act passed by a 224-206 vote.The act amends existing civil rights law to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identification as protected characteristics. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remembered the late Representative John...…The US House of Representatives passed legislation enshrining LGBTQ protections in the nation’s labour and civil rights laws on Thursday as Republican and Democratic lawmakers feud over protections for transgender individuals.The Equality Act passed by a 224-206 vote.The act amends existing civil rights law to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identification as protected characteristics. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remembered the late Representative John...WW…

China has denied subjecting United States diplomats to COVID-19 anal tests following reports in US media that some US personnel reported being made to undergo the procedure.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday that: “China has never asked US diplomats in China to go through anal swab tests.”A US State Department spokesperson said Washington was “committed to guaranteeing the safety and security of American diplomats and their families while preserving their dignity, consistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as...…China has denied subjecting United States diplomats to COVID-19 anal tests following reports in US media that some US personnel reported being made to undergo the procedure.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday that: “China has never asked US diplomats in China to go through anal swab tests.”A US State Department spokesperson said Washington was “committed to guaranteeing the safety and security of American diplomats and their families while preserving their dignity, consistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as...WW…

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned of an “attempted coup” against him after top military officials demanded he resigns over his handling of last year’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.Also under pressure from a growing protest movement, Pashinyan on Thursday announced he had fired Onik Gasparyan, the head of the army’s General Staff, and urged the military to listen only to his orders.“The most important problem now is to keep the power in the hands of the people, because I consider what is happening to be a military coup,” Pashinyan said in an address to the nation broadcast on...…Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned of an “attempted coup” against him after top military officials demanded he resigns over his handling of last year’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.Also under pressure from a growing protest movement, Pashinyan on Thursday announced he had fired Onik Gasparyan, the head of the army’s General Staff, and urged the military to listen only to his orders.“The most important problem now is to keep the power in the hands of the people, because I consider what is happening to be a military coup,” Pashinyan said in an address to the nation broadcast on...WW…

US President Joe Biden has revoked a proclamation issued under the Trump administration that blocked many green card applicants from entering the United States.The order by former President Donald Trump, known as Presidential Proclamation 100014, cited a need to protect US jobs amid high unemployment rates caused by the coronavirus pandemic.In a on Wednesday, the White House announced that Biden overturned the measure through an executive order, saying Trump’s ban separated families and “does not advance the interests of the United States”.“To the contrary, it harms the United States,...…US President Joe Biden has revoked a proclamation issued under the Trump administration that blocked many green card applicants from entering the United States.The order by former President Donald Trump, known as Presidential Proclamation 100014, cited a need to protect US jobs amid high unemployment rates caused by the coronavirus pandemic.In a on Wednesday, the White House announced that Biden overturned the measure through an executive order, saying Trump’s ban separated families and “does not advance the interests of the United States”.“To the contrary, it harms the United States,...WW…

At least 41 people drowned when their boat capsized in the Central Mediterranean on Saturday, the latest shipwreck involving migrants and refugees fleeing conflict-stricken Libya and seeking a better life in Europe.The United Nations migration and refugee agencies, IOM and UNHCR, said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the drowned people were among at least 120 migrants on a dinghy that left Libya on February 18.According to testimonies gathered by the UNHCR, the dinghy started taking in water after about 15 hours at sea, and eight people died before a merchant vessel came to...…At least 41 people drowned when their boat capsized in the Central Mediterranean on Saturday, the latest shipwreck involving migrants and refugees fleeing conflict-stricken Libya and seeking a better life in Europe.The United Nations migration and refugee agencies, IOM and UNHCR, said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the drowned people were among at least 120 migrants on a dinghy that left Libya on February 18.According to testimonies gathered by the UNHCR, the dinghy started taking in water after about 15 hours at sea, and eight people died before a merchant vessel came to...WW…

President Joe Biden is expected to call Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud on Wednesday, ahead of the scheduled release of a US intelligence report detailing the disappearance and murder of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Citing a source, the news website late on Tuesday that the “imminent release of the explosive report” could entangle one of the king’s sons without mentioning any names.Should it proceed as scheduled, the call would be the first conversation between Biden, as US president and King Salman.Other issues are likely to be discussed but the Khashoggi case...…President Joe Biden is expected to call Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud on Wednesday, ahead of the scheduled release of a US intelligence report detailing the disappearance and murder of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Citing a source, the news website late on Tuesday that the “imminent release of the explosive report” could entangle one of the king’s sons without mentioning any names.Should it proceed as scheduled, the call would be the first conversation between Biden, as US president and King Salman.Other issues are likely to be discussed but the Khashoggi case...WW…

President Joe Biden’s nomination of Neera Tanden to head the White House Office of Management and Budget, a key domestic policy role, has run into trouble in the United States Senate.In the evenly divided 50-50 Senate, a combination of Republican opposition and potential Democratic defections puts Tanden’s prospects in jeopardy.Two Senate committees postponed planned meetings on Wednesday to vote to advance Tanden’s nomination to the full Senate, effectively putting her confirmation on hold.Delays by the Senate Budget and Homeland Security committees came after Senator Joe Manchin, a...…President Joe Biden’s nomination of Neera Tanden to head the White House Office of Management and Budget, a key domestic policy role, has run into trouble in the United States Senate.In the evenly divided 50-50 Senate, a combination of Republican opposition and potential Democratic defections puts Tanden’s prospects in jeopardy.Two Senate committees postponed planned meetings on Wednesday to vote to advance Tanden’s nomination to the full Senate, effectively putting her confirmation on hold.Delays by the Senate Budget and Homeland Security committees came after Senator Joe Manchin, a...WW…

The United States has warned inaction by world powers on climate change is tantamount to a “mutual suicide pact” after countries such as China, India, and Russia expressed scepticism on the global security threat it posed.John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the Pentagon has described the climate crisis as “a threat multiplier”.“But even though climate change has been repeatedly called ‘an existential threat’, we honestly have yet as a world to respond with the urgency required,” said Kerry.He called the climate situation...…The United States has warned inaction by world powers on climate change is tantamount to a “mutual suicide pact” after countries such as China, India, and Russia expressed scepticism on the global security threat it posed.John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the Pentagon has described the climate crisis as “a threat multiplier”.“But even though climate change has been repeatedly called ‘an existential threat’, we honestly have yet as a world to respond with the urgency required,” said Kerry.He called the climate situation...WW…

China has dramatically increased its prosecution of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang through the formal court system, handing out long prison terms for dubious charges such as “picking quarrels” and giving gifts to overseas relatives, a rights group said on Wednesday.These criminal convictions are in addition to the detention of an estimated one million Uighurs and other mainly Muslim minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang province.More than 250,000 people in the northwestern region have been formally sentenced and imprisoned since 2016, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).“Despite the...…China has dramatically increased its prosecution of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang through the formal court system, handing out long prison terms for dubious charges such as “picking quarrels” and giving gifts to overseas relatives, a rights group said on Wednesday.These criminal convictions are in addition to the detention of an estimated one million Uighurs and other mainly Muslim minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang province.More than 250,000 people in the northwestern region have been formally sentenced and imprisoned since 2016, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).“Despite the...WW…

Tehran, Iran – Unofficial talks between Iran and world powers that signed an ailing 2015 nuclear deal appear to be the only way forward as neither side seems willing to take the first step.Iran says the United States, which in 2018 unilaterally abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), must first return to full compliance under the accord by lifting all economic sanctions it imposed.President Joe Biden has said former US leader Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign has failed, but nevertheless insists Iran must first reverse steps to reduce its commitments under the...…Tehran, Iran – Unofficial talks between Iran and world powers that signed an ailing 2015 nuclear deal appear to be the only way forward as neither side seems willing to take the first step.Iran says the United States, which in 2018 unilaterally abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), must first return to full compliance under the accord by lifting all economic sanctions it imposed.President Joe Biden has said former US leader Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign has failed, but nevertheless insists Iran must first reverse steps to reduce its commitments under the...WW…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday that Washington will seek a permanent seat on the panel for the 2022-2024 term.The announcement is the latest instance of President Joe Biden’s administration’s pivot towards multilateralism and rejection of former leader Donald Trump’s “America First” approach.Trump withdrew from the council in 2018 accusing it of anti-Israeli bias and allowing chronic rights-abusing states as members.Blinken also the 47-member council “flawed”, but warned in early February the US absence has created a “vacuum”...…US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday that Washington will seek a permanent seat on the panel for the 2022-2024 term.The announcement is the latest instance of President Joe Biden’s administration’s pivot towards multilateralism and rejection of former leader Donald Trump’s “America First” approach.Trump withdrew from the council in 2018 accusing it of anti-Israeli bias and allowing chronic rights-abusing states as members.Blinken also the 47-member council “flawed”, but warned in early February the US absence has created a “vacuum”...WW…