Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia has lifted a ban on domestic workers moving overseas after passing a new law to guard against ill-treatment, a government official said Thursday. Africa’s second-most populous country instituted the ban five years ago following reports of abuse, and complaints that employment agencies lured Ethiopians …
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 »Isolated Qatar signs agreements with Oman
Muscat, Oman | AFP | Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding with Oman on the development of bilateral investment and trade Sunday, nearly eight months into a crisis between the emirate and its Arab neighbours. The Omani news agency ONA said the agreement signed in Muscat covers a wide range …
Read More »IMF invites Arab nations to tackle public ‘frustration’
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | The International Monetary Fund is holding a two-day regional conference from Monday in Morocco with a message of reform amid growing “frustration” among the population of some Arab states. “Rising social tensions and protests in several countries across the Middle East and North Africa are …
Read More »Dodging bad headlines and boos, Trump tries to charm Davos
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | President Donald Trump on Friday reached out to the global business and political elite in Davos with a sales pitch for the US economy, but provoked boos for attacking the media after waking up to another round of adverse headlines. In a 15-minute speech at …
Read More »‘I want to see a strong dollar,’ says Trump
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump waded into the uproar over the US currency Thursday, saying he wants to see “a strong dollar,” after comments by his Treasury secretary appeared to signal the opposite and sent the dollar plunging to three-year lows. In comments to CNBC, Trump said …
Read More »Trump meets Kagame, sends ‘warmest regards’ to African leaders after reported slur
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday asked the African Union chairman to pass on his “warmest regards” to other regional leaders at a summit this weekend, after sparking outrage with a reported slur against Africans. Trump met Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the World Economic …
Read More »S.Africa in ‘new era’, likely next president tells Davos
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | South Africa’s likely next president promised pro-business reforms and tough justice for those guilty of state corruption, as he wooed investors on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Cyril Ramaphosa, who could replace Jacob Zuma as president within weeks, told investors in Davos …
Read More »Macron tells Davos elite: ‘France is back’
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron told the world’s business elite in Davos on Wednesday that France was back as a European powerhouse under his reformist government. “France is back at the core of Europe,” Macron said in English in a highly anticipated speech, before switching to French …
Read More »Trump takes ‘America First’ message to Davos elite
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Donald Trump rappels into the snowy Swiss Alps on Thursday to address Davos summiteers anxious to see whether they will get a pitch from a capitalist kindred spirit or a lecture from a populist president. Trump is due to deliver the closing address at the …
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