U.K. Politician Jess Philips Says Cologne-Style Sex Attacks Happen Every Week In Britain

Source: NEWSWEEK

A British politician has said that sex attacks similar to those which took place on New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany happen “every week” on U.K. streets.
Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, was asked on the BBC’s Question Time whether the attacks—in which 1000 men, some of them refugees, allegedly carried out sexual assaults on women, showed that mass migration does not work.
“There is violence against women and girls... a very similar situation to what happened in Cologne could be described on Broad Street in Birmingham [a U.K. city] every week,” Phillips said, “where women are baited and heckled.

UN finds more cases of child abuse by European troops in CAR

Source: THE GUARDIAN

Up to six more cases of sexual abuse of children by European troops have been uncovered by UN staff in Central African Republic, the body’s human rights chief has said.
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s office said a UN team interviewed girls who claimed their abusers were part of European Union and French military operations. The abuse allegedly took place near a camp for displaced people near Bangui airport.

Special ISIS cells preparing terror attacks in Europe and Russia – Russian anti-terrorism body

Source: RT

Islamic State cells led by Chechen recruiter Akhmed Chetayev are planning terrorist attacks in Russia and Europe, Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee reported. Former Iraqi army officers are taking part in training terrorists to attack Russia, it added.

“Russian special services have intelligence that certain IS groups are preparing terrorist attacks in Russia and European nations,” Andrey Przhezdomsky, spokesman for the Russian National Anti-Terrorist Committee, warned on Friday. “In particular, a battalion formed mainly from recruits from North Caucasus headed by Akhmed Chetayev, nicknamed One-Handed.”
Chetayev's group reportedly includes dozens of people born in Russia's southern republics who traveled to Syria to join the ranks of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
The official added that former Iraqi army officers who served under Saddam Hussein are training the terrorists.

Buhari rejects naira devaluation

Source: THENATION ONLINE

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is yet to be convinced that Nigerians will benefit from an official devaluation of the Naira.

He spoke on Wednesday at an interactive meeting with Nigerians living in Nairobi,  Kenya.

President Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, maintained that while export-driven economies could benefit from devaluation of their currencies, devaluation will only result in further inflation and hardship for the poor and middle class in Nigeria’s import-dependent economy.

He said he had no intention of bringing further hardship on the country’s poor who, he said, have suffered enough.

Likening devaluation of the Naira to having it “killed”, President Buhari said the proponents of devaluation will have to work harder to convince him that ordinary Nigerians will gain anything from it.

Nigeria seeks buyers for 15 oil cargoes

Source: THE GUARDIAN, Nigeria.

As the country is preparing to load about 62 crude oil cargoes for March 2016 delivery, over 15 cargoes of February-loading are still looking for buyers, according to trade sources.
Qua Iboe crude was offered by Exxon at a premium to dated Brent of $1.50 a barrel, steady to higher than offers heard on Tuesday. The value was pegged closer to dated plus 80 cents.
Loading delays continued on a number of Nigerian crude grades including Bonny Light, Qua Iboe, Brass River and Forcados, say traders.

U.S. economy likely hit a speed bump in fourth quarter

Source: REUTERS


U.S. economic growth likely braked sharply in the fourth quarter as businesses doubled down on efforts to reduce an inventory glut and unseasonably mild weather cut into consumer spending on utilities and apparel.
Gross domestic product probably rose at a 0.8 percent annual rate, according to a Reuters survey of economists, also as a strong dollar and tepid global demand hurt exports, and lower oil prices continued to undercut investment by energy firms.
The economy grew at a 2 percent pace in the third quarter. Risks to the fourth-quarter GDP forecast are tilted to the downside after a report on Thursday showed a collapse in new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods in December.

Germany Slams Russian Meddling in Alleged Rape Case

Source: THE MOSCOWTIMES

Germany has reacted angrily to Russian criticism of the handling of an alleged abduction and rape of a Russian-speaking girl by migrants in Berlin.
Russian state media in mid-January cited relatives of the 13-year-old girl saying she had been abused by a group of Arab migrants during a 30-hour disappearance earlier this month. But German investigators say they have found no evidence of abduction or rape, and a Berlin lawyer has said the report was cooked up as propaganda to inflame racial tensions in Germany.

Pilots blamed for 2014 TransAsia crash in Taiwan

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

TAIPEI: Two TransAsia Airways pilots caused a 2014 plane crash that left 48 people dead by flying too low as they attempted to land on an island during a typhoon, Taiwan's aviation authorities said Friday.
Taiwan's aviation body said the pilots flew below the minimum altitude required in poor visibility caused by Typhoon Matmo on July 23, 2014, in its final report into the airline's second fatal accident in a year.
The procedural mistake was widespread among TransAsia's pilots at the time, an aviation official said, endangering passenger and crew safety.
Ill-fated Flight GE222 was carrying 54 passengers and four crew when it slammed into trees and houses near Magong city airport in the Taiwan Strait's scenic Penghu islands, leaving just 10 survivors.

Syria talks at risk as rival sides fail to agree terms

Source: ALJAZEERA

The main Syrian opposition bloc has said it will not attend peace talks scheduled to begin in Geneva on Friday, in another setback to diplomatic efforts to end the five-year-long war.
The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), an opposition platform created in Saudi Arabia last month, said its delegation would not attend the talks because they had not received convincing answers from the UN to a set of demands for their participation.
Their conditions include a lifting of sieges, a halt to air strikes and the release of wrongfully detained prisoners of conscience.

Why we don’t need to copy Silicon Valley: Siemens

Source: CNBC

Merely copying trends seen in Silicon Valley will not help big European businesses innovate, the chief executive of German industrial group Siemens told CNBC.
Last year, Joe Kaeser was accused by German newspaper Handelsblatt of sounding more like the founder of a "fast-paced start-up than the head of one of Germany's moist traditional companies".
Kaeser called the comments a "compliment" and described during an event hosted by CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, how he had tried to push Siemens to think like a start-up.

Japan adopts negative interest rate in surprise move

Source: BBC

In a surprise move, the Bank of Japan has introduced a negative interest rate.

The benchmark rate of -0.1% means that the central bank will charge commercial banks 0.1% on some of their deposits.
It hopes this will encourage banks to lend, and counter the ongoing economic slump in the world's third-largest economy.

Eritrea 'appalled' by hoax forced polygamy story

Source: BBC

A satirical story that Eritrean men have been ordered to marry at least two wives, which has been shared across Africa, has upset Eritrean officials.

"Even a madman in [the Eritrean capital] Asmara would know that this story was not true," an Eritrean official told the BBC.
The hoax was first published online on a Kenyan news site called Crazy Monday.
Some men have commented on Twitter that they are ready to travel to Eritrea to find a new wife.
Crazy Monday, which is published by the Standard newspaper, is well known for its focus on scandalous stories and gossip as part of an attempt to attract a younger readership, says Mathias Muindi from the BBC's media monitoring service.

Trump overshadows Republican debate even as he sits it out

Source: REUTERS

Even in boycotting a debate with his Republican rivals, front-runner Donald Trump managed to upstage the event on Thursday with a typical dramatic flourish.
Instead of attending a seventh debate, the former reality TV star held a competing event across town that he said raised $6 million for U.S. military veterans. In doing so, he cast a shadow over his rivals, who frequently tossed barbs his way.

George Osborne delays £2bn Lloyds share sale

Source: FAST FT

George Osborne has confirmed that he is postponing a planned £2bn sale of Lloyds Banking Group shares to members of the public – which had been expected to take place in March – until markets have “calmed down”.
The chancellor confirmed the delay on Twitter after news of a postponement was reported by the BBC.

Oil Trade Slows as Storage Glut Snares Tankers in Bottlenecks

The world’s biggest oil companies are asking tanker operators to slow down delivery of crude amid an ever-expanding supply glut on land, Europe’s largest owner of supertankers said.
Tankers hauling 2 million-barrel cargoes are delivering them at speeds of about 13 knots, compared with a maximum of 15, Paddy Rodgers, chief executive officer of Antwerp, Belgium-based Euronav NV, said in an interview in London on Thursday. The slower speeds might result in a voyage that would normally take 40 days instead lasting 48. Shore-based supplies are getting so big that it’s probable the need for storage at sea may soon grow, he said.

 Paddy Rodgers speaks during an interview in London.

Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Source: BLOOMBERG

The market is contending with a glut of oil that’s not going away because OPEC is insisting it didn’t create the excess and won’t tackle it alone. Countries within the Organisation for Economic

Report Warns Of Texas Fertiliser Blast Danger

Source: SKY NEWS

Dozens of plants that store a chemical which caused a massive explosion in a Texas town in 2013 are still in operation close to schools, hospitals and residential neighbourhoods, federal regulators have warned.

In a report released ahead of a public meeting on Thursday, the Chemical Safety Board said there are 80 plants in Texas that store more than five tons of ammonium nitrate.
Half of them are fertiliser plants similar to West Fertilizer Co where a fire led to a devastating explosion that killed 15 people, injured hundreds more and flattened part of the town on West.
The report states: "The risk to the public from a catastrophic incident exists throughout the state of Texas."

Buhari’s familiar lamentations

Source: TODAY NG


President Muhammadu Buhari has always had the misfortune of coming into the saddle at the wrong time. Everybody knows this now. On December 31, 1983 when he overthrew the regime of Shehu Shagari, he inherited a “gurgu” economy because it was standing on one leg.
In his maiden broadcast, he reeled out a myriad of crush barriers that stunted Nigeria’s development, the major one being corruption… the invidious crime which impoverishes the masses.
Under Shagari’s watch, his ministers and their collaborators pillaged the national coffers. Some of them owned private jets. One high profile politician even celebrated his attainment of a billionaire status by importing customised champagne from France.
The tiny clique displayed so much profligacy that when it was said that Nigerian masses were held captive by starvation, one of the serving ministers asked everyone to shut up, and demanded to be shown any (hungry) victim feeding from the dustbin. And none was actually found!
Buhari and his ally, the late Tunde Idiagbon, went to work.

Supreme Court upholds Wike’s election

Source: THE GUARDIAN

IN a unanimous decision, the justices of the Supreme Court yesterday upheld the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 11 Rivers State polls.
Presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, the apex court also upheld the election of Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.
The court set side the judgment of the Rivers State governorship election petition tribunal in Abuja and the Court of Appeal, Abuja division which nullified the polls that produced Wike and ordered for a rerun.

Zika epidemic on US doorstep spurs vaccine hunt

Source: CNBC

The rapid spread of the zika virus across the Americas has spurred research bodies and pharmaceutical companies to start the hunt for a cure, but the financial incentive and likely length of time for a vaccine to be developed are unclear.
Cases of the virus, which has appeared in countries across the Americas and the Caribbean, have already been reported among travelers returning to the U.S. An article in The Lancet medical journal this month warned that in wetter and warmer parts of the U.S., mosquitoes could carry the virus from infected travelers and spread it to other people.

China shares flounder again, but 'real economy' sound says state media

Source: REUTERS

China's volatile shares tumbled again on Thursday, taking losses this month to about 25 percent or 13 trillion yuan ($2 trillion), while state media insisted that the market ructions did not reflect the real economy.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended down 2.9 percent, and the CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen shed 2.6 percent, both indexes having tumbled this week to levels not seen since 2014.
Trading was very light, as many investors have given up on Chinese stocks, burnt by last summer's 40 percent crash and a hair-raising January that has taken indexes back to late 2014 levels.
"The majority of equity investors we met over a four-day marketing trip in ASEAN last week had trimmed exposure to China equities by varying degrees and were waiting for signs of stabilisation for potential re-entry," said Japanese broker Nomura.

Sweden to expel up to 80,000 refugees

Source: ALJAZEERA

Sweden intends to expel as many as 80,000 refugees and migrants who arrived in 2015 and whose applications for asylum have been rejected.
"We are talking about 60,000 people, but the number could climb to 80,000," Interior Minister Anders Ygeman was quoted as saying by Swedish media.
He added on Wednesday the government has asked police and authorities in charge of refugees to organise their expulsion.
Sweden, which is home to 9.8 million people, is one of the European Union countries that has taken in the largest number of refugees in relation to its population. Sweden accepted more than 160,000 asylum seekers last year.

U.S. Forces in Europe Told Deterring Russia Is Highest Priority

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

The American military's European Command (EUCOM) published an updated strategy document on Wednesday embracing the organization's objective to deter possible Russian aggression against Europe as its highest priority.
In a statement published on EUCOM's website, the command declared 2015 to be one of its busiest years since the end of the Cold War, and declared its primary focus to be deterring Russian aggression, followed by enabling NATO to fulfill its obligations for the collective defense of Europe.
“Our command has done an outstanding job balancing its focus between a revanchist Russia, mass migrations from other regions and foreign terrorist fighters transiting through Europe, while maintaining our commitments to our NATO allies and partners,” said General Philip Breedlove, EUCOM's commander.

Laurent Gbagbo: Former Ivory Coast leader's trial to begin

Source: BBC

The trial of Ivory Coast ex-President Laurent Gbagbo for crimes against humanity is set to begin at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He faces charges relating to the country's civil conflict that erupted after he lost elections in 2010.
Mr Gbagbo becomes the first former head of state to stand trial at the court in The Hague.
Both Mr Gbagbo, 70, and his co-accused, former militia leader Charles Ble Goude, 44, say they are innocent.
"The trial is an opportunity for reconciliation," Mr Gbagbo's lawyer Emmanuel Altit said. "It is for this reason that he awaits it with confidence."
A lawyer for Mr Ble Goude, who is accused of organising attacks on opposition supporters, described his client as a "man of peace".

Oregon occupation leader Bundy urges remaining protesters to go home

Source: REUTERS

The leader of a month-long armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon on Wednesday urged remaining protesters to leave the site and go home, a day after his arrest and the death of a supporter.
Ammon Bundy, who was taken into custody with several members of his group at a traffic stop along Highway 395, north of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Oregon, urged federal authorities to let his comrades leave the compound without being prosecuted.
"To those remaining at the refuge, I love you. Let us take this fight from here. Please stand down... Please go home," Bundy said in a statement read by his attorney, Michael Arnold, following a court hearing.

Putin's Spokesman Calls Litvinenko Inquiry a 'Quasi-Investigation'

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the British inquiry into the murder of Alexander Litvinenko — a former Federal Security Service (FSB) agent poisoned in London in 2006 — a “quasi-investigation” and said it may “poison” bilateral relations between Russia and the U.K., the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.
A report into Litvinenko's death based on a public inquiry was published earlier on Thursday. It alleged that Litvinenko was poisoned with highly toxic isotope polonium 210 by two Russians — current State Duma deputy Andrei Lugovoi and entrepreneur Dmitry Kovtun – that were “probably” acting under the instructions of the FSB, which were “probably” approved by President Vladimir Putin.

BREAKING: North Korea arrests US student for 'hostile act'

Source:BBC

North Korea says it has arrested a US student accused of committing a "hostile act" against the state.

State news agency KCNA identified him as University of Virginia student Otto Frederick Warmbier.
He had entered North Korea as a tourist with the intention "to destroy the country's unity", said KCNA, which added that the US government had "tolerated and manipulated" him.
It did not give further details, but said he was now under investigation.
An official at the US embassy in the South Korean capital, Seoul, told Reuters it was aware of the arrest.

Somalia: 20 dead in gun and bomb attacks at Lido beach

Source: BBC

Islamist militants have attacked popular beachfront restaurants in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing 20 people, the security ministry says.

Two car bombs exploded about an hour apart early on Thursday evening. In between, gunmen approached from the beach, firing on diners.
A siege followed, lasting eight hours, but has now ended, the ministry said.
Al-Shabab said it was behind the attack. The group has carried out frequent assaults on the capital.
Somali Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, condemned the attack as "barbaric".

Asia stocks end week rallying off four-year lows, helped by ECB, oil bounce

Source: REUTERS

Asian stocks bounced at the end of a tumultuous week, recovering from four-year lows thanks to hints of more monetary policy support by the European Central Bank and a rally in crude oil from 12-year lows.
European markets could follow, with financial spreadbetters expecting Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE to open up about 0.4 percent, Germany's DAX .GDAXI to start the day as much as 0.9 percent higher, and France's CAC 40 .FCHI to be up as much as 0.8 percent.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 2.6 percent, the most since Sept. 9, after probing a four-year low on Thursday.

President Putin 'probably' approved Litvinenko murder

Source: BBC

The murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 in the UK was "probably" approved by President Vladimir Putin, an inquiry has found.

Mr Putin is likely to have signed off the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko with polonium-210 in part due to personal "antagonism" between the pair, it said.
Home Secretary Theresa May said the murder was a "blatant and unacceptable" breach of international law.
But the Russian Foreign Ministry said the public inquiry was "politicised".
It said: "We regret that the purely criminal case was politicised and overshadowed the general atmosphere of bilateral relations."

UK judge to publish report on killing of spy Litvinenko

Source: ALJAZEERA

A British judge is due to release the findings of a public inquiry into the killing of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in a notorious murder case that sorely tested UK-Russia relations.
Litvinenko, a Russian spy turned dissident who lived in exile in the UK, died in November 2006 three weeks after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210 at London's plush Millennium Hotel.
From his deathbed, the 43-year-old told detectives that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directly ordered his killing.
The Kremlin dismissed that claim as ridiculous at the time and has always denied involvement.

U.S. congressional committee subpoenas ex-drug CEO Shkreli

Source: REUTERS


A U.S. congressional committee has demanded that former drug executive Martin Shkreli appear at a hearing on drug prices to testify about his former company's decision to raise the price of a lifesaving medicine by more than 5,000 percent, congressional aides said on Wednesday.
Shkreli, who is separately facing federal criminal charges that he defrauded investors, has been served with a subpoena to appear on Jan. 26 before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the aides said.

Europe on the verge of collapse: Soros

Source: CNBC

Billionaire financier George Soros has warned that the European Union is on the "verge of collapse" over the migrant crisis and is in "danger of kicking the ball further up the hill" in its management of the issue which has seen more than a million migrants and refugees arrive in the region in 2015.
In an interview with the New York Review of Books, Soros added that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel is key to solving the crisis.
Merkel led Europe's response to the migrant crisis, opening Germany to the refugees that had travelled from the Middle East, in particular Syria, to try and find a new home in Europe. The decision by the German leader marked a sea-change in her policy. In the interview, Soros said he welcomed Merkel's move.
"There is plenty to be nervous about," the financier said.

Wall St. swept up in oil rout

Source: REUTERS


The selloff since the start of the year continued on Wall Street on Wednesday, led by energy stocks, as crude oil prices fell to new lows and on deepening fears of slowing global growth.
The selloff was broad: All 30 Dow components were lower and all the 10 major S&P sectors were also in the red.
The beaten-down S&P energy sector's 2.27 percent fall led the declines. Chevron dropped 5.9 percent and Exxon 3.1 percent.
U.S. crude prices sank to their lowest since 2003 and Brent held close to 12-year lows as a supply glut bumped up against bearish financial news that deepened worries over demand.
"The damage being done in energy is spreading," said Brian Fenske, head of sales trading at ITG in New York.

Kenyan police kill 'four terror suspects' in Malindi

Source: BBC

Four terror suspects in Kenya have been killed during a dawn raid on a safe house in the coastal town of Malindi, police in the East African nation say.

The officers recovered arms, ammunition and a map of the area detailing future targets for attack, regional police commissioner Nelson Marwa said.
Suleiman Awadh, on Kenya's most-wanted list, was among those killed, he said.
The Somalia-based al-Shabab Islamist militant group has launched a number of deadly high-profile attacks in Kenya.

Ukraine Expands Ban on Russian Goods

Source: THE MOSCOW TIMES

Kiev has added 70 new items to its list of banned Russian goods, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday, citing Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
“These are countermeasures against Russia's economic aggression, we will continue to protect our domestic market,” Yatsenyuk was quoted by the news agency as saying.
Certain vegetables, as well as sauces, ketchup and baked goods have been added to the list, according to Ukrainian Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Natalya Mikolskaya, RIA Novosti reported.

Islamic State Confirms 'Jihadi John' Is Dead

Source: SKY NEWS

The British IS militant known as "Jihadi John" died in a drone strike in Syria, Islamic State media has confirmed.

The terror group has published what appears to be an obituary for the fighter - real name Mohammed Emwazi - in its Dabiq magazine, saying he was killed on 12 November in their Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.
The statement backs up US officials who have said they are "99% sure" he was killed in a US strike on a car.

Twenty people killed in Pakistan university attack

Source: BBC

At least 20 people have been killed, including students and a professor, in an attack on a university in northwest Pakistan.
Attackers scaled a wall and cut through barbed wire on Wednesday morning at the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, about 140km from the capital Islamabad.
A security official said the death toll could rise to as high as 40.

Kenyan Muslim who shielded Christians in al-Shabab attack dies

Source: BBC

A Muslim teacher who shielded Christian fellow passengers when their bus was attacked by Islamist militants has died in surgery to treat his bullet wound.

Salah Farah was on a bus travelling through Mandera in Kenya when it was attacked by al-Shabab in December.
The attackers told the Muslims and Christians to split up but he was among Muslim passengers who refused.
A bullet hit Mr Farah and almost a month on, he died in hospital in the capital, Nairobi.

As mobile fuels sports betting boom, corruption concerns mount

Source: REUTERS


The rise of mobile betting is transforming global sports wagering faster than regulators can react, flooding the industry with cash and potentially contributing to corruption scandals like the one roiling world tennis, experts and insiders say.
Allegations this week that tennis authorities failed to deal with widespread match-fixing has rocked the game, following similar allegations that have blighted cricket, football and other sports.
The ubiquity of mobile phones and tablets has helped transformed bookmakers from operators of dingy, smoke-filled betting shops into multi-billion dollar de facto tech firms, pouring resources into developing apps and complex algorithms and marketing to younger and broader demographics.

Senegal President Macky Sall seeks shorter terms

Source; BBC

Changing the president's mandate from seven to five years is part of several proposals for constitutional reforms which are to be put to a referendum.
The president's office say they are aiming to strengthen democracy.
Several African presidents have recently done the opposite - changing constitutions to extend their time in power.

Apple, Samsung and Sony face child labour claims

Source: BBC

Human rights organisation Amnesty has accused Apple, Samsung and Sony, among others, of failing to do basic checks to ensure minerals used in their products are not mined by children.

In a report into cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it found children as young as seven working in dangerous conditions.
Cobalt is a a vital component of lithium-ion batteries.
The firms said that they had a zero tolerance policy towards child labour.

China fourth-quarter growth weakest since 2009 as policy misstep fears grow

Source: REUTERS

China's economic growth in the fourth quarter slowed to the weakest since the financial crisis, adding pressure on a government that is struggling to restore the confidence of investors after perceived policy missteps jolted global markets.
Concerns about China's policy making ability have shot to
the top of global investors' risk lists for 2016 after a renewed plunge in its stock markets and yuan currency CNY=CFXS stoked worries that the economy may be rapidly deteriorating.
After being a major locomotive of global growth in recent years, China is locked in the midst of a protracted slowdown.

Southern Africa's drought leaves millions hungry

Source: ALJAZEERA

About 14 million people in Southern Africa are facing hunger because of last year's poor harvest, caused by the El Nino weather pattern, the World Food Programme says.
In a statement released on Monday, the WFP, which is the UN's food-assistance branch, gave warning that the number of people without enough food is likely to rise further in 2016, as the drought worsens throughout the region.
"Worst affected in the region by last year’s poor rains are Malawi (2.8 million people facing hunger), Madagascar (nearly 1.9 million people) and Zimbabwe (1.5 million) where last year's harvest was reduced by half compared to the previous year because of massive crop failure," the WFP statement said.

Russia's Ruble Falls as Oil Price Tumbles

The ruble weakened sharply on Monday morning as the price of oil fell to new lows, worsening the outlook for Russia's recession-hit economy.
The Russian currency tumbled 1.3 percent to almost 78.6 rubles to the U.S. dollar in morning trading, close to record lows and less than half its value two years ago.
The decline echoed the oil price, which dipped to 13-year lows of below $28 after the lifting of sanctions from Iran worsened fears of oversupply on global oil markets.
The ruble's rapid devaluation reflects the importance of oil exports to the Russian economy. Half of Russia's budget revenues come from the energy industry and the current government spending plan assumes an average price of $50 per barrel in 2016.

Burkina Faso attack: Mali vows help against terror groups

Mali has vowed to help Burkina Faso tackle Islamist militants after a hotel attack in Ouagadougou left 28 people at the weekend.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has said it carried out the attack.
In November, 22 people were killed in a similar attack by the same group on a hotel in Mali's capital, Bamako.
AQIM is based in the Sahara Desert, between Mali, Niger and Algeria, and has staged raids in several West African countries.

Super-rich: 62 people own as much as half the world

Source: ALJAZEERA

The world's richest 62 people now own as much wealth as half of the world's population, according to a report by the charity Oxfam.

Super-rich individuals saw an increase of 44 percent since 2010, taking their cumulative wealth to $1.76 trillion - equivalent to the total owned by 3.5 billion of the world's poorest people.  

The UK-based charity on Monday also said tax havens were helping corporations and individuals to stash away about $7.6 trillion, depriving governments of $190bn in tax revenue every year.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Oxfam Australia's Chief Executive Helen Szoke said there were no appropriate mechanisms to check if wealth was being shared appropriately.
"We believe there is a need for commitments from global business leaders and political leaders for major tax reform to get rid of the tax havens," Szoke said.

Sanders lashes out at Clinton in contentious Democratic debate

Source: REUTERS


Democratic White House candidate Bernie Sanders went on the offensive against front-runner Hillary Clinton on Sunday in the most contentious of their four presidential debates, accusing her of cozying up to Wall Street and misrepresenting his stance on healthcare and guns.
Reflecting Sanders' rise in opinion polls, the two battled with new urgency over who was best suited to lead Democrats in the November election. Sanders cast himself as the outsider who would lead a political revolution, while Clinton touted her experience and embraced President Barack Obama's legacy.

ABUJA, Nigeria: Adokwe Cautions FG Against Following IMF's Directives

Source: THISDAY LIVE

Senator Suleiman Adokwe representing Nasarawa South Senatorial district in the Senate, has called on the federal government to be wary of the guidelines and directives given to it on the nation's economy by Chief Executive, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Largade.

The Senator gave the warning in an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Abuja.

Adokwe said: "Although she (Largade) came to say we can do without IMF loans, but she left so many policy guidelines and directives almost like a cathedral's statement that we must follow in order for our economy to move up and it was very, very clear that she came to give instructions on how to run the economy.

Fundamentals could resurface after wrenching sell-off

Source: REUTERS

The dramatic sell-off on Wall Street through most of the past two weeks could signal a capitulation-type blowout, giving fundamentals the upper hand for the next week.
The current slide in stock prices, which on Friday briefly dragged the S&P 500 to levels not seen in more than a year, is reminiscent in breadth and tone of drop-downs seen during the Great Recession.
Some argue the decline is warranted. In addition, the market has not seen the kind of sell-off in high volume that signals a capitulation, and the S&P 500 could enter a bear market, more than 9 percent below current levels.

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From most indications the U.S. economy is far from being in a recession, according to many market participants. The repricing in stocks could help the market shift back to fundamentals after years of focusing on the Federal Reserve and its ultra-low interest rate policy.

Nigerian ex-military chiefs in arms fraud probe

Source: BBC

The Nigerian president has ordered 20 former military chiefs and officers to be investigated over alleged arms procurement fraud.

Among them are the chiefs of defence and air staff under the last administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari's office said it was "on the recommendation of" a committee set up to examine procurement from 2007 to 2015.
The activities of 20 companies will also be investigated.

Aside from China, trade, identity, pork are big issues in Taiwan election

Source: CNBC 

Taiwan's general election on Saturday has Beijing on edge, with the pro-independence DPP expected to easily win the leadership race as well as the concurrent parliamentary election.

But there are other, less high-profile topics voters are equally focused on, including trade, technology and the Taiwanese national identity.
Here are the hot button issues in this small but feisty democracy.

Burkina Faso hotel siege 'over' amid reports of new attack

Source: BBC

A siege is over at a Burkina Faso hotel seized by suspected Islamist gunmen, the government says, but reports say a nearby hotel is now under attack.

In all, 126 people were freed at the Splendid Hotel in the West African state's capital, Ouagadougou, the interior minister said.
Three gunmen were killed, he added, amid reports of 20 deaths during the attack, which also targeted a cafe.
French special forces are helping local troops in the security operation.
French President Francois Hollande has condemned the "odious" attack on the former French colony.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has said it carried out the attack in the West African nation, monitors said.

Oil plunges below $29 on prospects of more Iran crude, China worries

Source: REUTERS


Oil prices crashed 6 percent on Friday to close below $30 a barrel for the first time in 12 years, resuming this year's breathtaking rout as Chinese stock markets fell further and traders braced for an imminent rise in Iran's exports.
After closing higher for the first time in eight sessions on Thursday, U.S. and Brent crude futures plumbed new lows, taking this year's losses to more than 20 percent, the worst two-week decline since the 2008 financial crisis.