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UN reaffirms 'commitment to stay' in Afghanistan

The UN reaffirmed its "commitment to stay" in Afghanistan on Friday, in a review assessing its operations in the country in light of the Taliban banning women from working for the world body.. The United Nations announced on April 4 that the Taliban had barred Afghan women from employment in UN offices countrywide, a prohibition that had previously only affected NGOs but spared the UN. The UN mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, subsequently launched the review, and concluded Friday that it was committed "to stay and deliver on behalf of the men, women and children of Afghanistan," Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the secretary-general, told reporters.

Fri, May 5, 2023 1 mins read

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Floods kill over 170 people in east DR Congo

More than 170 people have died after heavy rains and flooding in eastern DR Congo's South Kivu province, officials said Friday, after torrential downpours killed dozens in neighbouring Rwanda.. Last month, a landslide provoked by torrential downpours killed around 20 people in North Kivu, a province that neighbours South Kivu. 

Fri, May 5, 2023 2 mins read

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Covid no longer a global health emergency: WHO

The Covid-19 pandemic, which killed millions of people and wreaked economic and social havoc, no longer constitutes a global health emergency, the WHO said Friday, warning that the threat remained.. But the danger was not over, according to Tedros, who estimated Covid had killed "at least 20 million" people -- about three times the nearly seven million deaths officially recorded.

Fri, May 5, 2023 3 mins read

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King Charles greets royal fans as coronation buzz builds

King Charles III greeted the crowds outside Buckingham Palace on Friday on the eve of his coronation, with royal revellers cranking up the party atmosphere with fancy dress and inflatable crowns.. The scene looks like a costume party, with many extravagantly dressed up in all manner of costumes and accoutrements and wearing blow-up crowns on their heads.

Fri, May 5, 2023 3 mins read

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King Charles greets royal fans as coronation buzz builds

King Charles III greeted the crowds outside Buckingham Palace on Friday on the eve of his coronation, with royal revellers cranking up the party atmosphere with fancy dress and inflatable crowns.. The scene looks like a costume party, with many extravagantly dressed up in all manner of costumes and accoutrements and wearing blow-up crowns on their heads.

Fri, May 5, 2023 3 mins read

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Wagner threatens Bakhmut pullout in attack on Russian army brass

Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday threatened to pull frontline troops out of Bakhmut in an extraordinary attack on military chiefs that exposed a deep rift in Russian ranks ahead of an expected Ukrainian offensive.. "I will pull out Wagner units from Bakhmut because, in the absence of ammunition, they are facing a senseless death," he said, adding that he was now expecting a plan from the military on how to implement the withdrawal.

Fri, May 5, 2023 4 mins read

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Russia's Wagner chief threatens to pull troops out of Bakhmut

Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday threatened to pull his frontline fighters from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine next week because of ammunition shortages, berating army chiefs in a grisly video.. In his statement on Friday, Prigozhin said his fighters had mobilised soon after the start of the campaign in Ukraine and helped Russian troops advance after a series of reversals.

Fri, May 5, 2023 3 mins read

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German recession fears rise as factory orders plummet

Industrial orders at German factories saw their biggest fall in March since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in 2020, data showed Friday, the latest sign that Europe's biggest economy is facing a steep downturn.. It was the biggest decline since April 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic snarled the global economy amid lockdowns and border closures.

Fri, May 5, 2023 2 mins read

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Rohingya team visits Myanmar in refugee return scheme

A Rohingya refugee delegation arrived in Myanmar on Friday to tour new facilities built for the revival of a long-stalled plan to return the persecuted minority to their homeland.. Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mizanur Rahman told AFP the new facilities include a market, hospital and reception centre for returning refugees.

Fri, May 5, 2023 2 mins read

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Coronation jewels and regalia provide dazzle and link with ancient past

The coronation of King Charles III will showcase unusual relics and the world's finest jewels, which not only bedazzle but provide a physical and symbolic link with the ancient past. . - The Coronation Chair -  Commissioned by King Edward 1 in 1300, the two-metre-high oak chair is believed to be the oldest piece of furniture in the UK. It incorporates the so-called Stone of Destiny, the ancient symbol of Scotland's monarchy that Edward I seized in 1296 that has been brought back to London for the ceremony. phz/giv/lb

Fri, May 5, 2023 4 mins read