World News

Climate change, rampant urbanization fuel Brazil storm disasters

Climate change and unchecked construction in flood- and landslide-prone areas are making disasters like the violent storm that killed at least 48 people in southeastern Brazil ever more frequent, according to a leading expert.. Francis Lacerda, a researcher at Brazil's IPA Climate Change Laboratory, spoke with AFP about the forces driving disasters like the one that hit the coast of Sao Paulo state last weekend, and what can be done to stop them.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

World News

US to help Africa get louder global voice, says Jill Biden

First Lady Jill Biden said the United States was committed to helping African nations get a louder voice at the UN and other international bodies, as she visited Namibia on Thursday.. "We're committed to making sure that African countries not only have a voice in organisations like the UN Security Council and G20, but that those voices are valued as equal partners," Biden said at a luncheon in Windhoek.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 1 mins read

World News

Meta shutters fake account 'cheerleaders' for Cuban, Bolivian governments

Facebook parent company Meta said Thursday it had taken down two fake account networks with links to the governments of Cuba and Bolivia that were used to spread official propaganda and discredit the opposition. . In Bolivia, the probe revealed a coordinated effort "to use fake accounts to post in support of the Bolivian government and to criticize and harass (the) opposition." 

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Minute of silence for slain teacher in southwest France

French schools on Thursday held a nationwide minute of silence for a teacher stabbed to death the previous day by one of her pupils, who told investigators he had been hearing voices.. In July 2014, the mother of a pupil stabbed to death a 34-year-old teacher in the southern town of Albi.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Biden nominates ex-Mastercard CEO to lead World Bank

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that Washington is nominating former Mastercard Chief Executive Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, after its current chief David Malpass announced plans to step down early.. Last week current World Bank President Malpass -- who was nominated to the post by Biden's predecessor Donald Trump in 2019 -- said he would step down nearly a year early, ending a tenure that was clouded by questions over his climate stance.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Wagner's chief Prigozhin: ambitious but deeply divisive

He says he has helped the Kremlin gain ground in Ukraine, but he has ruffled feathers among Russian elites.. He has also accused the Russian military of attempting to "steal" victories in Ukraine from his ragtag forces, some recruited in prisons. 

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 3 mins read

World News

From his farm to Alaska, Jimmy Carter leaves environmental legacy

Several thousand solar panels bake under an unseasonably warm February sun in Plains, Georgia, one of the many projects that bolster the environmental record of local icon and former US president Jimmy Carter.. Today, the solar offtake from the Carter farm, which connects to Georgia Power's grid, is enough to power 40 to 50 percent of Plains on a partly sunny day, Stuckey said.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 3 mins read

World News

David Bowie archive to open to public in 2025

A six-decade archive charting pop icon David Bowie's career will open in London in 2025, providing a "new source book for the Bowies of tomorrow", a museum director said Wednesday.. The museum was delighted to be become "custodians of his incredible archive, and to be able to open it up for the public", said Hunt.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 1 mins read

World News

Minute of silence for slain teacher in southwest France

French schools were set Thursday to hold a nationwide minute of silence for a teacher stabbed to death the previous day by one of her pupils with no apparent motive.. In July 2014, a 34-year-old teacher was stabbed to death in the southern town of Albi by the mother of a pupil.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

World News

Tens of millions still use Instagram in Iran despite crackdown: Meta

Meta on Thursday said that tens of millions of people in Iran are using Instagram despite government efforts to block the service due to months-long protests.. "Despite attempts to block Instagram, we're seeing tens of millions of people still finding ways to access it," Clegg said.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 1 mins read