Islamic State rigs currency rates in Mosul to prop up finances
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul are manipulating the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars to squeeze money out of local people as coalition bombers attack the group’s finances.
EU agency says bad weather deters migrant arrivals in January
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Bad weather cut the number of refugees and migrants arriving in Greece, the main gateway to Europe, by 40 percent last month from December, the European Union’s border agency Frontex said on Monday.
Lebanon’s Hariri urges Saudi king not to abandon country
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri on Monday urged Saudi Arabia not to abandon Lebanon after it halted aid to the army, reflecting concerns that Riyadh is reducing support for a country that has been an arena for its struggle w…
Montenegro will have to close borders if neighbours do: PM
LONDON (Reuters) – Montenegro will have to close its borders to refugees and migrants to avoid being overwhelmed if other nearby countries do so, the country’s prime minister told Reuters on Monday.
Aid cuts trigger health crisis in Somalia, say relief agencies
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Some 1.5 million Somalis have lost access to healthcare over the last two years as around 10 hospitals have closed or cut back their services due to aid shortages, relief agencies said on Monday.
Italy wants EU bonds to fund refugee response
ROME (Reuters) – A common European Union policy to manage external borders and cope with the refugee crisis should be funded with common resources, including through the issuance of EU bonds, Italy said on Monday.
Cuba deploys 9,000 troops in effort to ward off Zika virus
HAVANA (Reuters) – President Raul Castro called on all Cubans to help eradicate the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus on Monday and ordered 9,000 army troops to help stave off the disease.
British PM Cameron says no second referendum on EU membership
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday there would be no second EU referendum, knocking down suggestions that Britain could vote ‘no’ in the June vote to try to get better membership terms.
Calais migrants play for time ahead of planned eviction
CALAIS, France (Reuters) – Refugees squatting in a shanty town outside Calais in northern France ignored an official order to evacuate part of their camp, hoping a court hearing on Tuesday will halt its demolition.
France pledges more compensation for Polynesia nuclear tests
PAPEETE, French Polynesia (Reuters) – Residents of French Polynesia who suffered due to 30 years of French nuclear tests in the Pacific archipelago have a legitimate right to compensation, President Francois Hollande said on his first visit to the regi…
