North America

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17 (APP): The climate crisis, as well as persistently high inequalities, and rising levels of food insecurity and undernourishment, is affecting the quality of life in many societies and fuelling discontent, the UN warned Thursday.

Releasing the 2020 World Economic Situation Report (WESP), UN economic experts behind the report called for “massive adjustments” to the energy sector, which is currently responsible for around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An unprecedented 45 million people in southern Africa are in urgent need of food aid due to drought, flooding and economic hardship, the UN said.

“This hunger crisis is on a scale we’ve not seen before and the evidence shows it’s going to get worse,” World Food Programme (WFP) regional director Lola Castro said in a statement.

The agency warned that it had only secured US$205 million of the US$489 million it requires.

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US threats to put tariffs on European autos did not come up during talks this week with American trade officials in Washington, EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said Thursday.

Hogan’s remarks came hours after Germany’s defense minister confirmed a media report that Washington had threatened 25 percent duties on autos, demanding that three EU nations increase pressure on Iran.

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States will make a decision on the level of its presence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, in about two months, Washington’s top military officer said.

Washington has some 7,000 special forces on rotation in Africa carrying out joint operations with national forces against jihadists, particularly in Somalia.

“There is no explicit timeline,” the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, told journalists.

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 2,200 people have entered Guatemala in a fast-growing US-bound caravan from Honduras, authorities said.

Mexico’s government is bracing for the arrival of hundreds of Central Americans on its southern border in coming days, an event likely to be closely monitored by the US government, which has made curbing illegal immigration a priority.

BOGOTA, Jan 17 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Guatemala has cut all diplomatic ties with Venezuela,  Anadolu Agency reported President Alejandro Giammattei as saying on Thursday.

Giammattei said he had ordered the closure of Guatemala’s embassy in the Venezuelan capital, according to local media. 

Prior to being sworn in as Guatemala’s 51st president, he had vowed to cut off relations with Caracas.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The global growth of 2.5 percent in 2020 is possible, but a flare-up of trade tensions, financial turmoil, or an escalation of geopolitical tensions could derail a recovery, according to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2020, which was launched Thursday.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Eleven U.S. troops were treated for concussion symptoms as a result of last week's Iranian missile attack on U.S. military base in Iraq, the U.S. military said Thursday in a statement.

"While no U.S. service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack on Al Asad air base, several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed," Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Karen DePaepe had been waiting all day for a call back from Pete Buttigieg.

It was March 2012, and the 30-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, had just decided to replace the city’s first African American police chief over complaints that he illegally wiretapped police officers’ phone calls.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a new North American trade agreement Thursday that rewrites the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico and gives President Donald Trump a major policy win before senators turn their full attention to his impeachment trial.