Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Hard Numbers

HARD NUMBERS: Nigerian docs strike, UN closes aid centers in Afghanistan, Russia cuts rates, Ebola emerges again in Congo.

​A clinic support staff takes blood sample from a child at a clinic operated by Doctors without Borders in Bagega village in northeastern state of Zamfara August 14, 2013. Picture taken August 14, 2013.

A clinic support staff takes blood sample from a child at a clinic operated by Doctors without Borders in Bagega village in northeastern state of Zamfara August 14, 2013. Picture taken August 14, 2013.

REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Make us preferred on Google
5: A large union of Nigerian resident doctors began a five-day strike on Friday over unpaid wages and benefits. The working conditions of medical professionals has been a frequent issue in Africa’s most populous country. In July, there was a mass strike of nurses.

8: The UN office in Afghanistan has closed eight aid centers set up to support Afghan refugees returning to the country, because the Taliban government is preventing female UN staff from entering the facilities. Afghanistan is suffering a refugee crisis as Pakistan and Iran have begun deporting hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants.

17: Russia’s central bank cut interest rates by a single point, but they are still at a staggering 17%. The central bank is in a tight spot: cautiously trying to prop up flagging economic growth even as inflation remains sky high due to Ukraine-related sanctions and military spending.

32: The WHO says it is still confident that an ebola outbreak in Congo can be contained, but only if prompt action is taken. The country has recently registered 32 suspected cases and 16 deaths. It is the country’s 16th outbreak of the deadly disease.

More For You

Hard number: Trouble in wine country
As demand for wine plummets, Chilean winemakers are betting they can boost sales by targeting young people. Think social media campaigns encouraging young wine lovers to “switch off their phones” and enjoy a glass of vino, as one ad campaign is framing it. It may be tough for these young sommeliers to turn this trend around, though. Alcohol [...]
Hard number: A superyacht gets through Hormuz
Natalie Johnson
While traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a standstill amid a double blockade by both the US and Iran, a ship owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov managed to make it through. It’s not clear whether Iran granted the yacht permission to travel between Dubai, in the UAE, and the Omani capital Muscat. Nonetheless, its [...]
Hard Number: Black Republican exodus from the US House
US Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, Wesley Hunt of Texas, and John James of Michigan all decided to run for statewide office – although Hunt lost in the Texas Senate primary. US Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah is retiring after his state redrew district lines, making it difficult for him to retain his seat. Some Republicans, notably former House Speaker [...]
Hard Number: US holds up cash for Iraq
Iraq is caught in an ever-tightening vise. The US Treasury recently blocked the delivery of nearly half a billion dollars in US banknotes to Iraq’s central bank, proceeds from Iraqi oil sales that are held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The US said it wants Iraq to dismantle Iranian proxies in the country, who claimed responsibility for [...]