News in Brief(15-03-2018)

Madonna to direct film on Sierra Leone dancer
NEW YORK, Mar 14: Pop superstar Madonna on Tuesday announced that she will direct a biopic about Michaela DePrince, a war orphan from Sierra Leone who overcame overwhelming odds to become a successful ballerina. "Taking Flight," taken from the name of DePrince's 2014 autobiography, will be the musical icon's third time as a feature film director after "Filth and Wisdom" in 2008 and "W.E." in 2011. DePrince, abandoned by her uncle during the West African nation's brutal civil war, was neglected in an orphanage as she suffered from the skin disorder vitiligo. After being adopted by an American family, she rose to become a ballerina in the United States, South Africa and The Netherlands, where the 23-year-old is now a soloist in the Dutch National Ballet. —AFP

PNG quake death toll rises to 125
SYDNEY, Mar 14: The death toll from a major earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea (PNG) last month has risen to 125, police said Wednesday, amid concern that an outbreak of disease will see it jump further. A 7.5-magnitude quake struck the Pacific nation's mountainous interior on February 26, burying homes and causing landslides, making it hard to reach isolated villages. Police said the toll had now reached 125, up from 100 last week, as more news filtered in from remote communities. "From the reports received at the command centres, 45 have died so far in the Southern Highlands and in Hela province 80 people are confirmed dead," the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary said in a statement. — AFP

Mauritius president refuses to resign over financial scandal
PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, Mar 14: Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has refused to resign, vowing to fight allegations that saw her embroiled in a financial scandal, the presidency said in a statement Wednesday. Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only female head of state, has been accused of using a bank card provided by an NGO to make personal purchases. Last Friday Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced that Gurib-Fakim had agreed to resign, with a date set for her departure after Monday's ceremony celebrating the Indian Ocean archipelago nation's 50 years of independence. However a statement from the presidency slammed "weeks of attacks and false allegations" and said that Gurib-Fakim planned to clear her name and would not resign.—AFP