‘Worst enemy’: Morocco quake brings new hardships for farmersThu, 14 Sep 2023 13:25:51 GMT

Mohammed Al Moutawak’s village was destroyed by Morocco’s powerful earthquake and his apple harvest ruined, but he refuses to leave the land that is vital to small farmers like him. Drought and extreme weather have long taken a toll on the North African kingdom’s growers, but the quake spells new challenges that are just beginning to …

‘Worst enemy’: Morocco quake brings new hardships for farmersThu, 14 Sep 2023 13:25:51 GMT Read More »

Italian island struggles as migrant surge doubles populationThu, 14 Sep 2023 13:09:36 GMT

The tiny Italian island of Lampedusa struggled Thursday to cope with a surge in migrant boats from North Africa after numbers peaked at 7,000 people — equivalent to the entire local population.The local reception centre, built to house fewer than 400 people, was overwhelmed with men, women and children forced to sleep outside on makeshift …

Italian island struggles as migrant surge doubles populationThu, 14 Sep 2023 13:09:36 GMT Read More »

Africa Union tests diplomatic muscle with G20 entryThu, 14 Sep 2023 12:47:08 GMT

The Africa Union’s entry into the G20 group of the world’s most powerful economies highlights the continent’s growing influence and gives its leaders a stronger voice in global decision-making.African leaders applauded the move for better representing the Global South and recognising Africa in multilateral debate on problems such as climate change where it has often …

Africa Union tests diplomatic muscle with G20 entryThu, 14 Sep 2023 12:47:08 GMT Read More »

Hopes for change in Gabon after years of unpaid pensionsThu, 14 Sep 2023 12:22:20 GMT

There’s a new air of optimism among the seniors waiting patiently since dawn in Gabon’s capital Libreville to chase up pensions that were never  paid.Some say they’ve received nothing for years.The general who ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a coup on August 30 and is now transitional leader of the oil-rich, central African state …

Hopes for change in Gabon after years of unpaid pensionsThu, 14 Sep 2023 12:22:20 GMT Read More »

Last-ditch hunt for Morocco quake survivorsWed, 13 Sep 2023 19:19:13 GMT

Rescue teams stepped up on Wednesday a massive effort in devastated Moroccan mountain villages as chances faded for finding survivors from last week’s earthquake which killed nearly 3,000 people and left many homeless.Vehicles packed with supplies were inching up winding mountain roads to deliver desperately needed food and tents to survivors of the nation’s strongest …

Last-ditch hunt for Morocco quake survivorsWed, 13 Sep 2023 19:19:13 GMT Read More »

Fears mount of surging death toll in Libya flood disasterWed, 13 Sep 2023 18:50:08 GMT

Libya was reeling Wednesday from a massive flood that left nearly 4,000 dead and thousands more missing, wreaking havoc in the eastern city of Derna where bodies wrapped in blankets lined the ravaged streets.Relief missions gathered pace with Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates among the first nations to rush aid to the war-scarred …

Fears mount of surging death toll in Libya flood disasterWed, 13 Sep 2023 18:50:08 GMT Read More »

South African township resists police over illegal power cablesWed, 13 Sep 2023 17:49:22 GMT

A woman in a black and white dress struggled, pulling fiercely on a long electrical cable as she tried to stop the police in anti-riot gear from carrying it away. Used to illegally connect homes in a poor informal settlement south of Cape Town, it was one of many cables seized by South African police during …

South African township resists police over illegal power cablesWed, 13 Sep 2023 17:49:22 GMT Read More »

Gabon’s squandered oil wealth under 55 years of Bongo ruleWed, 13 Sep 2023 17:20:29 GMT

The toppling of Ali Bongo Ondimba brought the curtain down on 55 years of rule by a family accused of extracting fabulous wealth from Gabon’s major oil reserves.Moments after being declared the winner in disputed elections, Bongo was abruptly ousted on August 30.Many saw it as an act of liberation rather than a military coup.Gabon, …

Gabon’s squandered oil wealth under 55 years of Bongo ruleWed, 13 Sep 2023 17:20:29 GMT Read More »

At least 40 killed in Darfur as UN’s Sudan chief quitsWed, 13 Sep 2023 16:45:32 GMT

An air raid on Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region killed at least 40 civilians Wednesday, according to a medical source, as the head of the UN mission to the country resigned.Volker Perthes, who has been “persona non grata” by Sudanese authorities since June, warned the United Nations Security Council again, in his final briefing before leaving …

At least 40 killed in Darfur as UN’s Sudan chief quitsWed, 13 Sep 2023 16:45:32 GMT Read More »