Johannesburg, South Africa (AFP) Dec 11, 2023 At least 100 elephants have died in Zimbabwe’s biggest national park as water holes have dried up, an international animal welfare group said Monday. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said an “extended dry season has reduced once abundant water holes to muddy puddles” in Hwange National Park. “At least 100 elephants are already reported dead due … Continue reading At least 100 elephants dead in Zimbabwe drought: welfare group

Sydney (AFP) Dec 12, 2023 China on Tuesday lifted suspensions targeting three of Australia’s biggest red meat exporters, winning praise from Canberra as the trading partners mend a strained relationship. Many of Australia’s most lucrative export commodities were effectively banned from China as the two countries fought a bitter diplomatic dispute between 2020 and 2022. But as relations have improved over the lahttp://dlvr.it/T01xp9 Continue reading China lifts bar on Australian red meat exporters

Ajlun, Jordan (AFP) Dec 12, 2023 Every morning, Jordanian farmer Ali Saleh Atta swallows two cloves of garlic with a cup of olive oil before heading out to check on his ancient olive trees. “These trees represent the history of Jordan,” said the 84-year-old, looking at the 2,000-year-old trees whose enormous gnarled trunks hoist up branches with delicate, pale green leaves. The trees are a … Continue reading Jordan’s mission to save its ancient olive trees

Bukavu, Dr Congo (AFP) Dec 11, 2023 At least 15 people have died in landslides in the city of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said Monday. The city, which is the capital of South Kivu province, has been hit by torrential rainfall which has caused landslides that have buried several houses. In the Ndedere district of the city, the neighbourhood chief … Continue reading At least 15 killed in landslides in DR Congo

Bamako (AFP) Dec 11, 2023 The United Nations mission in Mali officially ended its 10-year deployment in the country on Monday, in a pullout ordered by Mali’s military leaders. The symbolic ceremony marks the official end of the mission, the mission’s spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba said, even though some elements remain in the country. “We are leaving… proud of what we have been able to achieve, … Continue reading UN mission in Mali officially ends after 10 years

Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Dec 11, 2023 Intrepid as Crocodile Dundee, Brazilian biologist Ricardo Freitas catches a caiman in the dark of night with a snare pole, then hoists it into his small wooden boat. Unfazed by the reptile’s sharp teeth, he grabs it by the snout and wraps a black band around its muzzle to examine it without getting bitten. The 1.5-meter (five-foot) caiman … Continue reading Brazil caimans fight to survive in polluted Rio waters

Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 11, 2023 Hong Kong’s first “patriots only” district council elections saw a turnout of 27.5 percent, the government said Monday, a record-low number for a race that had shut out all opposition candidates. The city last held district council elections at the peak of huge, sometimes violent, democracy protests in 2019, recording a historic-high 71 percent turnout that delivered a landslide … Continue reading Hong Kong ‘patriots only’ elections see lowest-ever turnout

Dakar (AFP) Dec 8, 2023 UN peacekeepers on Friday handed over one of their last camps to the Malian authorities as part of a pull-out ordered by the country’s military leaders, a UN spokeswoman said. The withdrawal of the UN stabilisation mission, known as MINUSMA, has ignited fears that fighting will intensify between troops and armed factions for territorial control. MINUSMA on Friday handed over … Continue reading UN peacekeepers hand over one of last camps to Mali authorities

Oslo (AFP) Dec 9, 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi will go on a new hunger strike from her prison cell in Iran as the prize is awarded in Oslo on Sunday in her absence, her family said Saturday. Mohammadi, who has campaigned against the compulsory wearing of the hijab and the death penalty in Iran, will go on hunger strike “in solidarity” with … Continue reading Nobel winner Mohammadi to go on new hunger strike as peace prize is awarded

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 08, 2023 In a world where more than 700 million people live in extreme poverty, assessing the true extent of economic hardship remains a daunting global challenge. Remarkably, 53 countries have not conducted agricultural surveys in the past 15 years, and 17 nations have not even published a population census. Addressing this data gap, innovative technologies are emerging to estimate poverty … Continue reading AI-Powered Satellite Analysis Unveils Economic Realities in Underdeveloped Nations