Zhuozhou, China (AFP) Aug 9, 2023 Villagers in northeastern China told AFP that the losses from recent flooding were “huge”, a week after the heaviest rains Beijing has ever seen triggered widespread flooding in the region. Zhuozhou, in Hebei, was blanketed by brown water in early August, with some reports suggesting the province shouldered the burden of a government decision to divert the deluge away … Continue reading Little warning and ‘huge’ losses, say China flood victims

Beijing (AFP) Aug 9, 2023 Thirty-three people have been confirmed dead and 18 are still missing after Beijing’s heaviest rains on record, officials said Wednesday. China’s capital has been hit by record downpours in recent weeks, damaging infrastructure and deluging swaths of the city’s suburbs and surrounding areas. Floods in China’s southwestern Sichuan province also killed seven people on Wednesday, state medihttp://dlvr.it/StRXPD Continue reading 33 dead, 18 still missing after record Beijing rains

Algiers (AFP) July 24, 2023 Wildfires raging across Algeria during a blistering heatwave have killed more than 30 people and forced mass evacuations, the government said on Monday. As temperatures hit 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) in parts of the North African country, it recorded 97 blazes across 16 provinces, fanned by strong winds, said the interior ministry. The fires killed at least 34 people, … Continue reading Algeria fires fanned by winds, extreme heat kill 34

Nairobi (AFP) July 22, 2023 China’s top diplomat Wang Yi during a visit to Kenya on Saturday praised the two countries’ economic partnership as a “win-win”, according to a statement from the Chinese authorities. Kenya and China have “become good friends with mutual trust in politics and good partners with win-win economic cooperation”, according to the statement from the Chinese embassy in Kenya. With the … Continue reading China envoy calls Kenya economic ties a ‘win-win’

Lilongwe, Malawi (AFP) July 20, 2023 A Malawian court on Thursday convicted a Chinese national accused of racism and exploiting children in relation to a series of online videos and ordered him to leave the country. A judge in the African nation’s capital of Lilongwe handed Lu Ke, 27, a 12-month sentence after the man found guilty of procuring children to take part in entertainment … Continue reading Chinese man convicted in Malawi over racist videos

Montreal (AFP) July 20, 2023 A pilot died in a helicopter crash in western Canada fighting wildfires that have ravaged the country, police said Thursday. He is the third person to die battling the huge blazes after two firefighters were killed last week during separate operations. His helicopter was reported missing early Wednesday evening, and the aircraft was later located near Haig Lake in northern … Continue reading Helicopter pilot dies fighting Canadian wildfires

Bamako (AFP) July 22, 2023 The head of the junta in Mali brought in a new constitution for the West African nation on Saturday, prompting protests from concerned political and civil opponents. The military leaders have made the constitution a cornerstone for the rebuilding of Mali, which is facing the spread of jihadism and a deep, multi-faceted crisis. Ninety-seven percent of the referendum votes were … Continue reading Mali junta chief brings in new constitution amid protests

Washington (AFP) July 20, 2023 A male orca’s best friend is his old mother. That’s according to a new scientific paper published Thursday in Current Biology, which found female killer whales that have undergone menopause prevent their sons – though not their daughters – from getting injured in fights. Lead author Charli Grimes told AFP what drew her to the subject was just how rare … Continue reading Mama’s boys: Elder orca moms protect sons from fights

East Rutherford, United States (AFP) July 23, 2023 He is not a lawyer, finance guy or a politician, but activist Bill Sheehan has moved mountains to clean up the Hackensack River in New Jersey just outside Manhattan, which for decades has been a dumping ground for industrial chemicals. Even still, the former taxi driver says, there is still so much to do to protect the … Continue reading Within sight of New York City, a despoiled river comes back to life

Montevideo (AFP) July 22, 2023 Around 2,000 penguins have appeared dead on the coast of eastern Uruguay in the last 10 days, and the cause, which does not appear to be avian influenza, remains a mystery, authorities said. The Magellanic penguins, mostly juveniles, died in the Atlantic Ocean and were carried by currents to Uruguayan shores, said Carmen Leizagoyen, head of the Environment Ministry’s department … Continue reading Around 2,000 penguins wash up dead on Uruguay coast