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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa/live

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Africa Live: Nigeria rule on unmarried pregnant officers quashed - BBC News

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A judge has ruled that the regulation was “discriminatory, illegal, null and void” – and more.

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Americans and Canadians faced Christmas Day disruption as a severe winter storm caused power cuts and travel restrictions across North America.

A driving ban has been imposed in New York state's Buffalo area, where even emergency service vehicles have been stranded in the snow.

Canada also saw cancelled flights and four people died when a bus rolled over on an icy road near Merritt.

At least 34 people are known to have died in the US due to the winter storm, and thousands have been left without power.
This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. The BBC News app is available from the Apple App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android.

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Freezing conditions cause chaos in North America

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Americans and Canadians faced Christmas Day disruption as a severe winter storm caused power cuts and travel restrictions across North America. A driving ban has been imposed in New York state's Buffalo area, where even emergency service vehicles have been stranded in the snow.

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https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jan/12/from-poaching-to-production-the-fish-farm-that-rehabilitated-a-rwanda-lake

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From poaching to production: the fish farm that rehabilitated a Rwanda lake

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An initiative to repopulate depleted waters is teaching villagers sustainable agriculture, providing jobs and improving diets

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Independent Premium World

Levels of pollutants have risen drastically in remotest part of world, reports Jane Dalton

Saturday 30 July 2022 00:17

Toxic "forever" chemicals from non-stick pans and water-repellent clothing have increased markedly in Antarctica, where they could be harming wildlife such as penguins, seals and whales, scientists say.

The experts say substances developed to replace ozone-depleting CFCs found in fridges are among the probable sources of the relatively new contamination.

And they believe the southernmost continent, one of Earth's remotest places, serves as a global barometer for the chemical industry.

1/1 Toxic 'forever chemicals' threatening Antarctica's wildlife

Toxic 'forever chemicals' threatening Antarctica's wildlife

The team studied compacted snow to measure levels of toxic compounds

Dr Markus Frey, British Antarctic Survey

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Toxic 'forever chemicals' threatening Antarctica wildlife, scientists warn

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Independent Premium World Levels of pollutants have risen drastically in remotest part of world, reports Jane Dalton Saturday 30 July 2022 00:17 Toxic "forever" chemicals from non-stick pans and water-repellent clothing have increased markedly in Antarctica, where they could be harming wildlife such as penguins, seals and whales, scientists say.

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Famous for its sprawling nature reserves that are home to all "Big Five" animals, Kenya's 882 miles of coastline along the Indian Ocean are often overlooked. It's a place where people go to "chill out," but not to observe and connect with the wild and unique ecosystem, says Kenyan filmmaker, photographer and conservationist Jahawi Bertolli.

Bertolli is determined to change this outlook and believes that visual storytelling is one way to do it. "No one was telling stories about the ocean here (in Kenya)," he says.

So far, his work has focused mainly on the Lamu Archipelago along Kenya's northern coast, where his wife Elke Bertolli, also a photographer and filmmaker, grew up. Lamu is a hidden gem, he says, and filming has led to new discoveries. "There's not much scientific work that's happened up here so a lot of what we're finding is new," he adds. "We're finding these incredible reefs. We're finding incredible biodiversity."

But this rich biodiversity is increasingly under threat. Bertolli says that harmful fishing practices, such as drag netting, coupled with habitat degradation due, in part, to coastal development, pollution and an increasing human population have caused a reduction in fish populations.

Related: Stunning images from African Wildlife Foundation's photography award are inspiring conservation

Not only is this bad for the ecosystem, but for local fishers too. Lamu is home to one of the oldest Swahili settlements in East Africa, a community who have depended on the ocean since the 12th century. Traditionally these fishers respected the balance with nature, says Bertolli. They stopped fishing when they had enough for what was needed, they only fished in certain seasons, and they left the coral reef alone, understanding it to be a home for fish, where they needed space and time to reproduce and grow. "There's a lot of cultural knowledge, which is actually conservation knowledge. It's just packaged differently," Bertolli explains.

"A powerful tool"

In 2020, Bertolli made a short film about Lamu's sea life and the conservation traditions of the local fishers. He called it " Bahari Yetu " - "Our Ocean" in Swahili - and began showing it the local community. The screenings were a gamechanger, he says: "When you bring back that imagery, all of a sudden people are like, 'Oh my God. Wow, this is ours ... this is our heritage, these are our reefs, this is what's happening underwater in our ocean.'"

A viewing of "Bahari Yetu" was also put on for local beach management units and members from the county government and fisheries department. Bertolli also screened another film he had made a few years earlier on locally managed marine areas in Africa. The next time the group met, all members voted unanimously to begin setting up a marine protected area around Lamu's Kinyika island, a craggy rock that acts as a nursing ground for seafaring birds and hosts a bustling coral reef system.

For Bertolli and the people of the Lamu Archipelago, this has been a significant first step to ensuring the preservation of an essential ecosystem. While it's only the beginning and a management plan still needs to be established, Bertolli believes it has also been a testament to the power of visual storytelling. "Because it was their film, told in their language, filmed here - it became an incredibly powerful tool to inspire the community to come together to try and start actually conserving these areas," he says.

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How an underwater film inspired a marine protected area off Kenya's coast | CNN

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Famous for its sprawling nature reserves that are home to all "Big Five" animals, Kenya's 882 miles of coastline along the Indian Ocean are often overlooked. It's a place where people go to "chill out," but not to observe and connect with the wild and unique ecosystem, says Kenyan filmmaker, photographer and conservationist Jahawi Bertolli.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/east-african-crude-oil-pipeline-carbon

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An oil pipeline under construction in east Africa will produce vast amounts of carbon dioxide, according to new analysis. The project will result in 379m tonnes of climate-heating pollution, according to an expert assessment, more than 25 times the combined annual emissions of Uganda and Tanzania, the host nations.

The East African crude oil pipeline (EACOP) will transport oil drilled in a biodiverse national park in Uganda more than 870 miles to a port in Tanzania for export. The main backers of the multibillion dollar project are the French oil company TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

Environmental assessments by the EACOP consortium were approved by the host governments, but only the construction and operation of the pipeline were considered.

The new analysis, by the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI), found construction and operation contributed only 1.8% of the full emissions of the project when taking into account overseas transport, refining and burning of the 848m barrels of oil by end users. It considered the 25-year lifespan of the project and refining in Europe and China. In the years of peak oil flow, the associated emissions would be more than double those of Uganda and Tanzania in 2020.

Richard Heede, at CAI, said: "It is time for TotalEnergies to abandon the monstrous EACOP that promises to worsen the climate crisis, waste billions of dollars that could be used for good, bring mayhem to human settlements and wildlife along the pipeline's path."

An activist in Paris prepares to protest next to an artwork objecting to the East African crude oil pipeline in September. Photograph: Mohammed Badra/EPA

Heede described EACOP as a "mid-sized carbon bomb". In May, the Guardian revealed that world's biggest fossil fuel firms were quietly planning scores of carbon bomb oil and gas projects that would drive the climate past internationally agreed temperature limits, with catastrophic global impacts.

Omar Elmawi, coordinator of the Stop EACOP campaign, said: "EACOP and the associated oilfields in Uganda are a climate bomb that is being camouflaged us as an economic enabler to Uganda and Tanzania. It is for the benefit of people, nature and climate to stop this project."

TotalEnergies said that, as a pipeline project, "EACOP is neither the legal owner of the oil nor is it the ultimate end user". It said environmental assessments followed national regulations and that an updated analysis, including oil use, had been performed, but did not provide details.

CNOOC did not respond to a request for comment.

A number of financial institutions, including previous backers of TotalEnergies, have said they would not finance EACOP. These include 24 banks and 18 insurance companies.

The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential
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Some African countries argue they have the right to use fossil fuels to grow their economies, as rich western nations have done. In September, EU lawmakers called for EACOP to be stopped, prompting Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, to respond: "They are insufferable, so shallow, so egocentric, so wrong."

Africa's fossil fuels, and the question of whether and how countries can exploit them, is likely to be a flashpoint at November's Cop27 UN climate summit.

The International Energy Agency said in 2021 that no new oil and gas fields could be built if the world was to stay within safe limits of global heating. A report published this week found a "large consensus" across all published studies that developing new oil and gas fields was "incompatible" with the 1.5C climate target.

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'Monstrous' east African oil project will emit vast amounts of carbon, data shows

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An oil pipeline under construction in east Africa will produce vast amounts of carbon dioxide, according to new analysis. The project will result in 379m tonnes of climate-heating pollution, according to an expert assessment, more than 25 times the combined annual emissions of Uganda and Tanzania, the host nations.

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A never-before-seen ecosystem has been discovered in an underground river beneath Antarctica, scientists have said.

The "hidden world" - home to swarms of shrimp-like creatures - was found in a vast cathedral-like cavern under the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating sheet of ice attached to the eastern coast of the continent.

Researchers were there investigating what role the underground estuary might be playing as the ice shelves melt due to the climate crisis.

But, when they drilled into the ice, their camera was crowded with amphipods, small creatures from the same lineage as lobsters and crabs.

"We thought something was wrong with the camera, but when the focus improved, we noticed a swarm of arthropods around 5mm in size," said Craig Stevens, from New Zealand 's National Institute of Water and Atmospherics which was carrying out the research. "We've done experiments in other parts of the ice shelf and thought we had a handle on things, but this time big surprises were thrown up.

"We were jumping up and down because having all those animals swimming around our equipment means that there's clearly an important ecosystem there."

The project's lead, Huw Horgan from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, was the first to spot the estuary, after noticing a groove in the ice while studying satellite imagery of the ice shelf.

Researchers have been aware of a network of hidden freshwater lakes and rivers below the Antarctic ice sheets for some time but they have yet to be directly surveyed, Mr Horgan said.

"Getting to observe and sample this river was like being the first to enter a hidden world," he added.

Instruments had been left in the river to observe its behaviour, he said, while lab researchers would investigate what makes the water unique. The team's findings extended further too.

It had just deployed its mooring a few days before the eruption of Tongan volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai. The team's instruments detected a significant pressure change as the tsunami made its way through the cavity.

Seeing the eruption's effects reminded Mr Stevens just how connected the planet is. "Here we are, in a forgotten corner of the world, seeing real-time influences from events that felt worlds away. It was quite remarkable," he said.

Researchers discover new ecosystem in river deep beneath Antarctica

Researchers discover new ecosystem in river deep beneath Antarctica

New Zealand scientists drilling through Antarctic ice discovered an underwater ecosystem 500 metres down

NIWA / Craig Stevens

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'Hidden world' discovered in cavern deep beneath Antarctica

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A never-before-seen ecosystem has been discovered in an underground river beneath Antarctica, scientists have said. The "hidden world" - home to swarms of shrimp-like creatures - was found in a vast cathedral-like cavern under the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating sheet of ice attached to the eastern coast of the continent.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-64207234

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India's top court has temporarily stayed the demolition of over 4,000 homes in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, but people are still worried about the fate of their homes, which they have spent a lifetime building. BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare and Deepak Jasrotia report from Haldwani town.

Government officials allege that more than 50,000 people, most of them Muslims, here are living on land that belongs to the Indian Railways. But residents say they have been living in the area for decades, and that the railways has no documents to support its claim.

In December, the state high court asked railway authorities to "evict unauthorised occupants" after giving them a week's notice. Residents started getting eviction notices from 1 January.

However, the Supreme Court on Thursday put a hold on the order, saying that "thousands cannot be uprooted overnight" and that a "workable solution" must be found.

As news of the order reached the residents, fear gave way to relief. Residents hugged and congratulated each other, happy for the temporary reprieve they had won.

But as the date of next hearing for the case on 7 February inches closer, the residents find themselves swinging between despair and hope. The BBC spoke to families whose future hangs in the balance.

'Where will we go?'

For Tilka Devi Kashyap, 65, losing her home would mean imminent homelessness for her and her 14 family members.

Ms Kashyap arrived in the area in the mid-1970s and has invested her life's earnings to build her house.

A one-storey structure with tiny rooms, it is home to her sons, their wives and children.

Ms Kashyap and her family also depend on the area to make a living; they sell snacks on a cart outside their house.

The small business helps them make just enough money to see each day through. But talks about demolition has been affecting their business, she says.

"Customers have stopped frequenting the area," she told the BBC. "There are days when we are unable to save anything [after buying what's needed for the business] and have nothing to cook."

Ms Kashyap is among a small number of Hindus living in this predominantly Muslim neighbourhood. She says she was among those who voted for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in the state in 2022.

"The government should think of the poor," she says, adding that it's the government's responsibility to provide alternate accommodation if their homes are demolished.

"We voted for the Congress [India's main opposition party] earlier. But we got nothing during both the BJP and Congress regimes."

Ms Kashyap says that she has been paying taxes and bills on her house for years and wonders why her home is suddenly being termed "illegal".

"The government shouldn't have let us settle here in the first place. Now that we have built everything, it wants to bring it [our house] down. Where will we go?" she asks.

Buying a house in another area isn't an option for Ms Kashyap. Her family has been poor, and their financial condition worsened after her husband had an accident five years ago.

The accident damaged his limbs and he has been unable to work since then. Costly medical bills of his treatment have hollowed out the family's meagre savings.

Ms Kashyap says she does not have the means to relocate or put up a legal fight to save her home, but she is determined to do what she can to prove that she and her home belong here.

"I'm going to store all our bills more carefully," she says, rifling through a stack of crumpled bills that are torn in places.

"You never know when we might need them to prove our case before a government official."

Zahida, who only uses one name, sits rolling chapatis (wheat flatbread) inside her dimly-lit tin-roofed shack.

She shares the space with her children, their spouses and her grandchildren. Conditions indoors are cramped and the interiors are worse for wear.

But to Zahida, who's in her 50s, and her family, the place is home.

"It may be in a bad condition, but at least we have a home. Where will we go if this is brought down?" she asks.

Zahida says that her ties to the house run deep; it's where she arrived as a newly-wed decades ago, raised her kids, and where her husband took his last breath.

The news that their house could be demolished has come as a blow to her. Like Ms Kashyap, the family is struggling financially.

A vegetable shop run by her eldest son helps them stay afloat. But the shop is set up in the same disputed locality, so losing their house would put an end to their business too, she says.

"We will end up on the streets. I think about this and cry day and night," Zahida says. "Our life and death depends on this case."

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Haldwani: Thousands of Indians in despair over mass eviction fears

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India's top court has temporarily stayed the demolition of over 4,000 homes in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, but people are still worried about the fate of their homes, which they have spent a lifetime building. BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare and Deepak Jasrotia report from Haldwani town.

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Deadly winter storm knocks out power for 1.5m in US and Canada

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A winter storm has also disrupted holiday travel, with thousands of flights cancelled in both countries.

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https://www.skynews.com.au/business/energy/adelaide-to-host-2024-international-renewable-energy-conference/video/e5331b2e5e139beddcde2c7cdc8d17be

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Adelaide has won the right to host the world's biggest renewable energy conference in 2024.

The International Renewable Energy Conference, known as IREC, is held every two years.

The federal government says the successful Adelaide bid underpins Australia's push to become a clean energy superpower.

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Adelaide to host 2024 International Renewable Energy Conference

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Adelaide has won the right to host the world's biggest renewable energy conference in 2024. The International Renewable Energy Conference, known as IREC, is held every two years. The federal government says the successful Adelaide bid underpins Australia's push to become a clean energy superpower.

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From poaching to production: the fish farm that rehabilitated a Rwanda lake

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An initiative to repopulate depleted waters is teaching villagers sustainable agriculture, providing jobs and improving diets

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Men arrested over attempt to steal 10-tonne statue of Egyptian pharaoh

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Videos on the suspects’ phones reportedly showed evidence of other illegal excavations

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New type of seaweed found below Antarctica could help limit global warming | UK News | Sky News

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Scientists working in the Antarctic region have discovered a type of seaweed existing some 100 metres below the surface - and believe it could have a "huge role" to play in protecting the environment.

Researchers also hailed the discovery of red alga Palmaria decipiens deep underwater as "important for furthering our knowledge of Antarctica".

The seaweed was found by a team working at the Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island, off the southwestern Antarctic peninsula.

Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from a small boat, the researchers found it 100 metres below the surface and collected samples for further examination.

With details now published in the journal Polar Biology, Professor Frithjof Kuepper, of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, said: "We know that carbon capture will be crucial to limiting global warming as we move forward, and seaweeds sequester large amounts of CO2.

"Seaweeds have the potential to play a huge role in protecting the environment by storing carbon at the bottom of oceans when they die and reducing ocean acidification."

He added: "Finding Palmaria decipiens at 100 metres depth is important for furthering our knowledge of Antarctica, a continent that is so important to understand for addressing the environmental challenges the world faces today."

The team had set out to clarify the maximum depths that seaweed could grow at in Antarctica with Prof Kuepper adding: "We now know that seaweeds can live at least down to 100 metres depth in Antarctica.

"That is quite a lot, but we can't rule out that they may live even deeper."

Ben Robinson, of the British Antarctic Survey and University of Southampton, said: "In Antarctica, icebergs scour and remove seaweed from the shallows, leading to lots of loose seaweed at depths where it is no longer attached to the seafloor.

"Due to cold temperatures, it can take many years for these loose seaweeds to even start breaking down, so we could not rely on appearance.

"Instead, we needed to use an ROV to test and collect seaweed to confirm whether they were attached to the seafloor and to confirm a new depth limit for seaweed."

The research, which was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council, was a collaboration involving the University of Aberdeen, the University of Southampton, the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Thessaly in Volos, Greece.

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New type of seaweed found below Antarctica could help limit global warming

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Scientists working in the Antarctic region have discovered a type of seaweed existing some 100 metres below the surface - and believe it could have a "huge role" to play in protecting the environment. Researchers also hailed the discovery of red alga Palmaria decipiens deep underwater as "important for furthering our knowledge of Antarctica ".

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The National Grid said about 600 homes, mainly in Newport, were without power.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the areas worst affected by flooding were Porth and Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Paul Cooper, of Taff's Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was flooded in 2020 and discovered water pouring from his bathroom on Thursday morning.

"The toilet was overflowing, it was erupting," the 53-year-old kitchen fitter said.

"Everything is brand new. It's only been in since Christmas 2020. The water's gone into everything.

"It's like déjà vu. Here we go again. When's it going to stop?

It was sewage water in his property, he said, adding: "The weather forecast isn't very good for next week. Is it going to happen again? When's the next time?

"We were told it was a once in a lifetime occurrence, but here we are, two years later, and it's happened again."

Earlier, Transport For Wales (TfW) said four railway lines were blocked, including Cardiff Central to Caerphilly.

Pontypridd to Treherbert, Abercynon to Aberdare, and Bridgend to Llantwit Major were also flooded, TfW said.

Great Western Railway also said its services were affected due to heavy rain.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service added a number of hillside and low-lying properties had been affected from run-off water and blocked culverts - tunnels which drain water away.

Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, Andrew Morgan, added: "So far all the culverts that we've spent millions of pounds upgrading since Storm Dennis have upheld.

"If your journey is not urgent, stay off the roads for the next few hours so the highway crews and emergency services have a chance to respond."

Meanwhile, the National Grid said power outages were affecting about 450 homes in Newport as well as some in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire and Kenfig Hill, Bridgend county.

A yellow rain warning in place across 16 of Wales' 22 counties was cancelled just before 14:00.

Wind speeds are predicted to increase and a yellow warning for high winds up to 70mph (112km/h) has been issued in Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey between 15:00 on Thursday and 03:00 on Friday.

A specialist boat team from Mid and West Fire and Rescue came to the aid of a driver who was stranded in his van on a flooded stretch of the A4069 near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire.

Kevin Evans, 55, from Llandysul, Ceredigion, said: "I was following two cars and they got through and my engine just cut out. I've been there for about two [or] three hours. It was getting worse because the water seemed to be rising."

Natural Resources Wales had flood warnings in place on Thursday afternoon.

The Met Office said yesterday was Cardiff's third wettest January day on record - with 41.2mm (1.6in) of rain falling in 24 hours.

It was also Cardiff's wettest day since 23 December 2020 and only the third time in January that Cardiff has seen more than 40mm in 24 hours, the others being 14 January 2008 (42.2mm) and 27 January 1995 (43.0mm).

Two access roads to St Fagans museum in Cardiff were blocked due to floodwater and will be closed for the rest of Thursday.

Cardiff council warned water levels were extremely high at the level crossing on Michaelston Road over the River Ely at St Fagans and urged people to avoid the area.

Severe floods have also affected Peterston-super-Ely, Vale of Glamorgan, with at least four cars trapped underwater near the Sportsmans Rest.

Guto Davies from Clwb y Bont in Pontypridd said there was about 2in (5cm) of water in the club and he had erected barriers to stop more getting in.

He added: "We received many flood alerts, but until we get a flood warning we don't put the barriers up. That system hasn't worked for us and that's worrying and disappointing.

"Since February 2020, we partially reopened then fully reopened in November - barely three months and it's flooded again."

Head of operations south central at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Mike Evans, said: "We've been suffering from quite severe conditions on top of several weeks of rainfall.

"The biggest impact is there is a lot of surface water around so I advise people to be very careful before leaving the house."

Several of Stagecoach South Wales' services were cancelled or delayed.

Hensol Golf Academy flooded after the River Ely burst its banks.

The family-run business was badly hit by an electrical storm in November, and lost internet and phone lines for two months. This morning it was without power because of the floods.

Manager and pro Aled Griffiths said: "I had a phone call this morning at 6am from the alarm company to say the electric has gone off. I came down to check and the conditions were biblical. The rain was coming in sideways.

"I looked out on to the driving range and I thought, 'I'm going to take up swimming instead of golf'. I didn't know what to do. "

Dairy farmer Abi Reader from Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast it had been "a wild night".

She added: "We've had electricity flickering on and off. The milking parlour had about a foot of water in it which we've had to pump out."

A number of workmen and council staff have been dealing with flooding in Dinas, near Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Terry Evans, highways engineer at Rhonnda Cynon Taf Council, said: "The sheer volume of water means the drainage system is overwhelmed."

The M48 Severn Bridge was closed in both directions between Chepstow and Aust in Gloucestershire.

The heavy rain caused one of the main roads in Chepstow, Welsh Street, to close between the town centre and the comprehensive school.

The A4061, Bwlch Mountain Road, was partially blocked in both directions between B4223 Pen-Twyn Road and Haul Bryn in Nantymoel, Rhondda Cynon Taf, due to a landslip.

TfW said it was experiencing "disruption across the network" in south Wales and advised passengers to check before travelling.

Natural Resources Wales urged warned rivers were "high and dangerous."

People should stay clear of river banks, it said, and not try to walk or drive through floods.

Its flood response teams had been monitoring river levels, operating flood defences and trying to reduce flood risk to people and property.

The Welsh government said it was providing "record levels" of funds to deal with floods and reducing the risk of them was a priority.

A spokesman added: "Over the last government term we invested over £390m in flood and coastal erosion risk management through two programmes, reducing risk to more than 47,000 properties across Wales.

"This financial year we are investing more than £71m across Wales through local authorities and Natural Resources Wales.

"This includes work building new flood assets, maintenance of existing assets, development of future schemes, natural flood management, property flood resilience measures, mapping, modelling and awareness raising."

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Weather: Floods in Wales cause power cuts and train delays

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The National Grid said about 600 homes, mainly in Newport, were without power. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the areas worst affected by flooding were Porth and Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Paul Cooper, of Taff's Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was flooded in 2020 and discovered water pouring from his bathroom on Thursday morning.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/program/africa-direct/2023/1/10/joy-in-the-traffic-nigerias-dancing-traffic-director

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https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/02/biden-foreign-policy-2023-russia-ukraine-china-nuclear-energy-congress/

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The year began with Russia's sword of Damocles hanging over Ukraine as almost 200,000 troops massed at the country's border. In late February, it came crashing down as Russian forces poured into Ukraine, only to be swiftly rebuffed. Since then, the war has charted a course that few could have predicted, while shockwaves on food and energy markets have been felt around the world.

The conflict monopolized much of the Biden administration's attention throughout the year. While the long-awaited national security strategy, released in October, made it clear that the White House sees Russia as an immediate threat to the international system, it fears that China may soon have the capabilities to remake the world order entirely. Beijing was the target of one of the administration's most consequential moves of the year as the little-known Bureau of Industry and Security slapped a wide-ranging ban on the export of semiconductors to China, a move that is certain to have ripple effects into the coming year.

Afghanistan, the biggest foreign-policy challenge-or catastrophe-of U.S. President Joe Biden's first year in office got little mention in the national security strategy. But while the administration may be keen to move on, the chaotic nature of the withdrawal is likely to rear its head again in the coming year as Republicans take the gavel in the House of Representatives, promising more Benghazi-style hearings into the messy end of the United States' longest war.

Lurking in the background is the ever-present challenge of nuclear proliferation as efforts to return Iran to the nuclear deal have stalled; the Pentagon has sounded the alarm about Beijing's expanding nuclear arsenal; South Korea has warned that its rogue northern neighbor is preparing for another nuclear test; and Moscow has postponed talks over New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.

As we round the corner to 2023, here's a look at the biggest foreign-policy challenges facing Biden in the year ahead.

The Dogs of War

As the biggest provider of military aid to Ukraine, the principal task for the Biden administration will be to maintain a steady supply of arms enabling Kyiv to keep up the fight while also balancing its own commitments to U.S. readiness and increased scrutiny from congressional Republicans.

For now, prospects for peace look slim as Russian troops entrench their positions in the Donbas. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in December that the war "might be a long process." For their part, Ukrainian officials have vowed to fight on until the country is restored to its pre-2014 borders, including Crimea, which would likely be a bloody and difficult battle. And there's the rub. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has defined the U.S. goal as helping Ukraine to oust Russia from territories seized since the invasion began in February, which notably would exclude the Crimean Peninsula. Nevertheless, if openings for meaningful talks do emerge next year, expect the United States to play a significant role.

There's more to worry about. Biden has to maintain the unity seen thus far between the United States and its partners in Europe and beyond to keep the pressure on Moscow and to ensure that Kyiv's military and humanitarian needs are met. Europe supports Ukraine, but gas and food prices get a vote, too, as do likely recessions. All have been exacerbated by Russia's invasion.

The Chips Are Down

Biden took the semiconductor rivalry with China up a notch this year with curbs on exports that threaten to set back Chinese efforts to compete in cutting-edge technologies by several years. While the export controls were effective, at least in the short term, two open questions remained: how China might retaliate, and to what degree U.S. allies are on board. The first of those questions has partially been answered, with Beijing filing a complaint against the semiconductor curbs at the World Trade Organization. As for allies, the Netherlands and Japan-two countries critical to the global semiconductor supply chain-have been in talks with the Biden administration, with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan he was hopeful of " broad alignment" on semiconductor issues.

There are other players. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, which accounts for 92 percent of the world's most advanced chips, is investing in U.S. manufacturing capacity. But that $40 billion investment won't even crank up until 2024, and in the meantime, China is reportedly preparing a $143 billion package of its own.

There are more cracks to come. Washington's efforts to decouple from China's technology industry have already prompted pressure to escalate further, and the focus is back on some familiar targets. The Federal Communications Commission has already banned the import of telecommunications equipment from Huawei. Calls to ban TikTok from lawmakers and security officials have also gained momentum. Talks between the Biden administration and TikTok to restrict the U.S. data the app can collect are still in progress. With more than 100 million U.S. users, the app's immense popularity means a potential ban would have domestic implications as well.

The Nukes of Hazard

The past year was a grim one for the arms control world. Biden's efforts to salvage nuclear talks with Iran have run aground; North Korea is stubbornly making advances in its nuclear weapons program; and the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia has an uncertain future. And 2023 isn't likely to bring good news.

On Iran, both U.S. and Iranian negotiators have conceded that talks are all but over. Biden's special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, said in late autumn that Iran was only weeks away from having enough fissile material to produce a nuclear weapon. He also Iran of torpedoing new proposed deals that all the other guarantors of the deal supported.

On North Korea, U.S. and South Korean officials just expect Pyongyang's seventh nuclear test as a matter of when, not if. Meanwhile, it's honing its ballistic missile program. By December 2022, North Korea had launched a record-shattering 63 ballistic missile tests, far outpacing its previous annual record of 25. Expect to see more joint U.S.-South Korea military drills next year and efforts to condemn North Korea's nuclear weapons program at the United Nations. But given the toxic state of Washington's relations with two other major U.N. powers, Russia and China, diplomats aren't holding out much hope for those efforts to go that far.

Meanwhile, even as U.S.-Russia relations plunge, both countries appear willing to keep in place the seminal nuclear arms control treaty limiting the number of strategic nuclear weapons each country has, known as New START. Both sides were expected to restart working-level discussions on the treaty in Cairo, Egypt, in late November, but the talks were postponed. Both sides were tight-lipped about why. If the working-level talks restart in 2023, it stands as one sign that Washington and Moscow can keep an arms control regime alive, despite the dismal state of relations over Ukraine.

A New Sheriff on Capitol Hill

The pending Republican takeover of the lower chamber of Congress-regardless of which Republican ends up with the speaker's gavel-has reshuffled the Hill's priorities and put a potential thorn in Biden's side.

The highest-priority item on the agenda for congressional Republicans is an investigation of the chaotic 2021 U.S. troop withdrawal and multinational civilian evacuation of Kabul. Rep. Michael McCaul, who is likely to take over the House Foreign Affairs Committee, drafted a searing report on the withdrawal released in August that called out the Biden administration's failure to adequately plan for the procedure, which was agreed to during the Trump administration. McCaul has also taken the Biden administration to task for abandoning U.S.-trained Afghan commandos during the withdrawal, with some of the elite soldiers making the decision to to Iran. Biden administration officials, who largely escaped questioning about the withdrawal when the Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, are likely to be subjected to marathon hearings over the scenes at Kabul International Airport during the final days of the U.S. military presence.

Another big question is aid for Ukraine. Though Congress has beefed up the Pentagon's budget beyond what the White House asked for, some pro-Trump Republicans want to dial back assistance to Kyiv, which is fighting an existential battle with Moscow. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has promised to more closely monitor aid to Ukraine, and incoming Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance has suggested that he doesn't "really care" what happens to Ukraine. At the very least, the Biden administration's determination to continue aiding Ukraine's fight for survival will face greater scrutiny from the new Republican House.

And then there's China. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, whose bid for leadership has split loyalists of former President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill, has already pushed to make China a focal point of the GOP's foreign policy. He has enlisted other China hawks to help accelerate the U.S. decoupling from China; one of his acolytes has introduced legislation to ban Chinese-owned TikTok in the United States and has raised concerns about U.S. tax dollars subsidizing the Chinese solar panel industry.

Much Ado About Molecules

The global energy landscape underwent dramatic shifts in 2022 as Russia's weaponization of Europe's natural gas supply wreaked havoc around the world, driving up energy prices and plunging import-dependent countries into economic turmoil. Washington, though not the hardest hit by the resulting fallout, spearheaded efforts to adopt a Russian oil price cap that ultimately kicked in in December. After a whirlwind year, Biden's focus will now be keeping global prices down-and advancing his push for clean energy and a green economy.

In 2023, one of Biden's big challenges "is to ensure there's sufficient supply of all types of energy to avoid more price spikes at home and arguably abroad as well," said Richard Bronze, co-founder of Energy Aspects, an energy consultancy. "The second is, while doing that, to change the trajectory of carbon emissions, both in the U.S. and globally, which are on the rise in 2022."

Congress already passed Biden's big climate, tax, and health care bill that, among other goals, is aimed at shifting the United States away from fossil fuel use. But that's only heightened tension with European allies who are by how the Inflation Reduction Act's subsidies may disadvantage their own companies in the global market.

Looming over all of this is the question of how China's rapid turn away from zero-COVID could reshuffle the energy landscape. After three years of subdued energy demand, the country's reopening will only add more pressure to a global oil and gas market still reeling from the past year. "It is definitely possible that one of the things that will happen in 2023 is that China rebounds, and all of a sudden a tight market becomes even tighter," said Ben Cahill, an energy security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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What's Going to Be in Biden's Inbox in 2023

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Russia, Ukraine, China, and nukes: Here are the biggest foreign-policy challenges facing the U.S. next year.

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Australia flood crisis: 'Once in a century'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-64206297

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Heavy rain brought by a tropical cyclone has hit Western Australia, leaving communities stranded.

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https://news.sky.com/story/sinkholes-swallow-cars-as-torrential-rain-batters-california-and-another-powerful-storm-is-coming-12784006

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Sinkholes have swallowed cars as powerful storms batter California - with floodwaters engulfing towns and killing at least 17 people.

Two motorists had to be rescued after falling into the sinkhole on a street in Los Angeles, leaving them trapped in their vehicles.

Back-to-back storms have wreaked havoc in the US state since 26 December - with millions of people under flood warnings and more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power.

More rain is forecast to arrive later today in northern California, with a longer storm forecast to last from Friday until Tuesday.

And in other developments, a five-year-old boy who was swept away by rising waters has been named as Kyle Roan.

Yesterday, a seven-hour search for the child was called off after only his shoe was recovered by rescuers.

Kyle's mother was driving a truck when it became stranded in floodwaters near Paso Robles, a small city inland from California's central coast.

Officials said bystanders were able to pull the mother out of the truck, but Kyle was swept out of the vehicle and downstream, likely into a river. There was no evacuation order in the area at the time.

San Luis Obispo County sheriff's spokesperson Tony Cipolla said the area is "still very dangerous" with fast-flowing creeks.

Two others were killed on Tuesday when lightning knocked a tree onto a road in San Joaquin Valley, causing a deadly pileup.

'Mother Nature is not happy with us'
Rockfalls and mudslides have led to roads being shut down and thousands ordered to evacuate their homes.

But an evacuation order in the 10,000-strong town of Montecito - home to celebrities including Harry and Meghan as well as Oprah Winfrey - has now been lifted.

On Monday, Ellen DeGeneres posted a video on Instagram from near her home beside a rushing river.

She said: "This is crazy. We are having unprecedented rain. This creek near to our house never flows ever [and it's] probably about 9ft up.

"It could go another 2ft up. We have horses ready to evacuate. We need to be nicer to Mother Nature, because Mother Nature is not happy with us."

The evacuation order came on the fifth anniversary of a mudslide that killed 23 people and destroyed more than 100 homes in 2018.

0:47
'Strap up my boots and not give up'
The blustery weather has left the large homeless population in California in a precarious situation. At least one homeless person has died, and more than a dozen people were rescued from an encampment on the Ventura River.

Theo Harris, who has been living on the streets of San Francisco since getting out of jail in 2016, fortified his shelter with tarpaulin and cable ties and took in his girlfriend after her tent flooded.

"The wind has been treacherous, but you just got to bundle up and make sure you stay dry," Mr Harris said.

"Rain is part of life. It's going to be sunny. It's going to rain. I just got to strap my boots up and not give up."

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Sinkholes swallow cars as torrential rain batters California - and another powerful storm is coming

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Sinkholes have swallowed cars as powerful storms batter California - with floodwaters engulfing towns and killing at least 17 people. Two motorists had to be rescued after falling into the sinkhole on a street in Los Angeles, leaving them trapped in their vehicles.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64231624

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Multi-million dollar beach homes battered by winds, cars swallowed up by sinkholes, and over a dozen people killed - after weeks of extreme storms, California is at a breaking point.

The state's famously sunny southern coast has been battered by storm after storm since the December holidays, eroding roads, felling trees and causing landslides.

As of Tuesday evening, at least 17 people had died in weather-related incidents since the storms began, Governor Gavin Newsom said.

More than 22 million people are currently under flood watch, according to the National Weather Service - almost as many as the population of Australia - and thousands have had to evacuate.

In Santa Cruz County, south of San Francisco, Rachel Oliveria told NBC what it was like to watch a river overflow and flood her home.

"It just came really quick," she said. "Within a matter of minutes, it was from across the street all the way into our yard, and it went really fast."

While it is normal to have wet weather during the winter months, weather expert Andrea Bair, a climate services programme manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), said the "parade of storms" that has walloped the state is unusually intense.

Weather phenomena like atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones, combined with heavy winds, have packed repeated punches.

Although it is too early to say what has caused this bad run of weather, Ms Blair said climate change would make extreme weather more and more common.

The successive storms have compounded the damage - as soil moisture increases, flooding becomes more likely. As trees are damaged repeatedly, they become more likely to fall. Areas can also become more susceptible to landslides and sinkholes.

All told, Noaa estimates the storms could cost the state $1bn in damage and clean-up.

The state does not look like it will get a break anytime soon. More storms are expected this weekend and into next week, Ms Blair said. Although they may be milder than the storms from the past weekend and Monday, the repeated destruction means they will likely still cause a lot of damage.

"It really isn't going to take a lot of rain or you know those extreme strong winds to really cause havoc," Ms Blair said. "It's the repetitiveness of this storm after storm after storm that is the reason why we're where we are at today."

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This is the carnage storms have inflicted on California

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Multi-million dollar beach homes battered by winds, cars swallowed up by sinkholes, and over a dozen people killed - after weeks of extreme storms, California is at a breaking point. The state's famously sunny southern coast has been battered by storm after storm since the December holidays, eroding roads, felling trees and causing landslides.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64231245

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Amateur fossil hunters dream of finding the ancient and the rare. One little girl spoke it into existence.

Molly Sampson, nine, was on a Christmas Day visit to Calvert Beach in Maryland, and told her mother she was "looking for a Meg".

Wading in knee-deep waters, that's exactly what she found: a tooth belonging to the now-extinct Otodus megalodon shark species.

A local marine museum's curator called it a "once-in-a-lifetime kind of find".

The megalodon - Latin for "big tooth" - lived in seas worldwide until it died out at least 3.5 million years ago.

Growing to more than 66ft (20m) long, the species was not only the biggest shark in the world, but one of the largest fish ever to exist.

The tooth Molly found was 5in long, as big as her hand, according to her mother Alicia Sampson, who shared news of the find on Facebook.

Mrs Sampson wrote that her daughters, Molly and Natalie, wanted to "go sharks tooth hunting like professionals" and had asked for insulated chest waders as a Christmas present.

Almost as soon as they received their gifts and finished their breakfasts on Christmas morning, they headed to the shores of nearby Calvert Cliffs with her husband Bruce, she told the BBC's US partner CBS News.

"She told me she was wading in knee deep water when she saw it and dove in to get it," Mrs Sampson said of her daughter's find. "She said she got her arms all wet, but it was so worth it."

Her husband had hunted for fossils in the area since he was a kid, and Molly had found over 400, much smaller teeth in her own right, she said, but neither had ever encountered a tooth so large.

"She has always wanted to find a 'Meg', but for whatever reason, she spoke it into existence on Christmas morning," Mrs Sampson told CBS.

The family took the tooth to the Calvert Marine Museum, whose paleontology department confirmed the shark's identity and congratulated the "future paleontologist" on Facebook.

"People should not get the impression that teeth like this one are common along Calvert Cliffs," Stephen Godfrey, the museum's curator of paleontology, said.

"And she didn't have to dig into the cliffs to find the tooth, it was out in the water."

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Girl, 9, finds megalodon shark tooth on Maryland beach

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Amateur fossil hunters dream of finding the ancient and the rare. One little girl spoke it into existence. Molly Sampson, nine, was on a Christmas Day visit to Calvert Beach in Maryland, and told her mother she was "looking for a Meg".

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https://www.africanews.com/2023/01/10/mozambique-investigation-after-video-shows-soldiers-burning-corpses/

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The regional forces in Mozambique fighting jihadist violence have launched an investigation after a video surfaced on social networks showing soldiers throwing dead bodies on a pile of burning rubble, the South African military (SANDF) said Tuesday.
The command is "investigating the involvement of its members in this despicable act," the SANDF, which has sent troops to Mozambique, said in a statement. "The culprits will be brought to justice."

The widely shared images show soldiers throwing bodies into a fire where at least one other body is already burning. One of them pours liquid on the remains while others, including one wearing the South African army sign, watch and film the scene with cell phones.

The incident is believed to have taken place sometime in November 2022, according to the SANDF.

South Africa's main opposition party (DA) called the acts a "disgrace" for the country in a statement, recalling the existence of international rules for the treatment of the dead "even in conflict zones."

The northeastern province of Cabo Delgado has been plagued since 2017 by jihadist violence that has already left nearly 4,500 dead, including nearly 2,000 civilians, according to the NGO Acled, which collects data in conflict zones. The violence has also caused one million people to flee their homes, according to the UN.

More than 3,000 African troops were deployed in 2021 to the poor, Muslim-majority region bordering Tanzania to support the Mozambican army.

Violence has decreased in intensity but sporadic attacks continue.

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Mozambique: investigation after video shows soldiers burning corpses | Africanews

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The regional forces in Mozambique fighting jihadist violence have launched an investigation after a video surfaced on social networks showing soldiers throwing dead bodies on a pile of burning rubble, the South African military (SANDF) said Tuesday. The command is "investigating the involvement of its members in this despicable act," the SANDF, which has sent troops to Mozambique, said in a statement.

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https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/09/brazil-failed-coup-wreckage

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-64213793

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Rashmi Raj, a nurse at the Kottayam Medical College, was admitted to hospital on 30 December after falling ill from eating a rice dish and barbecued chicken that she had ordered from the eatery. She succumbed to her illness on 2 January.

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Kerala food poisoning case: Restaurant owner and cook arrested

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A spate of food poisoning cases in Kerala have led to concerns about health and safety.

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To play this content, please enable JavaScript, or try a different browser

Video caption,
Watch: Key moments as Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil government buildings

Brazil's judicial authorities have ordered the arrest of top public officials after rioters stormed key government buildings in Brasília.

One official, the former commander of the military police, has been arrested, local media reported.

The officials also include Brasília's former public security chief Anderson Torres and others "responsible for acts and omissions" leading to the riots, the attorney general's office said.

Mr Torres denies any role in the riots.

Colonel Fábio Augusto, the police commander, was dismissed from his role after supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court.

The rioting came a week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, widely known as Lula, was sworn in.

The dramatic scenes saw thousands of protesters, some clad in yellow Brazil football shirts and waving flags, overrun police and ransack the heart of the Brazilian state.

Image caption,

Former Justice Minister Anderson Torres

Earlier on Tuesday, the federal intervenor in public security accused Mr Torres of "a structured sabotage operation".

Ricardo Cappelli, who has been appointed to run security in Brasília, said there was a "lack of command" from Mr Torres before government buildings were stormed.

Lula's inauguration on 1 January was "an extremely successful security operation," Mr Cappelli told CNN.

What changed before Sunday was that, on 2 January, "Anderson Torres took over as Secretary of Security, dismissed the entire command and travelled", he said.

"If this isn't sabotage, I don't know what is," Mr Cappelli added.

Mr Torres said that he deeply regretted the "absurd hypotheses" that he played any part in the riots.

He said the scenes, which occurred during his family holiday, were lamentable and said it was "the most bitter day" of his personal and professional life.

Lula has accused security forces of "neglecting" their duty in not halting the "terrorist acts" in Brasília.

Public prosecutors asked on Tuesday for a federal audit court to freeze Mr Bolsonaro's assets in light of the riots.

The former president, who has condemned the riots, has not admitted defeat from October's tight election that divided the nation, and flew to the US before the handover on 1 January.

On Monday, he was admitted to hospital in Florida with abdominal pain relating to a stabbing attack during his election campaign in 2018. Reports say he left the hospital on Tuesday.

Mr Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that he intended to return to Brazil, telling CNN that he would bring forward his departure from the US, which was originally scheduled for the end of January.

A day after the riots, heavily armed officers started dismantling a camp of Mr Bolsonaro's supporters in Brasília - one of a number that have been set up outside army barracks around the country since the presidential election.

Mr Torres, who previously served as Mr Bolsonaro's justice minister, was fired from his role as Secretary of Public Security on Sunday by Brasília governor Ibaneis Rocha.

Mr Rocha was himself later removed from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court.

Lula has also taken aim at the security forces, accusing them of "incompetence, bad faith or malice" for failing to stop demonstrators accessing Congress.

"You will see in the images that they [police officers] are guiding people on the walk to Praca dos Tres Powers," he said. "We are going to find out who the financiers of these vandals who went to Brasília are and they will all pay with the force of law."

Video shared by the Brazilian outlet O Globo showed some officers laughing and taking photos together as demonstrators occupied the congressional campus in the background.

Protesters had been gathering since the morning on the lawns in front of the parliament and up and down the kilometre of the Esplanada avenue, which is lined with government ministries and national monuments.

Despite the actions of the protesters, in the hours before the chaos, security had appeared tight, with the roads closed for about a block around the parliament area and armed police pairs guarding every entrance into the area.

The BBC had seen about 50 police officers around on Sunday morning local time and cars were turned away at entry points, while those entering on foot were frisked by police checking bags.

According to Katy Watson, the BBC's South America correspondent, some protesters aren't just angry that Mr Bolsonaro lost the election - they want President Lula to return to prison.

Mr Bolsonaro has gone very quiet since losing October's elections, she said, adding that in not publicly conceding defeat, he's allowed his most ardent supporters to remain angry over a democratic election that he legitimately lost.

The former president condemned the attack and denied responsibility for encouraging the rioters in a post on Twitter some six hours after violence broke out.

On Tuesday, his son, Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, said people should not try to link his father to the riots, stating that he has been silently "licking his wounds" since losing the election.

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Brazil orders arrests of top officials over riots - BBC News

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Brazil's judicial authorities have ordered the arrest of top public officials after rioters stormed key government buildings in Brasília. One official, the former commander of the military police, has been arrested, local media reported. The officials also include Brasília's former public security chief Anderson Torres and others "responsible for acts and omissions" leading to the riots, the attorney general's office said.

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https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/billionaires-squabble-stalls-australia-to-asia-solar-power-project/ar-AA16cCcU

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Reuters 39 mins ago By Sonali Paul and Harshita Swaminathan

By Sonali Paul and Harshita Swaminathan

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -The developer of a $21-billion project aiming to deliver solar power to Singapore from Australia has collapsed as its two main backers, Australian billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest, failed to agree on a new round of funding.

Singapore-based Sun Cable said it had appointed voluntary administrators less than a year after raising A$210 million from the two billionaires for the Australia-Asia PowerLink project.

"While funding proposals were provided, consensus on the future direction and funding structure of the company could not be achieved," Sun Cable said in a statement.

Tech billionaire and climate activist Cannon-Brookes, who became chairman of Sun Cable in October, said he remained confident in the project.

It involves building a 20 gigawatt (GW) solar farm, 42 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy storage in northern Australia and the world's longest undersea cable to deliver power to Singapore, and eventually, Indonesia.

Construction was due to begin in 2024.

"I fully back this ambition and the team, and look forward to supporting the company's next chapter," he said in the statement.

The statement offered no comment from iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest's privately owned Squadron Energy, Sun Cable's other big stakeholder.

It is still possible Squadron could put together a funding deal for the administrators, said a person familiar with the company's thinking who sought anonymity because of confidentiality provisions.

Last year's capital raising of A$210 million included milestones that have not been met yet, meaning that not all of that funding was made available.

Future steps are likely to involve voluntary administrators FTI Consulting seeking fresh capital or selling the business entirely, Sun Cable said.

($1=1.4499 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne and Harshita Swaminathan in Bangalore; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil)

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Billionaires' squabble stalls Australia-to-Asia solar power project

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By Sonali Paul and Harshita Swaminathan MELBOURNE (Reuters) -The developer of a $21-billion project aiming to deliver solar power to Singapore from Australia has collapsed as its two main backers, Australian billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest, failed to agree on a new round of funding.

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-plans-introduce-tourist-fee-june-3197886

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BANGKOK: Thailand plans to start collecting a 300 baht (US$9) fee from foreign tourists arriving in the country beginning in June, with the money raised to support visitors involved in accidents and develop tourist destinations, a minister said on Wednesday (Jan 11).

Tourism is a crucial sector in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy and contributed about 12 per cent of gross domestic product before the pandemic.

"Fees won't be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes," said Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, adding that Thailand expects 25 million tourist arrivals this year.

The proposal was first considered last year and is subject to cabinet approval.

Tourism spending is forecast to reach at least 2.38 trillion baht this year, said Phiphat.

In 2019, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million arrivals.

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Thailand plans to introduce tourist fee from June

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BANGKOK: Thailand plans to start collecting a 300 baht (US$9) fee from foreign tourists arriving in the country beginning in June, with the money raised to support visitors involved in accidents and develop tourist destinations, a minister said on Wednesday (Jan 11). Tourism is a crucial sector in Southeas

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/4/shares-in-troubled-kenya-airways-suspended-for-another-year

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Great Wall of China, Huairou District, China

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Great Wall of China, Huairou District, China

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Great Wall of China, Huairou District, China

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The brothers running the Great Wall of China - BBC News

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Two young men with a British father and Chinese mother are in the middle of a massive journey that few have ever completed.

They're running the entire length of the Great Wall of China - effectively finishing a marathon every day for six months through deserts, over mountains and amidst dangerous crumbling ruins.

Most people wouldn't know how to even plan such an undertaking, but they grew up with a special coach - their father, who made the same journey almost 35 years ago.

China Correspondent Stephen McDonell joined them on a stretch of the Great Wall.
Filmed by Joyce Liu and Edward Lawrence. Edited by Joyce Liu.

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The brothers running the Great Wall of China

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Two young men with a British father and Chinese mother are in the middle of a massive journey that few have ever completed. They're running the entire length of the Great Wall of China - effectively finishing a marathon every day for six months through deserts, over mountains and amidst dangerous crumbling ruins.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/19/africa/cyril-ramaphosa-re-election-african-national-congress-intl

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https://news.sky.com/story/new-type-of-seaweed-found-below-antarctica-could-help-limit-global-warming-12757320

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64022938

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The Senegal man on a mission to plant five million trees

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Adama Diémé was motivated after seeing once-verdant villages in Senegal without a single tree.

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Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, South Africa 

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Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, South Africa 

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Amazon Rainforest - Codajás, State of Amazonas, Brazil

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Amazon Rainforest - Codajás, State of Amazonas, Brazil

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Amazon Rainforest - Codajás, State of Amazonas, Brazil

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https://www.dw.com/en/amazon-fire-deforestation-carbon-capture-carbon-sink-emissions-logging-bolsonaro/a-63428244

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Environmentalists often cite the conservation of the Amazon rainforest as a crucial way to mitigate the climate crisis. A look at the current situation and what's at stake.

Often referred to as the "lungs of the planet" the Amazon is the world's largest tropical forest. Spanning roughly 6.7 million square kilometers (2.6 million square miles), it plays a vital role in reducing levels of air pollution.

When their plants photosynthesize, rainforests absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide - one of the climate change-inducing greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels.

But the Amazon rainforest also influences the water cycle, not only in the counties it spans - Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname - but in other corners of South America too.

Winds from the east bring water that has evaporated from the Atlantic Ocean to the Amazon where it falls as rain. Like giant pumps, the trees soak up the water and release it back into the atmosphere . This way the forest produces about half of its own rainfall.

But some of the moisture the trees transpire also travels past the Andes to southern and central regions of Brazil and on to Argentina and Paraguay through humid air currents known as "flying rivers." With the climate crisis making some of these areas more susceptible to droughts, the "flying rivers" act as a vital rain source. The Brazilian metropolis Sao Paulo felt this in 2014 when it nearly ran out of water.

"If we lose the water coming from the Amazon, it will push some cities in these areas over the edge," said Philip Fearnside of Brazil's National Institute for Research in Amazonia (INPA). "It won't be possible to have a city the size of Sao Paulo in that area."

What is the current state of the Amazon rainforest?

About 17% of the rainforest has been cut down already for cattle ranches, soy farms, logging, mines and dams. Much of this destruction is illegal. Last year, about 95% of the areas were deforested without a permit, according to the environmental think tank MapBiomas.

Just last month, 1,455 square kilometers were cleared - the largest area ever documented for the month of September. Satellite data from the Brazilian space research agency INPE revealed a record high deforestation rate for the first nine months of the year.

Part of the reason is rampant wildfires. Most are started when farmers burn down trees to clear land for crops and the flames get out of control. INPE detected more than 42,000 fires in September, the highest number since 2010.

"We're very close to a point of no return," said Fearnside, referring to the Amazon's ability to mitigate climate change. "This could snowball into a disaster and the Amazon is at the center of it."

Touted as a weapon in the fight against climate change, the Amazon has actually become part of the problem - because it is being destroyed. The rainforest is now emitting more carbon dioxide than it is removing from the atmosphere, according to a 2021 study published in Nature.

"I'm going to be honest with you. When I saw our early data, I began to question our method," said Luciana Gatti from INPE who was lead author of the study. "Where was the carbon sink?"

The researchers refined their method and it became clear: Though the Amazon has the ability to absorb billions of tons of carbon dioxide per year, it is now emitting more than that. The southeastern part of the forest, a hotspot for fires and deforestation, is driving this trend.

"They're destroying the Amazon without realizing they are destroying us all," Gatti said of agribusinesses clearing the land.

How did we get here?

In Brazil, which is home to more than half the Amazon rainforest, the widespread destruction dates back to the 1970s, when the military dictatorship built a trans-Amazonian highway through largely untouched forest.

The nationalist regime incentivized Brazilians to move there and cultivate land, alleging that foreign companies would otherwise get hold of local resources. People from around the country flocked to the forest to log for timber and raise cattle.

In the following five decades, global demand for beef has grown. Brazil's agribusinesses have boomed, forcing the rainforest to make space for pastures, and later for soy farms to produce protein-rich feed for livestock. About 90% of soy produced ends up in farm animals' troughs. Brazil is one of the world's largest exporters to countries such as China, the Netherlands and Spain.

Though deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon took a downturn from 2006 to 2012 due to increased monitoring, they have been soaring since President Jair Bolsonaro came to power in 2019. The far-right leader has cut funding for the environment, downplayed the fires and pushed for Indigenous territories to be opened for mining. Demarcated Indigenous territories tend to have less deforestation exactly because their access is restricted.

How can we protect the Amazon rainforest?

The most urgent solution experts undoubtedly point to is ending deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

There are several ways this can happen. Ramping up monitoring again to crack down on illegal activities, stopping infrastructure projects such as highways and dams from creeping into the untouched parts of the forest, regenerating vegetation in areas that have been cleared. Or pivoting to bio-economies, which aim to make sustainable goods from local resources without depleting them.

"When we talk about climate, we talk about an agenda that is disassociated from biodiversity when in reality they need to be brought togethe r ," said Renata Piazzon of Instituto Arapyau, a non-profit promoting sustainable development. "We have the privilege of having the largest tropical rainforest with the biggest biodiversity in the world."

There are several products that grow naturally in the forest, whose production could be scaled up even more: the super berry acai, Brazil nuts, or copaiba, an oil obtained from Copaifera trees.

What is clear is that there is no single approach.

Brazil: The fear of the Amazon loggers

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"It will take a lot of knowledge and great effort to save the Amazon," said Gatti. "But we have to understand that the Amazon doesn't only play a vital role for Brazil or Latin America, but for the entire world. So we have to make that effort."

Edited by: Tamsin Walker

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Destruction of the Amazon: What you need to know - DW - 10/13/2022

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Environmentalists often cite the conservation of the Amazon rainforest as a crucial way to mitigate the climate crisis. A look at the current situation and what's at stake. Often referred to as the "lungs of the planet" the Amazon is the world's largest tropical forest.

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A volunteer works during a wildfire at the 'Santa Rosa de Colmo' area.

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Chile battles to combat forest fires amid threat to residents

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Africa CDC says Uganda's Ebola outbreak is coming under control (msn.com)

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(Reuters) -Africa's top public health body said on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in Uganda was coming under control, as it had been 39 days since the last confirmed case of the virus had been reported in the country.

Officials first confirmed the outbreak in September and said it was the Sudan strain of the disease, for which there is no proven vaccine.

Last month Uganda discharged its last known Ebola patient from hospital and President Yoweri Museveni lifted all Ebola-related movement restrictions, reflecting progress curbing the spread of the virus.

The Africa CDC's acting director, Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, told a briefing that if no new cases were reported in Uganda by Jan. 10 then the outbreak would be over.

He praised the Ugandan government's excellent coordination of Ebola-containment measures, saying it had taken around 70 days to bring the outbreak under control with 142 confirmed cases and 55 deaths. Vaccine trials against the Sudan strain of Ebola were ongoing, Ouma added.

African health authorities have made a concerted effort to boost their readiness to respond to Ebola following a devastating outbreak of the Zaire strain of the disease in West Africa in 2014-2016 that killed 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ebola causes vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea and spreads via contact with bodily fluids of the infected. The virus can sometimes linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of survivors and flare up years later.

The World Health Organisation says a country needs to pass 42 days - twice the maximum incubation period - after the last confirmed case for it to be declared Ebola-free.

(Reporting by Estelle ShirbonEditing by Alexander Winning, William Maclean)

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Africa CDC says Uganda's Ebola outbreak is coming under control

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(Reuters) -Africa's top public health body said on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in Uganda was coming under control, as it had been 39 days since the last confirmed case of the virus had been reported in the country.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64091560

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/09/weather-tracker-south-america-heatwave-argentina

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A heatwave has hit parts of central South America this week, coinciding with the Immaculate Conception pilgrimage attended by Catholic worshippers.

A sizzling 43.5C was recorded in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on Wednesday, a day before the holy day. Weather warnings for extreme heat were issued by the Argentinian and the Paraguayan national meteorological services this week, as temperatures rose 10C above the seasonal norm for several days in many places.

The authorities advised the public against going outside for prolonged periods, particularly during early afternoon. The searing heat could not have come at a worse time for those hoping to join the annual pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Miracles in the town of Caacupé, in honour of the Virgin Mary on Thursday.

In an attempt to reduce the risk of heat-related injuries, water tanks were placed along the route to ensure people undertaking the journey could stay hydrated.

Although the extreme temperatures are expected to ease this weekend, a further weather warning, this time for thunderstorms, has been issued across many parts of Argentina for the coming days. Heavy rain, strong winds and possibly hail have also been forecast.

The wet weather is likely to offer some relief to farmers whose crops have struggled during the heatwave. However, the deluge threatens to wreak further devastation in the form of localised flooding and severe hail. On 30 November, a thunderstorm in Buenos Aires produced hailstones the size of golf balls.

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South America has not been the only region experiencing warmer than average temperatures recently. Europe and Greenland recorded their 5th warmest November this year. This is an average for the whole continent over this period, but several places have been much colder than average in the past month.

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Weather tracker: Heatwave sweeps South America as Argentina hits 43C

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A heatwave has hit parts of central South America this week, coinciding with the Immaculate Conception pilgrimage attended by Catholic worshippers. A sizzling 43.5C was recorded in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on Wednesday, a day before the holy day.

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Venezuela crisis in brief - BBC News

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Millions of Venezuelans have left their home country amid a continuing political and economic crisis.

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https://allafrica.com/stories/202212190246.html

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Can our planet recover from climate change? Commissioning Editor, Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, asked scientists to share the reasons they believe there is hope.
Jennifer Fitchett, Associate Professor of Physical Geography, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
People are starting to notice the weather and climate, and to understand climate change better than ever before.

It is very difficult for humans to feel the 1.1℃ post-industrial warming. In Johannesburg, our diurnal temperature range is often more than 20℃. From day to day our maximum temperatures can differ by over 10℃. This makes climate change seem intangible. However, over the last few years, the public has become far more aware of the weather and climate, and the impacts of climate change are becoming more tangible, more easily observed, and more measurable by the person on the street.

We are noticing, for example, that jacarandas are flowering earlier than they used to. We are aware that floods are evidence of extreme climates, and that extreme climate events are affecting southern Africa more frequently than they used to.

The tone of public discourse is starting to shift. Sometimes this leads to single events not-quite-correctly being attributed to climate change. But it shows that people are aware and concerned about their climate future. This public awareness is a crucial first step in addressing climate change.

While is it very important to recognise the immense value of young climate change activists like Greta Thunberg, we often don't notice the many students across the world who are choosing to pursue degrees in fields relating to climate change. The University of the Witwatersrand launched a short course that was offered to over 5,000 incoming first year students in 2022, and which was taught by a PhD student in climate change. This large cohort of students passionate about understanding climate science, avenues for adaptation, and innovations for mitigation is our future!
Patrick Omeja, Senior Research Fellow, College of Agriculture and Environment, Makerere University, Uganda
There is an urgent need for far-reaching change. Government action on climate change is slow as their hands are often tied by stringent bureaucracy, big business and the need to please all of the electorate.

However, I am optimistic that climate action will happen because communities, businesses and foundations around the world are seeing the need for action and doing their part.

For example, in Uganda, solar panels are appearing everywhere. Large companies like Coca-Cola Africa, Nile Breweries, Unilever and Nations Media Group are supporting efforts to restore natural ecosystems and putting the environment before profits. And, for example, the Ivey Foundation in Canada is liquidating its entire endowment to promote climate action now. The funding from these companies is supporting many innovations and solutions, from refugee communities creating forests in the deserts to innovators turning plastics into boats and building materials. They are finding ways to save energy and reduce the footprints of carbon emissions.
Read more: African digital innovators are turning plastic waste into value -- but there are gaps
Africa is just awash with new ideas and initiatives that are turning environmental challenges into new sources of livelihoods, and adapting to and mitigating the impacts of a changing climate. If many small groups take action, it will make a real difference.

Generally, if humans are the primary cause of a globally warming climate, that means we can also be the architects of its undoing. I think people know that action needs to urgently happen, so people from all walks of life will volunteer to help. I believe human nature "overall" is good and the degraded ecosystems are resilient to recovery, given time and support.
Desta Mebratu, Professor, Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; Fellow, African Academy of Science
The Paris Agreement on climate change, adopted in 2015, brought a new sense of optimism in terms of addressing the challenges associated with climate change. Unfortunately, the gap between pledges and commitments made by national governments and concrete actions on climate change continued to widen in the subsequent years. This has made the possibility of limiting the planetary temperature rise to 1.5℃ more remote.

Over the last couple of years, we have witnessed increased engagement and leadership of non-state actors, including businesses, civil societies and major groups such as youth groups and local communities. This has led to a plethora of initiatives and partnerships aimed at fast-tracking climate actions and has created a new sense of optimism.

This, coupled with the increasing motivation and creativity displayed by youth groups across the world around climate action, gives me a great sense of hope about our collective future.

Ultimately, however, it all depends on how fast national governments take concrete climate actions.
Yimere Abay, Research Fellow, Centre for International Environment and Resource Policy, Tufts University, United States
The sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published in 2022, described a gloomy future for life on planet Earth. The report detailed the irreversible impacts of change on ecosystems, human life and biodiversity, along with disproportionate impacts across regions, sectors and communities. It called for urgent decisions by world leaders to minimise the adverse consequences. Disappointingly, the 27th Conference of Parties ( COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change didn't agree to phase down all fossil fuels.

Yet there are still reasons to be hopeful for progress from COP.

First, the cost of wind and solar technologies is plummeting. Technologies for carbon capture, utilisation, storage and transmission are rapidly progressing to foster transformation into a low-carbon market. Africa has an opportunity to use its massive renewable energy resources, harness its minerals and metal resources to develop solar photovoltaic systems and wind turbines, and address the barriers in the way of clean energy development. The turning point will be when fossil fuels become less efficient and more expensive than renewables.

COP27 called for reforms in multilateral development banks. Reforms could address Africa's reputation of being "riskier" for climate investment by providing guarantees. Africa needs US$2.8 trillion from 2020 to 2030, whereas the yearly climate finance flow is only US$30 billion.
Read more: Climate finance for Africa: the key challenges and what needs to be done about them
COP27 also introduced a new holistic approach towards food and agriculture. The aim is to boost the finance for agricultural transformation and adaptation. This is another reason to be optimistic, since about 70% of the continent's population depends on agriculture.

Finally, it's encouraging to see social movements, particularly among the youth, taking action on climate change. These social movements, including indigenous peoples' alliances, have self-organised across all regions without discrimination of faith, race, colour, age, gender, ideology, or education and have become the guardians of the future.

Patrick Omeja, Senior Research Fellow and Field Manager, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Makerere University

Abay Yimere, Postdoctoral Scholar in International Environment and Resource Policy, Tufts University

Desta Mebratu, Professor and United Nations High Level Champions (UNHLC) Lead on Waste, Stellenbosch University

Jennifer Fitchett, Associate Professor of Physical Geography, University of the Witwatersrand

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Africa: Climate Change Can Be Beaten - Why Some Scientists Are Hopeful

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Can our planet recover from climate change? Commissioning Editor, Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, asked scientists to share the reasons they believe there is hope. Jennifer Fitchett, Associate Professor of Physical Geography, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa People are starting to notice the weather and climate, and to understand climate change better than ever before.

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China Covid: EU officials 'strongly' urge testing for travel - BBC News

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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said there was no evidence of new variants in China, despite the surge in cases. However, experts warned this could be due to a lack of testing and data.

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China Covid: EU officials 'strongly' urge testing for travel

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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said there was no evidence of new variants in China, despite the surge in cases. However, experts warned this could be due to a lack of testing and data.

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Underwater Ecosystem found over 1,000m beneath the ice surface

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/ecosystem-antarctica-river-new-b2098866.html?amp

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A never-before-seen ecosystem has been discovered in an underground river beneath Antarctica, scientists have said.

The "hidden world" - home to swarms of shrimp-like creatures - was found in a vast cathedral-like cavern under the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating sheet of ice attached to the eastern coast of the continent.

Researchers were there investigating what role the underground estuary might be playing as the ice shelves melt due to the climate crisis.

But, when they drilled into the ice, their camera was crowded with amphipods, small creatures from the same lineage as lobsters and crabs.

"We thought something was wrong with the camera, but when the focus improved, we noticed a swarm of arthropods around 5mm in size," said Craig Stevens, from New Zealand 's National Institute of Water and Atmospherics which was carrying out the research. "We've done experiments in other parts of the ice shelf and thought we had a handle on things, but this time big surprises were thrown up.

"We were jumping up and down because having all those animals swimming around our equipment means that there's clearly an important ecosystem there."

The project's lead, Huw Horgan from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, was the first to spot the estuary, after noticing a groove in the ice while studying satellite imagery of the ice shelf.

Researchers have been aware of a network of hidden freshwater lakes and rivers below the Antarctic ice sheets for some time but they have yet to be directly surveyed, Mr Horgan said.

"Getting to observe and sample this river was like being the first to enter a hidden world," he added.

Instruments had been left in the river to observe its behaviour, he said, while lab researchers would investigate what makes the water unique. The team's findings extended further too.

It had just deployed its mooring a few days before the eruption of Tongan volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai. The team's instruments detected a significant pressure change as the tsunami made its way through the cavity.

Seeing the eruption's effects reminded Mr Stevens just how connected the planet is. "Here we are, in a forgotten corner of the world, seeing real-time influences from events that felt worlds away. It was quite remarkable," he said.

Researchers discover new ecosystem in river deep beneath Antarctica

Researchers discover new ecosystem in river deep beneath Antarctica

New Zealand scientists drilling through Antarctic ice discovered an underwater ecosystem 500 metres down

NIWA / Craig Stevens

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'Hidden world' discovered in cavern deep beneath Antarctica

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A never-before-seen ecosystem has been discovered in an underground river beneath Antarctica, scientists have said. The "hidden world" - home to swarms of shrimp-like creatures - was found in a vast cathedral-like cavern under the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating sheet of ice attached to the eastern coast of the continent.

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Germany officially rejects reparation claims from Poland (themunicheye.com)

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Germany officially rejects reparation claims from Poland

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With regard to Polish claims for reparations for losses suffered during World War II, Poland says it has received a formal refusal from the German government. The Polish Foreign Ministry said: "According to the German government, the issue of reparations and compensation for war losses remains closed and it does not intend to enter into negotiations."

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Patients in China are being forced to wait in beds outside entrances and along corridors as hospitals continue to struggle with rising COVID-19 infections.

After a long-held zero-COVID policy, China has relaxed many of its strict coronavirus rules and the disease has been spreading rapidly across the country.

In one video clip posted on social media, patients at Zhongshang Hospital in Shanghai could be seen in beds as part of long queues which stretched to outside the main entrances.

Other queues of people waiting for assistance had formed inside the hospital.

The end to zero-COVID rules at the beginning of December has unleashed the virus on China, which is home to 1.4 billion people.

The population has little immunity after being shielded since the coronavirus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Many funeral homes and hospitals say they are overwhelmed, while international health experts have warned of at least one million deaths in China this year.

China has reported five or fewer deaths a day since December's policy U-turn.

"That is totally ridiculous," said one Beijing resident of the official toll.

"Four of my close relatives died. That's only from one family.

"I hope the government will be honest with the people and the rest of the world about what's really happened here."

2:42
Read more:
Doctors describe the chaos in China's hospitals
Travellers from China will need to show negative test
Beijing threatens retaliation over travel rules
Too early to declare end of pandemic, warn experts
The World Health Organisation was holding talks in Geneva on Wednesday amid increasing international concern about the accuracy of China's data about the outbreak.

Director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO had reiterated to China "the importance of vaccination, including booster doses to protect against hospitalisation, severe disease and death".

"We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalisations and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing," he said.

The WHO says it is concerned about "risk to life" in China amid a surge in COVID cases, while in Europe and the US the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is spreading rapidly.

The organisation confirmed XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible variant so far, but said so far it did not appear to cause more serious illness.

It evolved from the XBB variant of Omicron, itself a fusion of two different BA.2 variants - BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75.

China's recent COVID outbreak is predominantly led by the Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7, which together account for 97.5% of all local infections.

European Union health officials are also discussing a coordinated response to the situation in China, such as further travel restrictions.

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Patients build up outside entrances as hospitals in China struggle with rising COVID infections

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More images emerge of the situation overwhelming the health system in China as COVID continues to spread through a large population which possesses little immunity to the virus, while concern grows about how accurate the country's data is over the outbreak.

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Boat breaks apart off the coast of Nigeria

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Boat breaks apart off the coast of Nigeria

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Deaths as overloaded boat breaks apart in northern Nigeria (trtworld.com)

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Deaths as overloaded boat breaks apart in northern Nigeria

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Capsizes are common on Nigerian waterways due to frequent overloading and lack of maintenance. (TRTWorld)

Ten bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying more than 100 women and children broke apart on a river in northern Nigeria, a local official said.

The vessel, ferrying passengers returning from a farm on the River Niger, broke in half as it approached Samanaji village in Koko-Besse district on Wednesday.

It had been overloaded with passengers "beyond its capacity," said Yahaya Bello Koko, the political administrator of the district.

"We have recovered 10 passengers with the help of local divers while searches for 10 others still missing" continue, said Koko.

"The 10 missing are presumed to have drowned, considering the long hours they have spent in the river."

More than 80 passengers were rescued, he added.

READ MORE: Boat accident kills over a dozen people in northwest Nigeria
Common capsizes
Capsizes are common on Nigerian waterways due to frequent overloading and lack of maintenance.

In May 2021, around 100 traders drowned when their boat ruptured because of overloading and sank in the same river, according to Kebbi state officials.

In October 2022, 14 people drowned when an overloaded passenger vessel capsized in northwest Nigeria.

In April of the same year, 26 people - including 21 women and five children - drowned when their canoe capsized on the same river, officials said at the time.
READ MORE: Deaths as boat capsizes in Nigeria's Anambra state
Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Deaths as overloaded boat breaks apart in northern Nigeria

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Ten bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying more than 100 women and children broke apart on a river in northern Nigeria, a local official said. The vessel, ferrying passengers returning from a farm on the River Niger, broke in half as it approached Samanaji village in Koko-Besse district on Wednesday.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11577557/Stunning-aerial-views-Niagara-Falls-nearly-completely-frozen-western-New-York.html