ONE of Afghanistan’s worst earthquakes has killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities say as they warn that the death toll could rise. Helicopters ferried the wounded to hospital on Monday in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar as officials combed the rubble for survivors after a magnitude 6 tremor hit just before midnight on Sunday. At least 812 people have died, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at a news conference on Monday, as the disaster further stretches the resources of the war-torn nation already grappling with poverty, drops in humanitarian aid, and the pushback…
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THIS weekend marks the start of the campaign for the constitutional referendum in Guinea. The High Authority of Communication (HAC), which oversees media regulations, has unveiled new guidelines for coverage. They require that audiovisual media provide equal airtime for both supporters and opponents of the referendum. However, the HAC has drawn criticism for its stipulation that only recognized entities, those without conflicts with the state, can have a voice in the media. This decision has faced backlash from the Guinean Professional Press Union, with President Boubacar Yacine Diallo stating that while no one is banned from media access, journalists must…
IN the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it’s back-to-school season. But in Goma, a city of over two million people, war is looming. Under the control of the M23 rebels, the city is suffocating, putting children’s education at risk. In Goma’s central market, the atmosphere is far from festive. For months, the AFC/M23 rebels have controlled the city and its surroundings, strangling the local economy. Goods pile up, but buyers are scarce. This situation is affecting preparations for the new school year. “The situation is not good,” says shopkeeper Victoria Semego. “Since the war began, there is no work, and…
DOMINIK Szoboszlai’s brilliant late free-kick gave Liverpool victory against Arsenal after a hard-fought meeting of the Premier League superpowers at Anfield. A dour encounter looked to be heading for a draw until the Hungarian curved a magnificent strike past Arsenal keeper from 30 years in front of an exultant Kop after 83 minutes. The Gunners, who kept new £60m signing Eberechi Eze on the bench until the second half, suffered an early setback when key defender William Saliba went off injured after five minutes, to be replaced by summer signing Cristhian Mosquera. Chances were at a premium as both sides…
IN an overcrowded clinic in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, Samar Abu Ajwah clutched her frail newborn as he burst into weak sobs. Eyad has been diagnosed as malnourished, weighing only 1.9kg (4.2lb). “He needs milk, and we are appealing for help from people who can afford it because we cannot,” Abu Ajwah, who also suffers from malnutrition caused by Israel’s punishing blockade of humanitarian aid, told Al Jazeera. Ameera Tafesh brought Ru’a, her emaciated six-month-old, to the clinic hoping to find nourishment. “I breastfed her when she was born, but it lasted only a week because I couldn’t produce…
PAKISTAN’s eastern Punjab province is dealing with the biggest flood in its history, a senior official has said, as water levels of rivers rise to all-time highs. Global warming has worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to a new study. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months. Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain, as well as cross-border flooding after India released water from swollen rivers and its overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions.…
THREE people have been killed and 103 others injured due to a train derailing while en route to the Egyptian capital Cairo, the country’s health ministry has said. The train had been travelling from the northern coastal city of Marsa Matruh when seven of its carriages came off the tracks around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) on Saturday, with two carriages being overturned, officials said. Health Minister Dr Khaled Abdul Ghaffar offered his condolences and prayers to the families of the victims, and wished those injured a swift recovery. The transport ministry and the Egyptian National Railways Authority (ENRA) are…
A HEAD-ON collision in Namibia involving vehicles belonging to the security services has killed 16 people. The accident took place 270km (167 miles) south of the capital, Windhoek, outside the town of Mariental on Saturday. “No words can truly capture the depth of this loss,” President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wrote on social media, praising “the souls of our fallen officers”. Namibia has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world. Two civilians and 14 officers were among those confirmed to have been killed in the crash. Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs initially put the death toll at 14,…
From Symbol Of Excellence To Symbol Of Betrayal THE Challawa Ultra-Modern Abattoir was not just a facility,it was a statement. A vision of excellence first initiated by Commissioner of Police Audu Bako, and courageously continued by military administrators Colonel Sani Bello and Air Comdr Ishaya Shekari, the project reached completion under the civilian government of Governor Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi in 1980. At a time when such infrastructural ambition was rare, Kano rose to become a regional leader in hygienic meat processing. Built at a staggering cost of ₦10 million a fortune in its day the abattoir was designed to serve…
RUBEN Amorim finally had something to celebrate at the end of a turbulent few days at Manchester United. He didn’t actually see Bruno Fernandes’ decisive stoppage-time penalty because he wanted to “watch the fans celebrate” as he was convinced his captain would score. It was one of Amorim’s more rational statements in a week when he seemed to be adopting a scorched earth policy such is the rollercoaster his emotional state has been. However, when he takes a step back, the last-gasp 3-2 win over Burnley has left him with plenty of puzzles to solve and issues to deal with…
A HOUTHI official has vowed “vengeance” against Israel after the Yemeni group confirmed that an Israeli air strike earlier this week killed the prime minister of the Houthis’ government in the capital, Sanaa. Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in a Thursday strike on Sanaa along with “several” other ministers, the Houthis said in a statement on Saturday. Al-Rahawi, who served as prime minister in areas of the divided country that the group controls, was targeted along with other members of the Houthi-led government during a workshop, the statement said. The Houthis did not specify how many other ministers were also killed…
THE British Government has announced a major overhaul of its immigration policy, barring foreign workers from filling more than 100 job categories in an effort to reduce net migration and prioritise employment opportunities for UK citizens. The announcement was made by the Home Office in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) early Saturday morning, stressing that the move is central to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to restore balance to the UK’s immigration system. “Cutting net migration means getting the fundamentals right. More than 100 occupations are no longer eligible for overseas recruitment, opening up more jobs for…
AN extensive earthen wall is being built around the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher and is intended to trap people inside, according to research from Yale University. From satellite images, the university’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has identified more than 31km (19 miles) of berms – or raised banks – constructed since May in territory outside the city occupied by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). El-Fasher, under siege for more than a year, is the last major foothold in Darfur for Sudan’s army, which has been battling the RSF since April 2023. The Sudan Doctors Network has told the…
MILLIONS of children across four African countries could die of malnutrition in the next three months, Save the Children has warned, as emergency food supplies dwindle as a result of international aid cuts. Save the Children said on Thursday that Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan were expected to run out of so-called “ready-to-use therapeutic food” (RUTF), a nutritional paste that has a long shelf life and does not need refrigeration. In Nigeria alone, the lives of 3.5 million children under age five who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition will be under threat without access to treatment and nutrition…
ALEJANDRO Garnacho has arrived at Chelsea’s training ground as he completes a reported £40 million ($54 million) move from Manchester United, Blues boss Enzo Maresca said Friday. A deal was said to have been agreed between the two Premier League clubs on Thursday, with the 21-year-old no longer required by Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford. Garnacho was at Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham, southwest of London, Friday undergone a medical and finalise terms. “I know he is around here,” Chelsea manager Maresca told reporters. “I don’t know exactly where.” Maresca, asked how the United academy graduate would fit into his…
THE administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced it is denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September. The announcement was made in a statement released by the US Department of State on Friday. “The Trump Administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the statement said. The statement said the members “must consistently repudiate terrorism”, citing…
THE Trump administration has withdrawn former vice president Kamala Harris’s Secret Service security protection, a White House official said Friday. The administration terminated an extension approved by then-president Joe Biden for Harris, the defeated Democratic presidential candidate whose customary six-month period of protection as ex-VP ended July 21, CNN reported. A senior Harris aide told AFP that Harris was “grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety.” While she has kept a low profile since losing the election, Harris is scheduled to go on tour this fall to promote a book she…
AT least 69 people have died and many more are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania, coastguards in the north-west African country have said. Seventeen people have been rescued and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the dugout canoe that was heading towards Spain’s Canary Islands. According to survivors, the boat left The Gambia six days before Tuesday’s accident, carrying around 160 people on board, mainly Gambian and Senegalese nationals. The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe. Nearly 47,000…
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that cholera deaths are climbing worldwide even as the number of recorded cases falls, noting what it described as serious gaps in treatment and access to care. In a statement issued Friday, the agency said no fewer than 4,738 people died from cholera and Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) across 31 countries between January and mid-August 2025. The figure represents a 46 per cent increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2024, even though total case numbers dropped by 20 per cent. Africa has recorded the highest toll, with more than 3,700…
LIVERPOOL and Manchester City will both come up against Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League, while title-holders Paris Saint-Germain were handed a tough list of opponents in Thursday’s draw, including Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Xabi Alonso’s Real will play City at home and take on Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield in what will be two of the standout fixtures of the league phase. Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who finished first in the league phase last season only to be eliminated by PSG in the last 16, will also play Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, and Qarabag of Azerbaijan at home.…