WEATHER ALERT
Gas tanker explosion kills more than 140 people and injures dozens more in Nigeria
Read full article: Gas tanker explosion kills more than 140 people and injures dozens more in NigeriaMore than 140 people, including children, are dead in Nigeria after an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames while they tried to scoop up fuel.
CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Wildfires plague U.S. West and Brazil, Yagi rampages in Vietnam
Read full article: CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Wildfires plague U.S. West and Brazil, Yagi rampages in VietnamExtreme weather is again striking multiple places around the world, including wildfires in California, a hurricane that threatens Louisiana, drought and wildfires in the Amazon and flooding in Nigeria.
Africa has almost 4,000 new mpox cases in a week, but the wait for vaccines continues
Read full article: Africa has almost 4,000 new mpox cases in a week, but the wait for vaccines continuesAfrica's public health body is seeing a rapid increase in mpox cases, with almost 4,000 reported on the continent in the last week.
Africa's mpox outbreaks result from neglect and world's inability to stop epidemics, experts say
Read full article: Africa's mpox outbreaks result from neglect and world's inability to stop epidemics, experts sayA leading African scientist says the growing mpox outbreaks in Africa that triggered the World Health Organization’s emergency declaration are largely the result of decades of neglect and the global community’s inability to stop sporadic epidemics among a population with little immunity against the smallpox-related disease.
Cows obstruct Nigeria's capital as climate change and development leave herders with nowhere to go
Read full article: Cows obstruct Nigeria's capital as climate change and development leave herders with nowhere to goAs the population grows and development extends to rural areas where herders live and graze their cattle, they are now forced to move into the city center in search of pasture.
Nigeria women's basketball team denied entry to opening ceremony boat by federation, AP source says
Read full article: Nigeria women's basketball team denied entry to opening ceremony boat by federation, AP source saysThe Nigeria women’s basketball team wasn’t allowed to board the delegation’s boat for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Africa's demand for cooling systems is expanding. But regulating the industry is a struggle
Read full article: Africa's demand for cooling systems is expanding. But regulating the industry is a struggleDue to warmer temperatures and increasing urbanization, the market for cooling systems is expanding in Africa.
The collapse of a school in northern Nigeria leaves 22 students dead, officials say
Read full article: The collapse of a school in northern Nigeria leaves 22 students dead, officials sayPolice say a two-story school collapsed during morning classes in north-central Nigeria, killing 22 students and sending rescuers on a frantic search for more than 100 people trapped in the rubble.
A weakened West Africa bloc asks Senegalese leader to try to convince breakaway states to return
Read full article: A weakened West Africa bloc asks Senegalese leader to try to convince breakaway states to returnWest Africa’s divided regional bloc has asked Senegal’s President Basirou Diomaye Faye to have a dialogue with the three military junta-led member states to try to reunite the region whose stability has been under threat following their decision to leave the group in January.
Nigeria is emerging as a critical mineral hub. The government is cracking down on illegal operations
Read full article: Nigeria is emerging as a critical mineral hub. The government is cracking down on illegal operationsNigeria’s government is cracking down on illegal mining, making dozens of arrests of unlicensed miners since April for allegedly stealing the country’s lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones and power systems.
As countries tighten anti-gay laws, more and more LGBTQ+ migrants seek safety and asylum in Europe
Read full article: As countries tighten anti-gay laws, more and more LGBTQ+ migrants seek safety and asylum in EuropeWhile many of the migrants who reach Europe are escaping war, conflict and poverty, an increasing number are fleeing possible prison terms and death sentences because they are gay.
Gunmen abduct 287 students in the latest school attack in Nigeria’s northwest, headteacher says
Read full article: Gunmen abduct 287 students in the latest school attack in Nigeria’s northwest, headteacher saysA school headteacher in northwestern Nigeria says gunmen who attacked the school abducted 287 students as they were about to start classes.
3 killed and 77 injured in a massive blast caused by explosives in a southern Nigerian city
Read full article: 3 killed and 77 injured in a massive blast caused by explosives in a southern Nigerian cityNigerian authorities say two people have died and 77 others have been injured in a massive blast that rocked more than a dozen buildings in one of the country's largest cities.
IMF and World Bank are urged to boost funding for African nations facing conflict and climate change
Read full article: IMF and World Bank are urged to boost funding for African nations facing conflict and climate changeMost of the population in conflict-affected countries like Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and northern Nigeria depends on climate-vulnerable agriculture.
At UN, African leaders say enough is enough: They must be partnered with, not sidelined
Read full article: At UN, African leaders say enough is enough: They must be partnered with, not sidelinedAt the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, African leaders are relaying a unanimous message, that their continent of more than 1.3 billion people is done being a “victim” of a post-world war order and must be recognized and partnered with as a global power in itself.
Nigerians protest mysterious death of Afrobeat star as police exhumes body for autopsy
Read full article: Nigerians protest mysterious death of Afrobeat star as police exhumes body for autopsyThousands are marching across Nigeria over the mysterious death of an Afrobeat star whose body has been exhumed for an autopsy as authorities investigate the cause of his demise.
Building collapse in Nigeria's capital leaves two people dead while many are feared trapped
Read full article: Building collapse in Nigeria's capital leaves two people dead while many are feared trappedRescue crews are searching for survivors after a building collapse in Nigeria's capital left two people dead while many others are feared trapped.
A Nigerian forest and its animals are under threat. Poachers have become rangers to protect both
Read full article: A Nigerian forest and its animals are under threat. Poachers have become rangers to protect bothOmo Forest Reserve, a tropical rainforest in southern Nigeria, faces threats from excessive logging, uncontrolled farming and poaching.
Niger's junta gains the upper hand over the regional bloc threatening military force, analysts say
Read full article: Niger's junta gains the upper hand over the regional bloc threatening military force, analysts sayOne week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the country’s ousted president or face military intervention, the junta has not acquiesced.
England advances at Women's World Cup by edging Nigeria after James red card
Read full article: England advances at Women's World Cup by edging Nigeria after James red cardEngland held firm despite a red card for Lauren James to beat Nigeria on penalty kicks and advance to the quarterfinals at the Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria triggers national response plan for annual deadly floods; 14 states on alert
Read full article: Nigeria triggers national response plan for annual deadly floods; 14 states on alertAuthorities in Nigeria say they have activated a national response plan ahead of what's expected to be another round of deadly floods blamed mainly on climate change and infrastructure problems.
UN talks on a treaty to end global plastic pollution open in Paris
Read full article: UN talks on a treaty to end global plastic pollution open in ParisA United Nations committee is meeting in Paris to work on what is intended to be a landmark treaty to bring an end to global plastic pollution, but there is little agreement on what the outcome should be.
Nigerian airport workers go on strike; travelers stranded
Read full article: Nigerian airport workers go on strike; travelers strandedAviation workers in Nigeria have embarked on a two-day strike, leaving thousands of travelers stranded as airlines canceled or rescheduled flights in the country's major cities.
Nations approve key UN science report on climate change
Read full article: Nations approve key UN science report on climate changeGovernments gave their blessing Sunday to a major new U.N. report on climate change, after approval was held up by a battle between rich and developing countries over emissions targets and financial aid to vulnerable nations.
Burundi officials detect polio outbreak linked to vaccine
Read full article: Burundi officials detect polio outbreak linked to vaccineHealth officials in Burundi have declared an outbreak of polio linked to the vaccine, the first time the paralytic disease has been detected in the east African country for more than three decades.
Police: Illegal refinery blast in Nigeria kills at least 12
Read full article: Police: Illegal refinery blast in Nigeria kills at least 12The Nigeria Police Force says at least 12 people have died in an explosion and fire near an illegal oil refinery site in the country's oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Sub-Saharan Africa is 'new epicenter' of extremism, says UN
Read full article: Sub-Saharan Africa is 'new epicenter' of extremism, says UNA new report by the U.N.’s international development agency says that sub-Saharan Africa is the new global epicenter of violent Islamic extremism and that people are increasingly joining as a result of economic factors and less by religious ones.
Report: Climate change fueling conflict in Lake Chad Basin
Read full article: Report: Climate change fueling conflict in Lake Chad BasinDroughts, flooding and a shrinking Lake Chad caused in part by climate change is fueling conflict and migration in the region and needs to be better addressed, a report said Thursday.
US to face Vietnam, Netherlands at women's soccer World Cup
Read full article: US to face Vietnam, Netherlands at women's soccer World CupThe defending champion United States will face Netherlands in the group stage of the women’s soccer World Cup next summer, setting up an early rematch of the 2019 World Cup final.
West Africa floods destroy crops, worsening hunger fears
Read full article: West Africa floods destroy crops, worsening hunger fearsWest and Central African countries are battling deadly floods that have upended lives and livelihoods, raising fears of further disruption of food supplies in many areas battling armed conflict.
U.S. Soccer, players formally sign equal pay agreements
Read full article: U.S. Soccer, players formally sign equal pay agreementsRepresentatives for the men’s and women’s U.S. national teams signed their historic collective bargaining agreements with U.S. Soccer, formally closing a long and acrimonious fight over equal pay.
For clean energy, financial growth, Africa looks to UN talks
Read full article: For clean energy, financial growth, Africa looks to UN talksAccess to more and cleaner energy while continuing to grow economically will be a top priority for African nations in the upcoming United Nations climate conference in November, top officials and climate experts on the continent said.
Developing nations seek to overcome energy, currency crises
Read full article: Developing nations seek to overcome energy, currency crisesBusiness leaders and officials from eight developing nations meeting in Bangladesh say more cooperation is needed among them to overcome dwindling foreign currency reserves, a growing energy crisis and supply chain disruptions.
Nigeria church: 38 killed in attack during Sunday service
Read full article: Nigeria church: 38 killed in attack during Sunday serviceThirty-eight persons have been confirmed dead after the attack on a church in southwestern Nigeria, according to the Catholic church in Ondo state where the incident happened.
No mourners at burial of 50 victims of Nigeria refinery fire
Read full article: No mourners at burial of 50 victims of Nigeria refinery fireDays after more than 100 people died in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in southeast Nigeria, authorities and gravediggers returned to the site in a forest to bury about 50 unclaimed bodies that were burned beyond recognition.
Explosion at illegal oil refinery in Nigeria kills over 50
Read full article: Explosion at illegal oil refinery in Nigeria kills over 50Nigeria police and officials say that more than 50 people have been killed and many wounded in southeast Nigeria in an explosion that rocked an illegal oil refinery.
South Korea breaks daily virus record for 2nd straight day
Read full article: South Korea breaks daily virus record for 2nd straight daySouth Korea has broken its daily record for coronavirus infections for a second straight day with more than 5,200 new cases, as pressure mounts on a health care system grappling with rising hospitalizations and deaths.
Death toll in Nigeria building collapse rises to 43
Read full article: Death toll in Nigeria building collapse rises to 43A Nigerian Red Cross official says seven more bodies have been recovered from a high-rise apartment building that collapsed while under construction in Lagos, bringing the death toll to 43.
Nigeria building collapse deaths climb to 36, dozens missing
Read full article: Nigeria building collapse deaths climb to 36, dozens missingThe number of bodies recovered from a collapsed high-rise apartment building in Nigeria’s most populous city has risen to 36, an emergency official told The Associated Press.
Death toll rises to 23 in Nigerian building site collapse
Read full article: Death toll rises to 23 in Nigerian building site collapseThe death toll from the collapse of a high-rise apartment building under construction in Nigeria’s most populous city has risen to 23, the Lagos state governor says, as rescue crews continue to seek surviving workers in the rubble.
At least 3 dead after high rise in Nigeria collapses
Read full article: At least 3 dead after high rise in Nigeria collapsesWitnesses and officials say at least three people were killed and dozens more remain missing after the collapse of a 21-story apartment building being built in an upscale area of Nigeria’s largest city.
Nigeria faces one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years
Read full article: Nigeria faces one of its worst cholera outbreaks in yearsNigeria is seeing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years, with more than 2,300 people dying from suspected cases as Africa’s most populous country struggles to deal with multiple disease outbreaks.
WHO: COVID-19 vaccination triples in Africa but still low
Read full article: WHO: COVID-19 vaccination triples in Africa but still lowThe Africa director of the World Health Organization says the continent was able to triple its COVID-19 vaccination rate over the past week, helped by growing numbers of donations of doses from developed countries.
Typhoon Texas salutes Olympian Tamyra Mensah-Stock with a waterslide featuring red, white and blue lights
Read full article: Typhoon Texas salutes Olympian Tamyra Mensah-Stock with a waterslide featuring red, white and blue lightsTyphoon Texas’ waterslide will shine with red, white and blue lights through the end of this week in Katy.
AP sources: Ogwumike denied by FIBA to play for Nigeria
Read full article: AP sources: Ogwumike denied by FIBA to play for NigeriaNneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams have been notified by FIBA that their petitions to play for Nigeria in the upcoming Olympics were denied because they played for the U.S. for too long, says two people familiar with the situation.
Let’s break down the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team roster for Tokyo
Read full article: Let’s break down the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team roster for TokyoWith the Olympics right around the corner, the final rosters and teams are shaping up, and that includes the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.
Nigerian governor says 279 kidnapped schoolgirls are freed
Read full article: Nigerian governor says 279 kidnapped schoolgirls are freedZamfara state governor Bello Matawalle announced that 279 girls who were abducted last week from a boarding school in the northwestern Zamfara state have been released Tuesday. Bello Matawalle said that 279 girls had been freed after being abducted from the Government Girls Junior Secondary School in Jangebe town on Friday. It gladdens my heart to announce the release of the abducted students,” Matawalle said in a post on Twitter early Tuesday. In December, more than 300 schoolboys from a secondary school in Kankara, in northwestern Nigeria, were taken and later released. The government has said no ransom was paid for the students’ release.
Pope prays for liberation of 317 kidnapped Nigerian students
Read full article: Pope prays for liberation of 317 kidnapped Nigerian studentsVATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Sunday decried the kidnapping of 317 students from their boarding school in northwest Nigeria and prayed for the girls' quick release. Police on Friday in Nigeria said gunmen had abducted the students from their boarding school. “I pray for these girls, so that they may return home soon,'' the pope said. A resident of the area said the gunmen also attacked a nearby military camp and checkpoint, preventing soldiers from interfering with the mass abduction. On Saturday, authorities in Nigeria announced that nearly 40 students, teachers and relatives abducted on Feb. 17 from a school in northern Nigeria have been freed.
Students abducted from Nigerian school 2 weeks ago freed
Read full article: Students abducted from Nigerian school 2 weeks ago freed(AP Photo)(AP) – Students, teachers and relatives abducted two weeks ago from a school in northern Nigeria have been freed. The students, teachers and family members were abducted Feb. 17 by gunmen from the Government Science College Kagara. Their release was announced a day after police said gunmen had abducted 317 girls from a boarding school elsewhere in northern Nigeria, in Zamfara state. “We will not succumb to blackmail by bandits and criminals who target innocent school students in the expectation of huge ransom payments,” he said. In December, 344 students were abducted from the Government Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State.
Africa CDC: New virus variant appears to emerge in Nigeria
Read full article: Africa CDC: New virus variant appears to emerge in Nigeria“It’s a separate lineage from the U.K. and South Africa,” the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told reporters. He said the Nigeria CDC and the African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases would analyze more samples. The new virus variant in South Africa is now the predominant one there, Nkengasong said, as confirmed infections in the country approach 1 million. “We believe this mutation will not have an effect” on the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the continent, he said of the South Africa variant. Infections across the continent have risen 10.9% over the past four weeks, the Africa CDC director said, including a 52% increase in Nigeria and 40% increase in South Africa.
The Latest: China tests millions in port over virus cluster
Read full article: The Latest: China tests millions in port over virus cluster(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)BEIJING — Authorities in China’s northeastern port city of Dalian are testing millions of residents after seven new coronavirus cases were reported there in the last 24 hours. It has a deal to secure up to 100 million doses of the potential vaccine produced by AstraZeneca. Koca said the first shipment of three million doses of CoronaVac would be shipped to Turkey on Sunday and arrive Monday. He said Turkey could get 4.5 million doses until the end of March and would have the option buy up to 30 million doses. Indonesia has reported nearly 700,000 COVID-19 cases, the largest caseload in Southeast Asia and second in Asia only to India’s 10.1 million confirmed cases.
Hundreds of Nigerian students missing after attack on school
Read full article: Hundreds of Nigerian students missing after attack on schoolPeople gather inside the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Nigeria, Saturday Dec. 12, 2020. Nigerian police say that hundreds of students are missing after gunmen attacked the secondary school in the countrys northwestern Katsina state. (AP Photo/Abdullatif Yusuf)(AP) – Hundreds of Nigerian students are missing after gunmen attacked a secondary school in the country’s northwestern Katsina state, police said, while the president said the military was in gunfights with bandits in a forest as it tried to find the students. “The police, Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force are working closely with the school authorities to ascertain the actual number of the missing and/or kidnapped students,” said Isah. ”Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured,” said the president's statement.
US citizen kidnapped in Niger rescued in military operation
Read full article: US citizen kidnapped in Niger rescued in military operationWASHINGTON – An American citizen kidnapped in the West African nation of Niger this past week has been rescued in a U.S. military operation in neighboring Nigeria, U.S. officials said Saturday. The man was taken from his farm in Massalata in southern Niger early Tuesday morning by armed kidnappers who demanded a ransom from the man’s father. “This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State. No U.S military personnel were injured during the operation,” the department said in a statement. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss the operation and spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details .
Houston’s Nigerian community hosts protest in support of the End SARS movement
Read full article: Houston’s Nigerian community hosts protest in support of the End SARS movementHOUSTON – Momentum is growing on an outcry for justice in Nigeria, where more than 50 civilians have been killed during peaceful protests. In Houston, Congressman Al Green joined the Coalition Against Human Rights Abuse and the Houston Nigerian community to protest the killings on Saturday. “It is time for us to let Nigeria know we will not allow human rights to be ignored.”“People who look like me are dying everyday,” said a Houston resident. The End SARS movement calls for an end to violence and police brutality being done by the special anti-robbery squad in the west African country. The movement has been viral on social media for days.
Nigeria’s police order massive mobilization after unrest
Read full article: Nigeria’s police order massive mobilization after unrestNigeria's president says 51 civilians have been killed in unrest following days of peaceful protests over police abuses, and he blames "hooliganism" for the violence while asserting that security forces have used "extreme restraint. The police order could further heighten tensions in Africa’s most populous country after its worst turmoil in years. Adamu, ordered colleagues to “dominate the public space” while announcing that enough is enough, a statement said. By not taking action against security forces, some Nigerians have warned, the president could inspire further abuses. We are part of the system, we are part of this governance.”___Bashir Adigun in Abuja, Nigeria contributed.
#EndSARS movement spreading in Houston; first-generation Nigerian Americans speak out about the violence
Read full article: #EndSARS movement spreading in Houston; first-generation Nigerian Americans speak out about the violenceThe violence erupted during peaceful protests that were meant to bring to light rampant abuses at the hands of police. Mayor Sylvester Turner, several community leaders and people gathered Friday night at Houston’s city hall to remember the young lives lost during the peaceful protest in Nigeria. Peter Uwalaka and Elizabeth Opara are members of the UIU chapter in Houston and are first-generation Nigerian Americans. People tired of the violence against peaceful protest and police brutality. On Saturday, the Houston UIU Chapter will have a protest march to bring awareness to the atrocities in Nigeria.
Nigerian president leaves protest shootings out of speech
Read full article: Nigerian president leaves protest shootings out of speech“For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and law and order," he said. “President Buhari during his speech refused to acknowledge those dead as a result of military attacked on Lekki protesters #EndSARS,” tweeted Usman Okai Austin. As looting gangs stormed through parts of Nigeria's largest city, spreading violence for a second day in Lagos. But on Tuesday night security forces fired without warning into crowds of thousands of protesters singing Nigeria's national anthem, killing 12, Amnesty said. "We welcome an immediate investigation into any use of excessive force by members of the security forces.