Government Response

Nigeria police fire tear gas on hardship protests

By Laurie Churchman Nigerian police fired tear gas on Thursday to break up several hundred protesters in the northern city of Kano and in the capital Abuja where demonstrators had joined in nationwide rallies against the high cost of living. Africa's most populous country is struggling with soaring inflation and a sharply devalued naira after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended a costly fuel subsidy and liberalised the […]

1 August, 2024

Africa

Kenya floods: as the costs add up pressure mounts on a country in economic crisis

By Timothy Njagi Njeru, Egerton University There were early warnings that Kenya’s long rain season – between March and May – was going to bring above-normal rainfall. The extreme intensity of the rain has resulted in devastating floods in many parts of the country. Forty of the country’s 47 counties have been affected. More than 230 people have died and about 40,000 households, so far, have been […]

10 May, 2024

Environment

El Niño disasters: governments know what’s coming, but are unprepared – what must change

By Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Drought disasters in southern Africa are mainly attributed to a lack of preparedness, inadequate response and mitigation and poor risk reduction measures. With little to no preparation for drought disasters, such as the failure of the staple maize crop, the only option after the disaster hits is delayed relief action. Because of climate change, the El Niño-induced impacts […]

2 April, 2024

Environment

Bangkok says work from home as pollution blankets city

Bangkok city employees have been told to work from home to avoid harmful air pollution, as a layer of noxious haze blanketed the Thai capital on Thursday. City authorities asked for cooperation from employers to help workers in the city of about 11 million people avoid the pollution, which is expected to last into Friday. The air monitoring website IQAir ranked Bangkok among the 10 most polluted cities […]

15 February, 2024

Environment

Furious protesting Indian farmers stalled but defiant

By Arunabh SAIKIA Shambhu, India, Feb 14, 2024 (AFP) - The line of tractors stretches nearly far as one can see -- thousands of protesting Indian farmers heading to the capital New Delhi, determined to bring their anger and woes to politicians. Many have driven on slow-moving tractors across India's northern Punjab state to demand guaranteed crop prices, waving flags, honking horns and chanting protest slogans. But they […]

14 February, 2024