Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voice
Strain of virus with no vaccine has potential to overrun response impeded by conflict and misinformation Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are losing their battle to contain the country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak . DRC’s health ministry declared an outbreak in Ituri province on 15 May, though sequencing shows it had begun in February. It has since spread to five other…
At least 2,325 people have died from the virus, according to official data, with outbreak on track to be biggest in history The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now the deadliest in the country’s history, with at least 2,325 people dead, according to government data, surpassing the toll from the 2018-20 outbreak. The DRC’s public health institute said confirmed cases had…
New species and regional instability are factors – but decisions made in the US and Britain are also costing lives Did you know that there is a major Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it’s on track to be the deadliest ever ? It is already the second-worst Ebola outbreak in history, with the fastest community transmission we have ever seen. It’s estimated that there have…
Eighteen children among the people killed after ferry capsized on Lake Kariba Twenty-two more bodies have been recovered after a boat accident in Zimbabwe, taking the death toll to 68, police said on Saturday. The ferry capsized on Tuesday on Lake Kariba , on the border with Zambia. An investigation has suggested it was overloaded when it turned over during heavy winds. Continue reading...
Border security tightened after social media posts call for another mass crossing into Spain’s north African territory Moroccan police have arrested 111 people as they tried to enter Spain’s north African territory of Ceuta, amid tightened security on both sides after social media posts called for another mass crossing. The attempted crossing on Saturday came two weeks after more than 72,000…
Kevin Rideout, who was abducted by unknown assailants in Niamey, said to be in good health and in care of US officials An American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organisation has said. Serving in Mission International said Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of US officials” and would soon be reunited with his extended family. Continue reading...
The deaths of a Bulawayo mother and her daughters spark calls for an urgent action on gender-based violence The three white coffins were draped in white lace and topped with small sprays of flowers. The mourners who filled a Bulawayo church last week to pay their respects to Zandile Tshuma and her daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, had not engaged in the usual tradition of first viewing the…
Man dies in Bas-Uele after travelling from Haut-Uele, as head of WHO says outbreak on track to be deadliest ever The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a sixth province, officials have said, a day after the head of the World Health Organization said the outbreak was on track to surpass the deadliest in history, which killed at least 11,000 people more than a…
Disciplinary proceedings under way after security concerns raised over reported visits to official residence France has opened disciplinary proceedings against its ambassador to Central African Republic over allegations of misconduct, after claims he brought dozens of women into his official residence, raising potential security concerns. The investigation comes as Paris seeks to rebuild relations…
Hakainde Hichilema is bidding for second term, but feud between him and family of Edgar Lungu, who died in 2025, continues As Zambians go to the polls on Thursday, the ghost of the current president’s predecessor hangs over the elections. Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is bidding for a second term leading the southern African country after defeating his arch-rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide in 2021.…
Operation under way to rescue dozens missing after boat overturned by waves at world’s largest human-made lake At least 44 people have died after an overcrowded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, police said. The boat had a capacity of 90 people, but was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and an unknown number of children, Zimbabwe’s civil protection unit (CPU) said earlier…
South African scientist’s breakthrough research shows soil fungus could be used in fight against devastating crop pest Hearing about fields full of dead caterpillars enveloped in a mysterious white substance intrigued the South African scientist Letodi Luki Mathulwe. Something was killing off the African armyworm – one of the most devastating pests for farmers in east and southern Africa. The…
Struggling on her meagre pay, Faten Ben Omar El Azizi dreamed of reaching Europe. Then she joined thousands trying to reach a better life in Spain Football was the life Faten Ben Omar El Azizi had wanted. She had long played in Morocco’s regional league for Moghreb Atlético Tetuán, whose striking kit replicates the colours of the famous Spanish club Atlético Madrid. And in the cruellest of…
The migrant influx prompted recriminations and a tit-for-tat dispute between Italy and Spain. Putin, Erdoğan and others will have taken note Within hours of the first pictures of tens of thousands of migrants swimming the short distance from Morocco to the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta hitting social media on 30 July, 22 European Union leaders , the Trump administration and Israel had…
Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese pairs his literary-grade voiceover with propulsive, prophetic images to interrogate his identity and that of his colonialism-carved homeland Here is a captivating stream of consciousness film about exile, roots and identity by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, director of the lauded 2019 activism story This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection . It’s ostensibly a cine-memoir…
Authorities wrestle with fallout from mass border crossing, as tense Spanish enclave fears it will happen again Along the wide avenues and tree-lined plazas of Ceuta’s centre, there were few hints of the recent events that catapulted the Spanish enclave on the north African coast into global headlines. But less than a mile away from the bustling bars and restaurants, at the nearby El Trampolín…
Move comes in response to Rome imposing similar measures after mass migration rush to Ceuta Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta. The checks, which come “amid the persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy, will start at midnight on Saturday…
Decision follows supreme court ruling that allowed US government to strip protections for Haitians and Syrians Temporary protected status (TPS) for hundreds of South Sudanese nationals in the United States is set to end after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with stripping their protections. On Friday, US district judge Patti Saris of the district of…
Cases have passed 4,000 and health watchdog plans to go door to door to find patients in major response escalation The virus causing a massive outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be mutating, health officials fear, as confirmed cases pass 4,000. Africa’s public health watchdog said the time for incremental action was over as they announced plans to scale up every aspect…
State department informs Congress of planned closures in Canada, Grenada, Japan, Indonesia and Cameroon The US state department is to shut five foreign consulates and missions across Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean, drawing criticism that it is leaving a diplomatic vacuum at risk of being filled by China. The US Congress has been served notice of the impending closures, which are…
