Torrential rains and widespread flooding across southern Africa have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, prompting helicopter rescues, mass evacuations and emergency deployments. With hundreds of thousands affected—especially in Mozambique—authorities warn that more rain linked to the La Niña weather pattern could worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Category: INTERNATIONAL
International News / Items from Around the World
Posted inSports
Anthony Joshua posts his first public update since the car crash that killed two of his friends
Anthony Joshua shared his first public message since surviving a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends and team members, posting a photo with his mother and others alongside a tribute caption. The former heavyweight champion sustained minor injuries in the Dec. 29 crash near Lagos, while his strength coach Sina Ghami and trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele were killed; the driver has since been charged as investigations continue.
Posted inAfro Briefs
From Washington to Bogotá, protests grow as Maduro faces US judge
The arrest and transfer of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to a U.S. federal court sparked widespread protests across the United States and abroad, with demonstrators questioning the legality and consequences of the 47th U.S. president’s action. As Maduro appeared under heavy guard in Manhattan, rallies erupted from New York to Bogotá and Caracas, drawing condemnation from global leaders and deepening international tensions over U.S. intervention and international law.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Gunmen kill at least 30 villagers and abduct others during raid in northern Nigeria
Gunmen killed at least 30 villagers and abducted several others during a Jan. 3 raid on Kasuwan-Daji village in Nigeria’s Niger state, according to police and local residents. Survivors and church officials say the death toll could exceed 40, with bodies still unrecovered amid delayed security response, highlighting ongoing insecurity in the region.
Posted inU.S. Government
How the Monroe Doctrine factors into US arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro
The White House cited the Monroe Doctrine as justification for U.S. military action that led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, reviving a two-century-old policy long used to rationalize American intervention in Latin America. Scholars say the 47th president’s framing follows a historical pattern of invoking the doctrine to advance U.S. strategic and commercial interests, particularly energy, while raising questions about prolonged U.S. involvement in Venezuela and tensions within the “America First” movement.
Posted inOPINION
47th president’s foreign policy is White supremacy
By Dayvon Love One of the impacts of the descent of news media into the realm of pop culture is a general neglect of political discourse in Black spaces on foreign policy. The focus on things that will get likes and shares disincentivizes rigorous foreign policy conversations in Black civic and political circles. This has […]
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Dozens missing after boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia
Dozens of migrants are missing after an overcrowded boat carrying more than 200 people capsized off the coast of Gambia on New Year’s Eve, prompting an urgent search-and-rescue operation involving emergency services and local fishermen. The tragedy underscores the deadly risks faced by African migrants attempting the perilous Atlantic route to Europe in search of better opportunities.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
U.S. strikes Venezuela, says its leader has been ‘captured’ and flown out of the country
Legal experts are examining military action taken by the United States in Venezuela on Jan. 3 to determine if the “capture” of the country’s president and first lady can be legally justified. The two are said to be in U.S. custody to face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons charges in New York.
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Structural inequality undermines Jamaica’s schools
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. This week he highlights that curriculum reform efforts falter without intentional, culturally grounded curriculum implementation leadership.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Central African Republic’s incumbent president, a Russian ally, eyes a third term in key elections
Voters in the Central African Republic went to the polls Dec. 28 in wide-ranging national elections, with incumbent President Faustin Archange Touadéra favored to secure a third term after consolidating power and relying on Russian-backed security forces. Analysts say his likely victory would further entrench Russia’s political, security and economic influence in the conflict-scarred country amid a weakened and divided opposition.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Guineans vote in first election since 2021 coup with junta leader likely to win
Guineans cast ballots on Dec. 28 in the country’s first presidential election since the 2021 coup, with junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya widely expected to win amid a weakened and sidelined opposition. The vote follows a controversial transition that expanded presidential terms and allowed military leaders to run, even as poverty, food insecurity and concerns over civil liberties persist.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Nigerian villagers are rattled by US airstrikes that made their homes shake and the sky glow red
Residents of the Nigerian village of Jabo described panic, fear and confusion after U.S. airstrikes targeting alleged Islamic State-linked militants lit up the sky and shook homes on Christmas night, despite no reported civilian casualties. Nigerian officials say the strikes were coordinated with the U.S., but analysts warn that a lack of transparency has left villagers feeling vulnerable amid an expanding and complex security conflict.