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Kenya Airways delays amid airport strike and deal legal halt

Africa /

Passengers at Kenya’s main international airport are stranded following a workers’ demonstration on Wednesday protesting a planned deal between the government and a foreign investor. Since the protest began, all flights have been suspended. The government has proposed a build-and-operate agreement with India’s Adani Group, which would involve renovating Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, constructing an additional runway and terminal, and allowing the group to manage the airport for 30 years. The Kenya Airport Workers Union, which called the strike, argues that the deal would result in job losses and impose “inferior terms and conditions of service” for remaining employees. Kenya Airways announced on Wednesday that flight delays and potential cancellations are expected due to the ongoing strike at Nairobi’s main international airport. Last week, airport workers had initially threatened a strike but suspended their plans to allow for further discussions with the government. Local media reported concerns after unknown individuals were seen moving around with airport officials, taking notes and photographs, leading to speculation that the Indian firm’s representatives were preparing for the deal. On Monday, the High Court issued a temporary injunction halting the implementation of the agreement until a case filed by the Law Society and the Kenya Human Rights Commission is reviewed.

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 North Korea fires ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan

World /

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles Thursday, which are believed to have landed outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Sea of Japan, with no damage reported to aircraft or vessels, according to the Japanese government. The Defense Ministry said the missiles were launched from North Korea’s west coast between 7.10 a.m. and 7.14 a.m. (2210GMT and 2214GMT Wednesday), with at least two reaching over 350 kilometers (217.5 miles) and a maximum altitude of about 100 kilometers (62 miles) before falling off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast, Kyodo News reported. Tokyo has lodged a strong protest with Pyongyang over the missile tests, the first since July 1. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara criticized the launches as a “clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions” and deemed them “totally unacceptable.” The South Korean military confirmed that North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles from near Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan, traveling approximately 360 kilometers (223 miles). Senior officials from Japan, the US and South Korea condemned the launches and reaffirmed their trilateral cooperation during phone calls, the Japanese Foreign Ministry reported. The launches followed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s pledge on Monday to significantly increase the country’s nuclear arsenal, according to state media. The missiles were fired just before the start of official campaigning for Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election to choose a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

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Severe floods in Nigeria leave residents displaced

Africa /

Severe flooding in northeastern Nigeria has resulted in 30 deaths and affected over a million people, authorities reported on Wednesday. The disaster was triggered by the collapse of a major dam in Borno State on Tuesday, marking some of the worst flooding the region has seen since a similar incident 30 years ago. The dam had reached full capacity due to unusually heavy rainfall. Many residents have been forced to evacuate their homes. This latest flood comes nearly two years after Nigeria experienced its worst flooding in a decade, which claimed more than 600 lives nationwide. According to state police spokesperson Nahum Daso, about 15% of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, is submerged. Ezekiel Manzo, spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the death toll of 30 on Wednesday. An aide to the Borno governor stated that approximately one million people have been affected so far, with that number potentially rising to up to two million as efforts to account for displaced individuals continue. This surge in displacement coincides with some of the worst flooding West Africa has seen in decades, with over 2.3 million people affected across the region this year, a threefold increase from last year, according to the UN. A new report reveals that African nations are losing up to 5% of their GDP annually due to the impact of climate change, which has intensified in one of the continent’s hottest years on record. The World Meteorological Organization notes that many African countries are allocating up to 9% of their budgets to climate adaptation efforts. The governor’s aide emphasized that rescue operations are ongoing and that displaced people are currently seeking refuge at a former refugee camp outside the flooded areas.

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EU, US, UK sign 1st-ever global treaty on artificial intelligence

Discover /

 The EU, US, and UK are among the countries that signed the first-ever international legally binding treaty addressing risks of artificial intelligence (AI), the Council of Europe said Thursday. The Council of Europe Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy, and the rule of law was opened for signature during a conference of Council of Europe ministers of justice in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania.
 The treaty is the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring that the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In a statement, the Council of Europe said that the Framework Convention was signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, Moldova, San Marino, the UK as well as Israel, the US and the EU. Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric said that they must ensure that the rise of AI upholds “our standards, rather than undermining them.” “The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that. It is a strong and balanced text – the result of the open and inclusive approach by which it was drafted and which ensured that it benefits from multiple and expert perspectives,” she said in the statement.
 Buric noted that the Framework Convention is an open treaty with a potentially global reach, hoping that these will be the first of many signatures and that they will be followed quickly by ratifications so that the treaty can enter into force as soon as possible. The treaty provides a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems, promoting AI progress and innovation while managing the risks it may pose to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

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Niger arrests over 245 linked to terror groups

Africa /

Authorities in Niger have arrested at least 245 people allegedly linked to terrorist groups as part of ongoing operations to combat crime and insurgency, officials said Thursday. The arrests were carried out by Niger’s Central Service for the Fight against Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime, according to the Integrated Operations Coordination Center (CICO).  Many of those detained are suspected to be members of armed groups involved in kidnappings and other criminal activities, operating along the Niger-Nigeria border, where the militant group Boko Haram is active. Additional arrests were made near the Mali-Niger border, an area where the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM) operates, as well as in the Agadez region, known for its gold mines. Among those arrested were nationals from Algeria, Chad, and Somalia. Security forces also confiscated over 559 kilograms of drugs, 108,381 tablets of various types, and arrested 139 traffickers. CICO stated that these actions are part of broader efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the region. The arrests coincide with the junta’s launch of two major military operations: Operation Almah in the Tillaberi region, located on the left bank of the Niger River, and Operation Garkoua in the Agadez region, aimed at rooting out criminals. Niger, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last September after ECOWAS threatened military intervention following the Niger coup in July. Earlier this year, the three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States and announced the creation of a joint military force to tackle escalating security challenges posed by terrorist groups in the region.

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Death toll increases in Algeria and Morocco after catastrophic floods

Africa /

The death toll is climbing in Algeria and Morocco following severe flooding triggered by intense rainfall. Over 20 people have lost their lives, with dozens more reported missing as floods inundated villages in these typically arid regions. In Morocco, the floods have destroyed homes and severely impacted infrastructure, including roads, electricity, water supplies, and phone networks. Officials noted that the storms over the weekend brought rainfalls surpassing the annual average in some areas. This deluge comes at a time when the country is grappling with a water shortage due to six consecutive years of drought. Neighboring Algeria is facing similar devastation, with bridges and railways also affected by the flooding. The government has deployed thousands of civil protection and military personnel to aid in emergency response and assist residents trapped in their homes. Rescue operations are ongoing in both countries.

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Sudan floods death toll reaches 205

Africa /

The death toll from floods and rains in Sudan has gone up to 205, with deaths from cholera reaching 185, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. Some 268 new cholera cases have been recorded, including 6 deaths in the states of Kassala, Nile River, and Gedarif, the ministry said in a report. This brings the total number of cholera cases in the seven affected states to 5,692, including 185 deaths. On Aug. 12, the authorities declared cholera an epidemic in the country. In the same report, the ministry said the number of deaths from floods and rains has reached 205, with 886 others injured. More than 26,000 homes have been completely damaged, while 33,000 homes have been partially damaged due to floods and rains since June, it added. Earlier in the day, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that more than 172,000 Sudanese have been displaced due to floods and rains in 15 out of 18 states since June.

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