Latest news with #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo
The Guardian
30-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Week in wildlife: a piggybacking mouse, heart-shaped vultures and our smallest otter
A harvest mouse was caught enjoying an unusual form of transport – riding a snail in a rainy garden in Norfolk, UK Photograph: Gez Robinson/Caters News Sleeping beauty … rangers in Upemba national park, Democratic Republic of Congo, mount a GPS collar on a tranquillised elephant. The park covers about 11,650 sq km (4,500 sq miles), making it nearly as big as Lincolnshire and Norfolk put together. About 200 elephants live there, despite threats from militants and poachers Photograph: HughLove is in the air … vultures fly over the decomposed body of an unseen animal in Jammu, India Photograph: Channi Anand/AP A winged red aphid sucks on a branch, with nymphs (babies) below, in New York, US. Gardeners will not be surprised to learn that female nymphs can be born pregnant, enabling the species to multiply rapidly Photograph: Carlos Chiossone/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock A crested ibis, an endangered bird species once believed to be extinct in China, is released into the wild in Muchuan county, Sichuan – one of 12 that were reintroduced last month Photograph: ChinaYoung offender … conservationists band four-week-old peregrine falcon chicks with metal tags on their ankles at the Union county courthouse in Elizabeth, New Jersey, US Photograph: Mike Catalini/AP A spiny lizard in the forested area of Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica Photograph: Jeffrey Arguedas/EPA Visitors to the Lake District are being asked to look out for this butterfly, the mountain ringlet, to help scientists protect the rare species. Living exclusively on mountains, it is more commonly found in Scotland than in England, where conservationists say it is so hard to find that they have yet to discover whether numbers are going up or down Photograph: Tim Melling/PA A magnificent hummingbird prepares to dine in Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica Photograph: Jeffrey Arguedas/EPA Silk webbing from bird-cherry ermine caterpillars covers trees and shrubs along Waterloo Road in Beeston, Nottinghamshire Photograph: Jacob King/PA Buried treasure … an Asian small-clawed otter emerges from the sand in Nepal. The world's smallest otter, it had not been seen in the region for 185 years and was thought to be extinct, but one was photographed in February, to the delight of conservationists Photograph: Padam Raj Badu An extreme closeup of a spider in Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica Photograph: Jeffrey Arguedas/EPA A great blue heron joins spectators waiting to watch the SpaceX Starship rocket launch from Starbase, Texas, US Photograph: Sergio Flores/AFP/Getty Images Close call … a hornet walks along the edge of a carnivorous pitcher plant at the Carolina Beach state park, North Carolina, US Photograph: Erik Verduzco/AP Members of South Africa's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals watch an elephant seal who had strayed onto a street in Gordon's Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa. A team of marine wildlife specialists and a city veterinarian sedated the seal and took it back to the ocean Photograph: AP A privet strider (a kind of sawfly) sits on a leaf in Toronto, Canada Photograph: Creative Touch Imaging/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Fur baby … a bear cub that was found all alone in Los Padres national forest, California, sleeps at a San Diego wildlife centre. Biologists hope they can return him to the wilderness next year, provided he can learn to find food, seek shelter and avoid people Photograph: AP A black swallowtail butterfly alights on a purple coneflower in the small town of Waynesville, Illinois, US Photograph: Alan Look/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock Flamingos in the Akgöl wetlands, Turkey Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Grey seals show their playful side while swimming off the English coast, UK Photograph: Brian Matthews/Solent News
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
DR Congo: Study reveals first ever published photo of rare Upemba Lechwe antelope, it says
In a world first, wildlife researchers have snapped and published a photo of one of the most endangered African animals - a rare and relatively unknown antelope called the Upemba carried out an aerial survey in the Kamalondo Depression, an area in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, which spotted just 10 of the antelopes - indicating their population is below Weber, who led the survey and subsequent research, described the species as "on the very brink", according to a statement from the Upemba National Park. The Upemba Lechwe are known for the lack of dark stripes on their legs unlike other antelopes in the area, researchers say. They are also distinct due to the absence of dark patches on their area the Upemba Lechwe were found is "a magical place in terms of biodiversity", Mr Weber told the however warned that it is an "incredibly challenging" setting with regards to said several issues including increasing human population, fishing and hunting put the areas ecology "at risk".The fact the Upemba Lechwe is "still hanging on at all is extraordinary", Mr Weber added in the national park's statement, but warned that they will "vanish" without "urgent protection"."This may be our only chance to save this species."According to the study, published in the African Journal of Ecology, this was the first attempt to survey the species in more than 50 Congo has a history of famous wildlife pictures. In 2019 a picture went viral taken at the Virunga National Park when two gorillas posed for a photo with their ranger. You may also be interested in: Last elephant at South African zoo freed after 40 yearsZimbabwe's dilemma over deadly elephant attacksSouth African rhinos: Poaching on the rise in new hotspot Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ivanhoe Mines stock drops as ‘seismic activity' halts Congo copper project
Ivanhoe Mines ( shares fell steeply on Monday as the company pulled its 2025 production and financial guidance for a mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where 'seismic activity' has made it unsafe to work underground. Ivanhoe shares fell as much as 18.4 per cent on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the Monday trading session. Shares were down 17.04 per cent at $10.66 per share at 2:12 p.m. ET. In a news release on Monday, Vancouver-based Ivanhoe says seismic activity at its Kakula mine has continued 'over the past few days,' prompting a suspension of underground activities on May 25. Ivanhoe says geotechnical experts are working to determine the cause and effect of the activity. 'We are working around the clock with the world's foremost geotechnical experts to establish the cause of the issues we faced and how we will resolve them,' CEO Marna Cloete stated on Monday. While Ivanhoe says its nearby Kamoa Mine is continuing normal operations, the company withdrew its Kamoa-Kakula's production and cost guidance for 2025, along with the ramp-up schedule for its direct-to-blister smelter. "I remind readers that SpaceX - today responsible for approximately 90 per cent of total payload launched into space by humanity - did not attain this status without numerous setbacks,' Ivanhoe founder and executive co-chairman Robert Friedland stated in Monday's news release. 'We approach our operations at Kamoa-Kakula with the same mindset.' According to RBC Capital Markets, Ivanhoe anticipated full-year 2025 production of between 520,000 and 580,000 tonnes of copper from its Kamoa-Kakula complex at a cash cost of US$1.65 to US$1.85 per pound. 'Damage to pumping infrastructure has also led to increased water inflow into the mine so the focus now is on dewatering activity and additional equipment is being added to increase pumping capacity,' analyst Sam Crittenden wrote in a note to clients. 'This leaves uncertainty as we await further updates to determine the potential impact on production.' Crittenden maintains a $24 price target on Ivanhoe shares, with an 'outperform' rating on the stock. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Condé Nast Traveler
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Le Virunga — Restaurant Review
What's the big picture? A mural-sized image of the shape of Africa is prominently displayed on the back wall, setting a tone for the type of cuisine served at this dinner-only restaurant. Named after the famed national park in the Congo that is home to hundreds of wild mountain gorillas, Le Virunga's pan-African menu is unlike any other experience offered in Montreal, with game meat and native African vegetables. What's the crowd like? It was a relaxed crowd that evening, who arrived hoping for a different experience and ready to try new flavors. What should we be drinking? Wines are exclusively from South Africa, and the cocktails are inventive with edible flowers adding a touch of exoticism. Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. The mother-daughter team at Le Virunga may have been born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but their worldwide experiences have helped informed the larger regional cuisine of sub-Saharan Africa to give a taste of the African diaspora while blending in local ingredients. Take the mutton, sourced from a Quebec farm, that includes a side of attiéké, a cassava dish from the Ivory Coast. The sweet potato velouté is a memorable dish, thanks to its intense flavors and notable spiciness. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? Could have been faster. It seemed like the restaurant was down to one server, who doubled up as hostess, ambassador, bartender, and busser, and the pace slowed quite a bit. That said, when there was interaction, it was pleasant and each dish and drink were well explained. What's the real-real on why we're coming here? For someone who is tired of the usual cuisine and is open to a little adventure. The low lighting begets good conversation, making this a prime spot for a romantic date night.
Japan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Trump's image of dead 'white farmers' did not come from footage of South Africa
U.S. President Donald Trump showed a screenshot of a video taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of what he falsely presented on Wednesday as evidence of mass killings of white South Africans. "These are all white farmers that are being buried," said Trump, holding up a printout of an article accompanied by the picture during a contentious Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. In fact, the video, published by Reuters on Feb. 3 and subsequently verified by the news agency's fact check team, showed humanitarian workers lifting body bags in the Congolese city of Goma. The image was pulled from footage shot following deadly battles with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The blog post showed to Ramaphosa by Trump during the White House meeting was published by American Thinker, a conservative online magazine, about conflict and racial tensions in South Africa and Congo. The post did not caption the image but identified it as a "YouTube screen grab" with a link to a video news report about Congo on YouTube, which credited Reuters. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Andrea Widburg, managing editor at American Thinker and the author of the post in question, wrote in reply to a query that Trump had "misidentified the image." She added, however, that the post, which referred to what it called Ramaphosa's "dysfunctional, race-obsessed Marxist government," had "pointed out the increasing pressure placed on white South Africans." The footage from which the picture was taken shows a mass burial following an M23 assault on Goma, filmed by video journalist Djaffar Al Katanty. "That day, it was extremely difficult for journalists to get in ... I had to negotiate directly with M23 and coordinate with the ICRC to be allowed to film," Al Katanty said. "Only Reuters has video." Al Katanty said seeing Trump holding the article with the screengrab of his video came as a shock. "In view of all the world, President Trump used my image, used what I filmed in DRC to try to convince President Ramaphosa that in his country, white people are being killed by Black people," Al Katanty said. Ramaphosa visited Washington this week to try to mend ties with the United States after persistent criticism from Trump in recent months over South Africa's land laws, foreign policy, and alleged bad treatment of its white minority, which South Africa denies. Trump interrupted the televised meeting with Ramaphosa to play a video, which he said showed evidence of genocide of white farmers in South Africa. This conspiracy theory, which has circulated in far-right chat rooms for years, is based on false claims. Trump then proceeded to flip through printed copies of articles that he said detailed murders of white South Africans, saying "death, death, death, horrible death."
