Latest news with #WestAfrican
Hans India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Delegation arrives in Liberia, to reaffirm India's anti-terror stand
Monrovia: An All-Party Delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde arrived in Monrovia, Liberia, in the early hours of Sunday (Indian time), marking a significant diplomatic visit aimed at highlighting India's stance against Pakistan-backed terrorism. Upon arrival, the delegation was warmly welcomed by Ambassador Manoj Bihari Verma, alongside prominent Liberian officials, including Sekou S. Kanneh, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Prince A. Toles, a representative from the House of Representatives. "All-Party Delegation led by Hon'ble Member of Parliament Shrikant Ekhnath Shinde arrives in Monrovia, Liberia. Amb Manoj Bihari Verma, H.E. Sekou S Kanneh, Representative & Chairman of Executive and H.E. Prince A Toles, Representative of the House of Representatives of Liberia, received the delegation," the Indian Embassy in Liberia posted on X. During the visit, scheduled from May 31 to June 2, the delegation will engage in high-level meetings with key figures, including the President of Liberia, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, discussions are planned with leading think tanks and media representatives to foster understanding and cooperation. This delegation is part of India's ongoing mission under Operation Sindoor, reaffirming India's resolute stance against terrorism. The delegation aims to convey a strong message of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms, emphasising the importance of global solidarity. As the delegation embarks on this critical mission, the Embassy in Liberia expressed optimism for fruitful discussions that will further enhance the partnership between India and Liberia. Earlier on Saturday, the delegation concluded a successful visit to Sierra Leone, calling for coordinated action at the United Nations Security Council, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and other global forums to combat terrorism and preserve international peace. The Vice President of Sierra Leone, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, during a meeting with the delegates, affirmed the West African country's solidarity with India and condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, offering condolences for the 26 innocent lives lost.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Top 10 African countries with highest French Schengen visa applications
France has emerged as the most popular Schengen country for visa applicants in 2024, surpassing traditional destinations like the UK, Canada, Italy, and the US. France has become the primary Schengen visa destination in 2024, surpassing traditional countries such as the UK and Italy. Increased visa applications from Africa, particularly North and West African nations, highlight strong ties between France and the continent. Over 1.36 million applications were from African countries, with Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco being the leading contributors. France received over 1.36 million visa applications from Africa, out of a global total of 3 million, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. The surge in visa applications highlights France's enduring ties with many African nations, driven by shared history, language, and culture, as well as substantial diaspora communities in France and efficient visa procedures. For many applicants, family connections, educational pursuits, and business relationships continue to fuel strong interest in France Based on a recent data from Travelobiz, the following are the top 10 African nationalities that submitted applications for French Schengen visas in 2024 Country Total Schengen Applications Application to France % to France Morocco 606,800 282,153 46.5% Algeria 544, 634 352,295 64.7% Tunisia 177,951 106,617 59.9% Ivory Coast 77,385 62,786 81.1% Nigeria 111,201 55,833 50.2% Senegal 72,412 36, 323 50.1% Cameroon 51,679 31, 349 60.6% South Africa 193,768 30,304 15.6% DRC 25,774 24,291 94.2% Gabon 18, 395 16,913 91.9% total: 998,864 total: 53% North and West Africa Lead Applications The Data above indicates that countries in North and West Africa accounted for the bulk of applications. Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, and Ivory Coast were among the top countries whose nationals preferred France over other Schengen destinations. Algeria accounted for over 540,000 applications, with nearly 65% directed to France. Tunisia and Morocco followed closely, with significant proportions of their Schengen applications also headed for France. Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrated a strong trend toward France. Nations like Gabon, Benin, and Togo channeled over 90% of their Schengen applications to France, while countries like the Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Cameroon also showed a strong preference. Remarkably, Djibouti, Chad, and the Central African Republic exclusively applied for French Schengen visas, suggesting a distinct cultural or diplomatic connection. Notably, The data confirms France's status as the gateway to Europe for African travelers, driven by long-standing relationships and present-day opportunities. As bilateral ties continue to grow, the country is expected to remain Africa's leading Schengen destination well into 2025 and beyond.
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Science
- Vancouver Sun
'This should raise flags': Smuggling seahorses a $29 million global industry, say UBC researchers
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that millions of seahorses are being traded illegally around the world on hidden routes, putting many species at risk of becoming endangered or extinct. The study, published this week in the scientific journal Conservation Biology , found nearly five million seahorses, worth an estimated $29 million, were seized by authorities in 62 countries over a 10-year span at airports in passenger baggage or shipped in sea cargo. However, researchers believe the number of seahorses on the illegal trade market is significantly higher, as the data show only the shipments that were seized. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. They also found emerging trade routes for dried seahorses in Europe and Latin America, in addition to already known routes such as Thailand to Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. For example, researchers were surprised to learn there was poaching in European waters and that different species of seahorse are showing up in unusual trade routes, said Sarah Foster, who holds a PhD in resource management and is the program leader with Project Seahorse at UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. 'One of the most interesting seizures that we uncovered was in Vietnam, coming from Peru. But when the Vietnamese authorities did species ID on the seahorses it turned out they were a West African seahorse species…so these seahorses had gone through West Africa, Peru, Latin America, and then on their way to Asia,' said Foster. 'This really highlights how complicated some of these trade routes can be, and reinforces the need for strong communication and collaboration between countries to try and figure this out.' The study says China was the main destination for the smuggled seahorses and they were mostly found at airports. Seahorses are used in traditional Chinese medicine, where are they are usually dried and added to tea as cures for pain, impotence and infertility and asthma, among other ailments. They are also sold as souvenirs and traded to aquariums. 'We're not in a position of questioning the validity of traditional Chinese medicine,' said Foster. 'It's more that if they are going to be used, just like anything else, it should be sustainable.' She said her team has spoken with traditional medicine traders in Hong Kong, who agree that to ensure access to seahorses in the future there must be sustainable practices now. While there is an international legal trade, researchers found that the illegal market is much more prevalent because anyone who applies for a legal permit must prove the trade is sustainable. This is difficult to do given many species of seahorse are endangered. The seahorse is protected under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an agreement among 184 countries, including Canada and European Union. In Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency enforces CITES regulations. Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for CBSA, could not provide the data on illegal seahorse seizures in Canada by deadline Thursday, however she said the information would be provided at a later date. Foster said Canada didn't come up in the team's study as a concern but that doesn't mean the illegal trade isn't happening here as well. 'Not all illegal trade gets intercepted and not all that gets intercepted goes reported,' she said, adding there is a demand for the consumption of seahorse in Canada. 'This should raise flags for Canadian authorities, that they need to be paying attention to make sure that those seahorses have been imported legally and sustainably.' The team analyzed 297 seizure records from 2010 to 2021 and recorded the number of seahorses seized, the value, and trade routes. What they found was that seahorses are often seized with other illegally traded products such as elephant ivory. Policing the illegal trade is difficult because many of the seahorses are caught accidentally, in trawl nets that dredge the ocean floor for fish. Foster said of the 46 known species of seahorse, 14 are considered to be threatened with extinction, mostly because of trawling and trade. 'When you ask people to think of the ocean the first thing they often think about is this blue expanse or sitting on the beach. They don't picture the wildlife that's underneath,' she said. Foster hopes to change that with her research. She's a strong advocate of banning trawling, or at least banning it in sensitive seahorse habitats. 'Imagine a bulldozer coming through and just taking it all down,' she said. 'The fact that bottom trawling is a massive problem isn't new, but being able to really connect people with it, I think, is going to be a game changer.' Foster said seahorses feed on zooplankton and are important predators in the ecosystem. They don't have stomachs so they have to eat a lot in order to meet their energy requirements. The study concludes that more enforcement and consequences are required in many countries to crack down on smuggling seahorses. ticrawford@
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Rescue operations underway after Nigeria flooding kills at least 150
Flash flooding earlier this week in central Nigeria killed more than 150 people, a local disaster response spokesman told AFP, while displacing 3,000, levelling more than 250 homes and washing away two bridges. The sharp jump from the previous death toll of 115 came as bodies were recovered nearly 10km away from the town of Mokwa, the epicentre of the floods, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. As Mr Husseini warned that the toll could still rise - with bodies being swept away down the powerful Niger River - President Bola Tinubu said that search-and-rescue operations were underway, with the disaster response being aided by security forces. Mr Tinubu, in an overnight post on social media, added that "relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay" in Mokwa, which was hit by torrential rains late on Wednesday through to early on Thursday. Buildings collapsed and roads were inundated in the town, which is located more than 350km by road from the capital Abuja, an AFP journalist in Mokwa observed yesterday. Emergency services and residents searched through the rubble as floodwaters flowed alongside. "Some bodies were recovered from the debris of collapsed homes," Mr Husseini said, adding that his teams would need excavators to retrieve corpses. He said many were still missing, citing a family of 12 where only four members had been accounted for as of yesterday. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters: "We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything." The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that the Nigerian Red Cross, local volunteers, the military and police were all helping in the response. According to the figures shared by Mr Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were "completely destroyed" and two bridges were washed away in the busy, rural market town. Changing climate Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the West African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. In Nigeria, the floods are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. "This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear," NEMA said in a statement. According to the Daily Trust newspaper, thousands of people have been displaced and more than 50 children in an Islamic school were reported missing. Warning sounded The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and yesterday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA. Displaced children played in the flood waters yesterday, heightening the possibility of exposure to water-borne diseases, with at least two bodies lying nearby covered in banana leaves and printed ankara cloth. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, a 50-year-old yam vendor, told reporters: "I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops." "I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction," she said.
Egypt Independent
a day ago
- General
- Egypt Independent
At least 150 killed as deadly floods hit Nigerian town
Abuja, Nigeria CNN — Authorities in Nigeria's northern Niger state say at least 150 people have been killed after floods triggered by heavy rainfall hit Mokwa, a vibrant market town in the largely agricultural state. Ibrahim Hussaini, a spokesperson for the state's emergency management agency, told CNN that 151 bodies, including those of 'many children' have been recovered as of 9 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) Saturday. More than 3,000 other people have been displaced, Hussaini said, adding that the death toll could rise as rescuers search for more bodies. Mokwa resident Hassan Abdullahi, 26, told CNN he lost nine members of his family, including his aged mother, as well as two nieces and nephews aged between 4 and 8 years old when floods submerged their home. 'I feel so bad. How I wish I could bring them (back) alive but no way,' he said, adding that none of their belongings was salvaged from the raging floods. 'We lost everything. Even a single cloth and shoe, we don't have. Where to sleep, we don't have. We are in serious pain.' The West African nation's disaster relief agency (NEMA) stated in an earlier announcement that the floods struck the Kpege neighborhood of Mokwa early Thursday, 'when residents were mostly asleep.' The Niger state government said the 'deadly flood disaster' ravaged two communities in the town 'after several hours of heavy downpour' leading to the 'loss of many lives' and 'buildings submerged.' It described the incident as 'saddening, heartbreaking and pathetic.' Northern Nigeria is prone to annual floods that often lead to deaths and displacement. Last year, weeks of flooding across the region caused over 200 deaths and displaced more than 386,000 people, according to data from NEMA, shared with CNN. The area was also affected in 2022 when Nigeria recorded its worst flooding in more than a decade. More than 600 people were killed across the country during that incident with more than one million people forced out of their homes.
