Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) – Three months on from its eruption, the volcanic Mount Nyiragongo looms over the Congolese city of Goma, and the damage it’s left in its wake. At a camp north of the city, thousands of people displaced by the destruction live in makeshift shelters, and are calling for government help.
Mbodiène (Senegal) (AFP) – One year after singer Akon laid the first stone of the $6 billion futuristic city he plans to build in his native Senegal, the site remains grassland. Construction of “Akon City,” a project due to feature ultramodern twisting skyscrapers, was already meant to have begun near the Atlantic Ocean village of Mbodiene. But building work is yet to start, prompting residents who were hoping for jobs to wonder about its future.
Herat (Afghanistan) (AFP) – In the western city of Herat, about 50 Afghan women take to the streets demanding the right to work and for representation in the Taliban’s new government. It comes as the Islamist militants say they are close to forming their cabinet. “It is our right to have education, work and security. We are not afraid, we are united,” the protesters chant in unison.
New York (AFP) – “Even the morning after, we’re still uncovering the true depth of the loss,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul says during a news conference a day after remnants of Hurricane Ida slammed New York City.
Shizuoka (Japan) (AFP) – With a violin bow fixed to her prosthetic arm, Manami Ito’s short but breathtaking performance at the Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony was the product of many years of determination.
Doha (AFP) – Just days ago, Beheshta Arghand made history by becoming the first female Afghan journalist to interview a Taliban official live on television — now she’s a refugee overcome by emotion appealing for help.
Dakar (AFP) – In a place where concrete is cheap, one man, Doudou Deme, dreams of an ecological, sustainable alternative. Compressed earth bricks, manufactured in his factory outside Dakar, offer better temperature regulation as well as benefiting the planet.
Colombo (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage recorded a rare twin birth Tuesday as a 25-year-old named Surangi delivered healthy male calves, the first elephant twins born in captivity in the country for 80 years. Official records show there are about 200 domesticated elephants in the island country and an estimated 7,500 in the wild.
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) – With a precise and delicate touch, Debonheur Koli paints the nails of his clients in his nail salon in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic. While the manicure and pedicure industry in the West is dominated by women, in Bangui, it’s man’s work.
Rosario (Argentina) (AFP) – The Parana River, second in size only to the Amazon in South America, is suffering its worst low since 1941, with experts unsure as to whether this owes to its natural cycle or to climate change. The river is crucial for providing drinking water and irrigating farmland, generating electricity as well as for transporting goods to landlocked Paraguay and Bolivia.
Montegut (United States) (AFP) – Hurricane Ida has left a trail of destroyed houses and flooded roads in the community of Point-Aux-Chenes, Louisiana, after slamming into the US State as a Category 4 storm.
Ahangama (Sri Lanka) (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s aim to become the world’s first 100 percent organic food producer is threatening its famous tea industry. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ban on chemical fertiliser earlier this year has sparked concerns of a severe reduction in tea, the island’s main export commodity, as well other crops by the end of this year.
