‘Mood of despair’ as self-immolations spread across N. Africa

Al Jazeera and Agencies Last Modified: 05 Jan 2011 20:56 GMT A 26-year-old Tunisian man who set off a wave of protests after attempting to commit suicide by setting himself on fire last month has died of third-degree burns in hospital, his relatives and human rights groups have said. Mohamed Bouazizi died at 5:30 pm […]

Rhino poaching hit all-time high in 2010

By John Platt Jan 13, 2011 11:15 AM Rhinoceros poaching in South Africa hit an all-time high in 2010, with 333 animals slain for their valuable horns. That’s nearly triple the 122 rhinos killed in the country in 2009. Most of the poached rhinos were southern white rhinoceri (Ceratotherium simum simum). The most prolific type […]

La Niña fury causing floods around the world: Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines

AlJazeera English January 13, 2011 Floods and mudslides in Brazil have killed more than 330 people, with more feared dead after three towns just north of Rio De Janeiro were hit on Wednesday. A month’s worth of rain fell in one day in parts of Rio De Janeiro state and roads and bridges were swept […]

MP wants Mau settlers evicted next month

By Kipchumba Kemei27 December 2010 A section of Narok County leaders want the government to clear the 146, 800 hectare Maasai Mau forest of settlers next month. “It will be our new year gift if the forest is going to be cleared of settlements next month. We are tired of waiting,” said the Narok South […]

Video: On the trail of the men who hunt exotic shellfish and trade it illegally

By Karen Allen29 December 2010 The trade in exotic shellfish is part of a trade which is earning criminals some $70m a year. The smuggling of the giant sea snail – known as abalone – is being linked to the Chinese Triads and international drug gangs – who capture the fish from the deep and […]

West Africa hypoxic zone ‘roughly the size of the continental United States, and it’s growing’

December 22, 2010 — Billfish and tuna, important commercial and recreational fish species, may be more vulnerable to fishing pressure because of shrinking habitat according to a new study published by scientists from NOAA, The Billfish Foundation, and University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. An expanding zone of low oxygen, known […]

On the move in a warming world: The rise of climate refugees

By Geoffrey YorkMao, Chad— From Saturday’s Globe and MailPublished Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 6:05PM ESTLast updated Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010 1:04AM EST Five-year-old Fatime moves in slow motion, barely able to lift her skeletal arms and legs. Flies land on her face, and she is too weak to brush them away. She struggles to drink […]

Poisoning by farmers wipes out 60 percent of vultures in Kenya wildlife reserve

By Victoria Gill, Science and nature reporter, BBC News 17 December 2010 Vulture populations in one of Africa’s most important wildlife reserves have declined by 60%, say scientists. The researchers suggest that the decline of vultures in Kenya’s Masai Mara is being driven by poisoning. The US-based Peregrine Fund says farmers occasionally lace the bodies […]

Endangered rhinos slaughtered in Zimbabwe sanctuary as China footprint grows in Africa

At least six rhinos have reportedly been killed at the Nyamaneche Game Sanctuary in Zimbabwe. According to local sources, the killing occurred in an area close to Chinese chrome mining operations. The [Zimbabwe Conservation] task force’s chairman Johnny Rodrigues said he believed a Chinese firm was mining chrome in this ecologically pristine area. The three […]

Africa to fall short on water Millennium Goals: UN

By Staff WritersNov 26, 2010 Nairobi (AFP) – Most African countries will fail to attain the United Nation’s Millennium Goals on access to water and sanitation, the world body’s environment agency said on Friday. “Only eight countries in Africa are expected to attain the MDG target of reducing by half the proportion of the population […]

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