Consequences of an ageing Europe stokes misinformation. Europe is facing a major demographic shift with an ageing population and declining birth rates. As the proportion of the population aged over 65 grows, countries are scrambling to reform pension schemes to avoid the mounting cost on government budgets and ensure the overall sustainability of the system. But politicisation, combined with…
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Is Europe facing another wave of migration?
Debunking figures and myths about migrants in the EU Recent surges of irregular migrant arrivals to particular areas of the European Union like Mediterranean countries, paired with misinformation and rhetoric from far-right politicians, suggest the bloc is being inundated — but a closer look at the data shows a more complex picture. Why fact check Europe’s migration figures? While people are…
Is the manosphere threatening the EU’s equality policies?
Progress on women’s rights faces growing misogyny online. The so-called manosphere has been festering online for well over a decade, promoting misogynistic and at times violent rhetoric. At a time when the European Union has increasingly addressed gender inequality through policy, manosphere narratives fuelled by disinformation and AI are spreading, particularly among youth. Why fact-check the manosphere? …
Why are Europe’s NGOs under attack?
Political division, foreign influence and fake news threaten trust Non-governmental organisations in Europe have faced periodic backlash and funding cuts, but attacks toward those receiving public funds have recently escalated both in the political arena and online. Our fact checking team has looked into this. NGOs have raised the alarm: over 600 European organisations issued a joint statement in April claiming…
Is Europe turning its back on farmers?
The EU is reportedly reducing its agriculture policy budget, while allowing countries with less stringent agricultural standards to sell their products on its market. What is the real situation? Our fact checking team breaks it down for you. Europe’s agriculture sector feels under threat in the face of changing budgets and policies and the inking…
Ramaphosa Says Number of Women Murdered in South Africa Up 50%
JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at a summit on gender-based violence in the country, said murders of women jumped by 50% this year and called for action to stop the trend. Experts say his government’s efforts are falling short. “It is a story of a nation that is seemingly at war with itself…
Africa 54: Ethiopia-Tigray Peace Talks
And for VOA’s Daybreak Africa:
Straight Talk Africa: Ethiopia: What is the Road to Peace?
Surfers, miners fight over South Africa’s white beaches
To those who live here, it’s like a little piece of heaven, boasting pink flamingos, white beaches and blue ocean waters. Yet this stretch of South Africa’s west coast has also become a battleground, pitching mining firms against environmentalists fearful that one of nature’s last wild treasures is being bulldozed away. Diamonds, zircon and other minerals have…
South African Mines Turn to Renewables Amid Energy Crisis
South Africa, one of the continent’s most industrialized nations, is facing the worst electricity blackouts in its history. One of South Africa’s biggest industries — mining — is turning to solar power to keep operations running when power requirements fall short. Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.
Long winter: South Africans struggle with rolling blackouts
JOHANNESBURG – Unable to switch on lights or heaters, cook dinner or charge their phones, South Africans are spending their mid-winter evenings plunged in darkness and low-tech living. Power outages, known here as load shedding, intensified late last month after strikes erupted at the nation’s monopoly energy provider Eskom, leaving coal plants unable to operate…
Refugees in South Africa demand move over xenophobia
PRETORIA — A group of refugees in South Africa has been camped in front of U.N. offices since May, begging to be moved to a third country. The refugees from Burundi, Congo, Malawi and Rwanda say returning to their homelands is not safe and they no longer feel welcome in South Africa.
South African entrepreneur transforms plastic waste into playgrounds
JOHANNESBURG — Despite global efforts to curb plastic use, sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to see a sixfold increase by 2060, says the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In South Africa, one man is trying to make a difference by creating jobs and transforming plastic waste into outdoor furniture and playgrounds.
Africa’s response to climate change
Persistent Drought in Ethiopia an Example of Climate Change, Experts Say GODE, ETHIOPIA — Drought is not new to the Horn of Africa, but experts say the record one killing crops and cattle across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia has underscored the increasing frequency of drought due to climate change. In Ethiopia, the U.N.’s World Food…
Climate change robbing Ethiopia’s pastoralists of traditional livelihood
GODE, ETHIOPIA — The persistent drought drying out the Horn of Africa is a reflection of severe weather intensified by climate change. For Ethiopia’s pastoralists who have seen more than a million livestock perish, it is a signal their way of life cannot be sustained by the next generation. Camera: Michele Spatari
Largest aid convoy since truce arrives in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
SEMERA, ETHIOPIA — The largest aid convoy to reach Ethiopia’s conflict-ridden Tigray region since the declaration of a truce in March arrived this week. While the effort marked progress for aid organizations scrambling to respond to the region’s humanitarian crisis, resources are spread thin as neighboring regions also require aid due to the conflict and severe…
Child marriages rise in Ethiopia as desperate families seek drought relief
GODE, ETHIOPIA — The record drought in Ethiopia has led to a dramatic increase in desperate parents marrying off their children, says the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with reported child marriages more than doubling so far this year. Aid groups are trying to get much-needed water and other help to drought-hit families to try to curb…
Drought prompts over 600,000 school dropouts in Ethiopia
GODE, ETHIOPIA — Drought has displaced hundreds of thousands of families and forced more than 600,000 Ethiopian children to leave school. Aid group Save the Children has built centers near displacement camps so children can continue their education. Linda Givetash reports from Gode, Ethiopia. Camera: Michele Spatari
KZN flood victims struggle with despair
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA — Wielding shovels, mallets and machetes, they worked for four hours to try to shift the muddy debris, hoping that vehicles could at last get through. In vain: A pick-up truck, stuck on the wrong side of the gigantic mound, was still unable to pass. Inhabitants of KwaNdengezi, a township west of Durban,…
South Africa declares national disaster after deadly floods
JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster late Monday following deadly floods in the country’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. Record floods have left more than 440 people dead, an estimated 40,000 people homeless and damaged critical infrastructure and hundreds of schools. Recovery of South Africa Flood Victims Hampered by Rains DURBAN, SOUTH…