International News
Morocco Earthquake Victims Passes 2,000
Over 2,000 people were murdered in a devastating earthquake that struck Morocco on Sunday. Rescue workers scrambled to discover survivors hidden in the wreckage of the destroyed towns as Moroccans lamented the loss of life.
According to the most recent official statistics, the biggest earthquake to ever strike the country has left at least 2,012 people dead and over 2,059 injured, many of them seriously.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake that occurred on Friday destroyed entire communities in rural areas 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, a popular tourist destination.
“I’ve lost everything”, said Lahcen, a resident of the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, whose wife and four children were killed.
Rescue workers recovered the bodies of Lahcen’s three daughters from the rubble of what was once their home, but have not yet found the bodies of his wife and son.
“I can’t do anything about it now, I just want to get away from the world and mourn.”
Troops and emergency services have scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still feared trapped.
Al-Haouz province, where the epicentre of the earthquake was located, suffered the most deaths with 1,293, followed by the province of Taroudant with 452.
Bouchra, another resident of Moulay Brahim, dried her tears with her scarf as she watched men digging graves to bury the victims.
“My cousin’s grandchildren are dead”, she said in a knotted voice.
“I saw the devastation of the earthquake live, and I’m still shaking. It’s like a ball of fire that has swallowed up everything in its path,” she said.
“Everyone here has lost family, whether in our village or elsewhere in the region”, she added.
Fatema Satir, a resident in Marrakesh, told AFP many were sleeping in the street for fear of their houses collapsing.
“Look where all these people are sleeping. There is no help for us, our houses have been cracked, others destroyed like my daughter’s house, which was wiped out. We are in a chaotic state.”
Authorities declared three days of national mourning, while several countries, including Israel, France, Spain, Italy and the United States, have offered aid.
Neighbouring Algeria, which has had rocky relations with Morocco, opened its airspace, which had been closed for two years, to flights carrying humanitarian aid and the injured.
The Red Cross warned that it could take years to repair the damage.
“It won’t be a matter of a week or two… We are counting on a response that will take months, if not years,” Hossam Elsharkawi, the organisation’s Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement.
The village of Tafeghaghte, 60 kilometres southwest of Marrakesh, was almost entirely destroyed by the quake, the epicentre of which was only about 50 kilometres away, an AFP team reported, with very few buildings still standing.
“Three of my grandchildren and their mother are dead,” said 72-year-old Omar Benhanna. “They’re still under the debris. It wasn’t so long ago that we were playing together.”
Residents buried around 70 victims in the nearby cemetary on Saturday, as the funeral rites were punctuated by cries and screams.
In the evening, television channels broadcast aerial images showing entire villages of clay houses in the Al-Haouz region completely destroyed.
“The public authorities are still mobilised to speed up rescue operations and evacuate the injured,” the interior ministry said Saturday evening.
Since the 1960 earthquake that wrecked Agadir and killed more than 12,000 people—roughly a third of the city’s population at the time—this earthquake has killed the most people in Morocco.
Zambia’s Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, escaped unhurt on Thursday after the helicopter carrying her and seven other people crashed shortly after takeoff while on a campaign tour ahead of the country’s August 13 general election.
Nalumango, 71, said the helicopter went down moments after departing from a campaign rally in the northeastern town of Nakonde.
Speaking to Diamond TV online, she recalled the incident, saying, “After we lifted off, I don’t know whether it was a minute or two… and then we came down.”
ALSO READ: Ghana Mourns As Two Ministers, Six Others Die In Military Helicopter Crash
Despite the crash, the vice president said everyone on board survived without injuries.
“We were eight, and all of us are fine,” she said, adding that it was not immediately clear what caused the crash, although the helicopter was badly damaged.
Zambia is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on August 13, with President Hakainde Hichilema expected to seek a second term as head of one of Africa’s top copper-producing nations.
Following the incident, the Zambian government said Nalumango underwent a routine medical check-up and was discharged in good health.
Pictures shared on social media showed the white Air Force helicopter lying on its side after it apparently crashed into a tree.
Authorities have yet to establish the cause of the crash.
Florida has officially renamed Palm Beach International Airport after United States President Donald Trump, a move that has drawn both praise and criticism as the president’s name continues to appear on major public landmarks and government institutions.
The airport, now known as President Donald J. Trump International Airport, was officially renamed on Thursday after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the measure into law.
To mark the occasion, Trump’s son, Eric Trump, arrived at the airport aboard the family’s private Boeing 757, popularly known as “Trump Force One.”
SEE MORE: Trump Reacts as FIFA Clears Balogun to Face Belgium in World Cup Clash
Speaking on Fox News, Eric Trump described the event as “a beautiful day” and said no one was more closely associated with Palm Beach than his father.
“I don’t think there’s anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump and maybe all of Florida,” he said.
Eric Trump also noted that the main road leading out of the airport is already named President Donald J. Trump Boulevard, adding that visitors arriving in Palm Beach would now see “DJT” on their travel tickets.
“And now anyone flying into Palm Beach will have a ticket where you’re going to see ‘DJT’ in perpetuity,” he said.
The renaming has generated mixed reactions among travellers and local residents.
Corporate pilot Chris Bailey welcomed the decision, saying Trump had “certainly done enough to warrant a name of an airport.”
However, not everyone shared the enthusiasm.
“Palm Beach is a better brand. People don’t really like Donald Trump,” said John Manov, a doctor. “It seems in poor taste.”
The airport renaming is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at attaching Trump’s name and image to public infrastructure and official government programmes, marking a significant departure from the long-standing U.S. tradition of not honouring living presidents in such ways.
Also on Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was expected to unveil the Donald J. Trump Bridge in Tennessee.
Washington has already seen the renaming of the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace, while large portraits of Trump have appeared on major government buildings.
Although Trump’s name was briefly attached to the Kennedy Arts Center, a judge later ruled the move unlawful.
The administration has also introduced Trump-branded visa and medical programmes.
His image is expected to appear on some U.S. passports and already features on National Parks passes. In addition, a new class of U.S. naval ships has been announced bearing Trump’s name.
In another unprecedented move, the U.S. Treasury says Trump’s signature will appear on U.S. dollar banknotes later this year.
Critics have likened the growing presence of Trump’s name and image on public institutions to personality cults commonly associated with authoritarian governments.
Eric Trump dismissed the criticism, saying, “Anything that bears our name is slightly controversial.”
Asked how the president reacted to the airport being named after him, Eric Trump said Donald Trump was “honored” and “humbled.”
The Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, has officially dissolved the governing body that administered the Gaza Strip for nearly 19 years, marking a major political development amid ongoing efforts to implement a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The announcement was made on Monday by Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas’ Government Media Office, who confirmed that the head of the government’s emergency committee, Mohammed al-Farra, had resigned and the committee had been dissolved to facilitate a peaceful transition of civilian governance.
ALSO READ: Israel Says Slain Al Jazeera Journalist Was Hamas Operative
According to al-Thawabta, administrative responsibilities will now be transferred to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body established by the Board of Peace created by US President Donald Trump following the ceasefire brokered between Hamas and Israel in October 2025.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem described the decision as a significant step aimed at removing obstacles to the political process.
“Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination,” Qassem said.
He added that the movement is fully prepared to hand over governmental responsibilities to the NCAG and expressed hope that the committee would soon be allowed to enter Gaza and begin its work.
A Hamas official also revealed that the group had informed other Palestinian factions of the decision during recent meetings in Cairo. The factions reportedly welcomed the move, describing it as a serious effort to enable the new committee to assume responsibility for governing the territory.
The NCAG, headed by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath, has so far remained outside Gaza due to reported Israeli objections to its entry into the enclave.
Hamas has governed Gaza since 2007 after seizing control from rival Palestinian faction Fatah following its victory in the 2006 legislative elections.
ALSO READ: Israel Says Slain Al Jazeera Journalist Was Hamas Operative
Although the movement has repeatedly expressed its willingness to step away from day-to-day governance since the ceasefire took effect, negotiations over its disarmament and the future political administration of Gaza have remained deadlocked.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement saw the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
However, talks on the second phase—which includes Hamas’ disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza—have stalled.
Israeli forces have instead expanded their military presence in the territory, reportedly controlling nearly 70 percent of Gaza.
Hamas insists that a Palestinian administration must first be established before it considers surrendering its weapons, while Israel continues to reject both Hamas remaining in power and an immediate return of the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza.
The future governance of Gaza remains one of the biggest unresolved issues in negotiations aimed at securing a lasting peace in the region.
US-Iran War Boosts Dangote Refinery’s Fortunes – Report
BREAKING: Kidnapped Oyo Pupils, Teachers Finally Regain Freedom
How British Airways Records Foiled Alleged $2m Blackmail Plot Against Me — Wike
Shell’s Landmark Achievements Earn Recognition at NOG Energy Awards
Eight Escape Death as Zambian Vice President’s Campaign Helicopter Crashes
Mixed Reactions as Florida Renames Palm Beach Airport After Trump
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
