Thursday, October 2, 2025
First killings in Morocco since Gen Z protests erupted
CASABLANCA, Morocco
At least two people have been killed in Morocco after police opened fire to prevent protesters from storming a police station in Lqliaa, near the coastal city of Agadir, state media says.
These are the first deaths reported since huge youth-led protests broke out across Morocco on Saturday as anger grew over the government's decision to build football stadiums for the 2030 Fifa World Cup rather than improving public services and tackling the economic crisis.
"Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?" is a popular chant among the Gen Z protesters.
One demonstrator told our reporter that the hospital in his city, Oujda, on the border with Algeria, was like a "jail".
It was dirty, and patients had to bribe security officers and nurses to see a doctor, said the protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he feared reprisals.
The protests have been happening at night, with police saying they were forced to open fire "in legitimate self-defence" on Wednesday evening to repel the "attack" in Lqliaa, the state-owned news agency reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, the interior ministry said the right of people to protest within the law would be upheld.
Organisers of the youth-led protest movement known as GenZ 212 - the number referring to Morocco's international dialling code - have distanced themselves from the violence. They have been rallying mainly through social media, and do not have a formal leadership structure.
Official statistics show that Morocco's unemployment rate stands at 12.8%, with youth unemployment soaring to 35.8% and 19% among graduates, news agency Reuters reports.
Protests have also hit the capital, Rabat, the main commercial city, Casablanca, and the port city of Tangier - the arrival point for tourists going to Morocco by ferry from Spain.
Morocco's tourist hub, Marrakesh, was also hit by violence, with protesters burning a police station, according to local media.
Interior ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi said that 409 people have been detained across Morocco following the unrest.
More than 260 police officers and 20 protesters have been injured, while 40 police vehicles and 20 private cars have been torched, he was quoted as saying.
The uprising follows similar youth-led, large scale demonstrations this summer in Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines and Madagascar.
The uprising in Nepal led to the prime minister resigning, while Madagascar's president dissolved his government on Monday in an attempt to placate the protesters there.
Morocco's governing coalition issued a statement on Tuesday expressing willingness to engage in dialogue with the youth "within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions".
It also praised what it called "the balanced reaction of security authorities in line with relevant legal procedures".
Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist, dies aged 91
By Amanda Morgan, CALIFORNIA United States
The legendary primatologist and conservationist, Doctor Jane Goodall, passed away on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 91 years old.
Despite her advanced years, she was still traveling regularly for various speaking engagements.
At the time of her death, she was in California and was set to give a talk at UCLA on October 3.
Although Dr. Goodall is no longer with us, she leaves behind an incredible legacy and valuable lessons for travelers around the world. She was a staunch defender of wildlife and believed that tourists could make a difference by traveling better.
Dr. Goodall thought each and every one of us has the capacity to change the world. "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make," she once said.
In order to make our impact more positive, she suggested living a more sustainable life and being a responsible traveler — especially when it comes to animal tourism.
In the wise words of Dr. Goodall: "We have the choice to use the gift of our life to make the world a better place — or not to bother."
She claimed that wildlife tourism — when done the right way — can benefit both people and the natural world. Next time you're planning a trip follow in her footsteps by choosing to participate in conservation tourism.
Traveling is all about gaining new experiences. When we travel we may hope to immerse ourselves in a culture that is different from our own, learn about history, or surround ourselves in nature's beauty.
Most tourists don't set out on a trip hoping to be destructive, but the tourism industry certainly can have negative impacts on nature and wildlife.
Over-tourism has become a major problem in certain parts of the world and wildlife tourism can be detrimental to animals if it isn't done ethically.
Dr. Goodall retained hope that tourism could be a force of good and that traveling could be a win-win for people and animals.
There are plenty of epic destinations for people who are obsessed with animals, but not all of them are safe and respectful for the animals themselves.
According to Dr. Goodall, the key is to properly manage tourism. She told Travel + Leisure that, "sometimes tourism exploits the animals terribly," but added that as long as it's managed the right way it can be very important for animal conservation efforts.
She noted that wildlife tours can have a "major effect" on people. They also help fund nature preserves and create jobs for the local communities — all of which inspire locals and visitors to respect and protect animals.
"Many wildlife species such as chimps and gorillas would not survive without tourism. I know how people have been utterly changed by looking into the eyes of a wild chimpanzee. They are never the same again. The message is not to stop tourism, but to make sure we get it right. In essence, tourism is good, provided the benefits accrue to the local people so they become partners in saving nature," she told National Geographic in an interview.
According to the Jane Goodall Institute, in July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees.
Equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife, she braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives.
Through nearly 60 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Jane Goodall has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment.
Kinshasa to host 47th CAF Ordinary General Assembly on 6 October, 2025
CAIRO, Egypt
The Confédération Africaine de Football’s (“CAF”) 47th Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, 6 October, 2025.
The Ordinary General Assembly will bring together leading figures in African football, including the presidents of CAF’s 54 Member Associations, representatives from the six Zonal Unions, and senior football officials from across the continent.
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| Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo |
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe will chair the 47th Ordinary General Assembly.
Further details, including the agenda and media accreditation information, will be announced in due course.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Mass protests and strikes grip Madagascar amid calls for president to resign
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar
Anti-government protesters in Madagascar held fresh demonstrations on Wednesday and called for a general strike, seeking to force President Andry Rajoelina to step down, after nearly a week of action by the youth-led movement.
Police fired tear gas at protesters in the centre of the capital, Antananarivo, where some 10,000 clashed with police on Tuesday, although life had mostly returned to normal in the rest of the city by later that afternoon, according to AFP journalists on the ground.
A crowd of several thousand marched in the northern city of Antsiranana, demanding the president's resignation, a local source told AFP, while several hundred gathered in Toliara, in the south.
Rajoelina on Wednesday evening organised a meeting at the presidential palace with foreign diplomats, spokesperson Lova Ranoromaro told AFP.
Ranoromaro added that the protesters had dispersed "without a clear leader emerging... to allow for a structured exchange" of views.
Near-daily protests over misgovernance and water and power cuts began in Antananarivo last Thursday and spread to other cities across the Indian Ocean nation of almost 32 million people.
Despite Rajoelina having sacked his government on Monday in a bid to placate the unrest, anger has been intensified by a heavy crackdown on protesters.
At least 22 have died and more than a hundred have been injured in the unrest, according to the UN.
The government has rejected the tally as unverified and "based on rumours or misinformation".
"The dismissal of the government is not enough for us," a spokesperson for the "Gen Z" movement leading the protests told AFP on Tuesday, adding further demands are the president's resignation and "the cleaning up of the National Assembly."
Another anonymous demonstrator told AFP that "living conditions of the Malagasy people are deteriorating and getting worse every day".
Rajoelina "has been in power for 16 years, but nothing has changed" in a poverty-stricken society, he said.
Rajoelina, 51, first came to power in 2009 following a coup sparked by an uprising, which ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana.
After not contesting the 2013 election under international pressure, Rajoelina was voted back into office in 2018 and re-elected in 2023 in contested polls boycotted by the opposition.
Initially silent, the opposition endorsed the movement through a rare joint statement on Wednesday, with opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko and former president Ravalomanana among the signatories.
Dar es Salaam streets echoed with rage as 'Rapid Transit' service collapse
By Our Correspondent, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania
Residents of Tanzania's commercial city of Dar es Salaam who claimed to be fed up with the inconvenience and slowness of the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (DRT) bus services, have attacked and stoned four buses Wednesday evening according to police force.
The Commander of the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone, Jumanne Muliro in an interview with a local media outlet on Wednesday, confirmed the incident and said that violence has occurred at four DRT stations of Gerezani, Magomeni Mapipa, Usalama and Kagera, adding that the police are already questioning several people over the incidents.
"Chaos erupted at Gerezani and it happened in Magomeni Mapipa, Usalama and Kagera. There was a bus that delayed after a breakdown at Gerezani. People could not bear to wait, they stoned the bus. Later, a another DRT bus broke down at Magomeni Mapipa, the passengers got off and some furious ones picked stones and damaged some of the windows of the bus." explained Commander Muliro.
He said that the police force responsibility is to ensure that security iis maintained. "So far, we are questioning some people who are alleged to have been part of the riots." He said.
He added that apart from damages to the DRT buses, the Usalama and Kagera DRT station facilities were also stoned and damaged.
“The police arrived and controlled the situation in Kagera because buses were traveling from Ubungo to Kimara. The situation was contained." He said insisting that with all reasoning for poor service provision by DRT, the act of destroying or damaging transport infrastructure is an offence and cannot be entertained.
The police force has confirmed the arrest of three people in connection with the incidents.
On September 30, 2015 the Africa Development Bank approved a loan to support Tanzania Government’s efforts to decongest the city of Dar es salaam, where on 23rd October, 2015 The Government of Tanzania entered into the agreement with the Bank to fund the project.
The development objective of Dar Es Salaam Urban Transport Improvement Project for Tanzania was to improve transport mobility, accessibility, safety, and quality of transport service delivery along the selected corridors in the city.
The objective have totally failed for lack of sustainability.
"With the dwindling number of buses serving the city corridors, the estimated 400,000 people cannot be served efficiently daily." Said Abdallah Mohamed a passenger. "People cannot withstand continuous delays on the road caused by unroadworthy buses.
Earlier on the day, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Albert Chalamila visited the operation areas and told the passengers that by next November, the service provider who has been awarded the tender to import buses will have already imported the buses into the country to address the transportation challenges on the road.
"The government has recognized the deterioration of the buses and for that reason has approved a small amount of money so that the stranded buses can be repaired to save the current challenge, I believe that by November, the service provider who won the tender will have already started importing the buses" said Chalamila.
Violence breaks out in Morocco as anti-government protests rage for fourth day
RABAT, Morocco
Anti-government demonstrations gripped Morocco for the fourth night in a row as young people filled the streets of cities and destruction and violence broke out in several places.
With billions in investment flowing toward preparations for the 2030 World Cup, promises to fix Morocco’s strained social services have not quelled anger from internet-savvy youth, who launched some of the country’s biggest street protests in years.
The “Gen Z” demonstrations mirror similar unrest sweeping countries such as Nepal and Madagascar.
Young Moroccans clashed with security forces on Tuesday as they decried the dire state of many schools and hospitals.
After dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested over the weekend, violence broke out in several cities, especially in areas where jobs are scarce and social services lacking.
“The right to health, education and a dignified life is not an empty slogan but a serious demand,” the organisers of the Gen Z212 protest movement wrote in a statement published on Discord. They cited King Mohammed VI, implored protesters to remain peaceful and criticised “repressive security approaches”.
Still, the protests have escalated and become more destructive, particularly in cities far from where development efforts have been concentrated in Morocco.
Local outlets and footage filmed by witnesses showed protesters hurling rocks and setting vehicles ablaze in cities and towns in the country’s east and south, including in Inzegane and Ait Amira.
In Oujda, eastern Morocco’s largest city, one person was injured when a police vehicle rammed into demonstrators, local human rights groups and the state news agency MAP said.
Morocco’s interior ministry said the anonymously organised protests lacked authorisation and were dealt with according to the law, noting that those found to be breaking the law would be treated “rigorously and firmly”.
It said 409 people were taken into police custody.
It said 263 members of law enforcement were injured during the nationwide protests that also damaged 142 of their vehicles. Twenty private cars were also damaged and 23 civilians were injured, the ministry said.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) said 37 protesters had been arrested in Oujda on Monday, among them six minors, and would appear in court on Wednesday.
They are among the hundreds that AMDH said had been apprehended, including many whose arrests were captured on video by local media and some who were detained by plainclothes officers during interviews.
Hamas divided over Trump's Gaza peace plan, wants to change disarmament clause
GAZA STRIP, Palestine
Hamas officials want amendments to clauses on disarmament in US President Donald Trump's new Gaza peace plan, a Palestinian source close to the group's leadership told AFP on Wednesday.
Hamas negotiators held discussions on Tuesday with Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari officials in Doha, the source said, requesting anonymity because they were discussing sensitive matters, and adding the group needed "two or three days at most" to respond.
Trump's plan, which has been accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of some 50 captives held by Hamas - only around 20 of whom are still alive - within 72 hours, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
It also requires Hamas to disarm and give up control of Gaza, while a controversial international authority will take control of the territory and Hamas leaders will go into exile.
But the Palestinian source said: "Hamas wants to amend some of the clauses such as the one on disarmament and the expulsion of Hamas and faction cadres."
Hamas leaders also want "international guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip" and guarantees of no assassinations inside or outside the territory. The source said Hamas was also in touch with "other regional and Arab parties", without giving details.
Another source familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the Palestinian group was split over Trump's plan.
"So far there are two views within Hamas: the first supports unconditional approval because the important thing is to have a ceasefire guaranteed by Trump, provided that the mediators guarantee Israel's implementation of the plan," the source said, also requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
But others withing the group have "great reservations on important clauses", the source said. "They reject disarmament and for any Palestinian citizen to be taken away from Gaza," the source said.
"They support a conditional agreement with clarifications that take into account demands by Hamas and the resistance factions so that the occupation of the Gaza Strip is not legitimised while the resistance is criminalised," they added.
"Some factions reject the plan, but discussions are ongoing and things will become clearer soon."
A senior Hamas figure had told the BBC separately that the group is likely to reject the plan as it serves Israeli interests and ignores the Palestinians.
The official, who was not named, said the group is unlikely to agree to surrendering its weapons, a key condition of the Trump plan which Israel and several Arab states have been calling on Hamas to do.
Hamas is also expected to oppose deploying international peacekeeping forces in Gaza, which the group views as a form of occupation, even if the Israeli military pulls out of the enclave.
Trump has given the Palestinian group only days to respond to the proposal, which he announced in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, from the White House on Monday.
The US president has warned of harsh repercussions in Gaza if Hamas rejects the deal, giving Israel full support to continue its war.
On 7 October, the war will reach its two year mark. More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, in what is now widely recognised as a genocide.
The true death toll is believed to be much higher, with the bodies of thousands of uncounted victims buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
At least 30 die after Ethiopia church scaffolding falls
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
At least 30 people have died and more than 200 others been injured after scaffolding collapsed at a church in Ethiopia.
Thousands of worshippers were gathered at the Arerti Mariam church early in the morning when the structure fell, local police inspector Ahmed Gebeyehu told our reporter.
The crowd had visited the church, in the central Minjar Sheknora area about 70 km (45 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, as part of the annual Orthodox Christian celebration of St Mary.
Mr Ahmed said the death toll might increase, adding that those confirmed deceased were aged between 25 and 80.
Local authorities say many people are still trapped under the rubble and that rescue operations are underway.
Eyewitnesses described the incident as sudden and chaotic, as attendees scattered in panic to save their lives.
"A large section of the church collapsed - the sound of the wooden structure giving way was loud and terrifying," said one eyewitness.
Some of the severely injured victims have been transferred to Addis Ababa for further treatment.
A government statement shared by the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) expressed "deep condolences for the damage caused by the collapse of the scaffolding".
The statement also stressed that "safety must be given priority" during all construction projects.
Health and safety regulations are poorly enforced in Ethiopia and construction disasters are common.
S. Africa opposition firebrand, Malema convicted for discharging firearm at 2018 EFF rally
EAST LONDON, South Africa
South African opposition leader Julius Malema was found guilty Wednesday of breaking firearm laws in a 2018 incident where he was filmed firing a rifle at a political rally.
The politician, who leads the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters, was charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act.
His then bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, who was alleged to have given Malema the rifle, was also charged but was found not guilty.
Malema said this proved the magistrate was racist, because Snyman is white.
The video of Malema firing the weapon at his party’s fifth anniversary in the Eastern Cape province went viral in 2018.
An Afrikaner lobby group, Afriforum, brought criminal charges against him.
In his defence, Malema claimed that the firearm in the video was a toy gun, but Magistrate Twanet Olivier rejected this.
Malema told his supporters outside the East London Magistrates Court that he would appeal the verdict all the way to the Constitutional Court.
Malema could face up to 15 years in prison, but as there is no minimum sentence, the magistrate may be more lenient.
His sentencing has been set for Jan. 23 next year.
Malema founded the Economic Freedom Fighters, South Africa’s fourth-biggest political party, which won 9% of the electoral vote in general elections last year.
He remains a divisive figure in South African politics, especially over his party's policies, which include the expropriation of white-owned land without compensation and the nationalisation of mines and banks.
He appeared in a video shown by U.S. President Donald Trump during a tense meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa this year.
Trump has falsely claimed that there is an ongoing “white genocide” in South Africa.
Gabon’s ruling party leads in post-coup elections
LIBREVILLE, Gabon
The Democratic Union of Builders, a party launched just months ago by President Brice Oligui Nguema, has taken the lead in the first round of legislative elections, winning 55 out of 145 seats in the National Assembly.
This marks the country's first legislative vote since a 2023 military coup ended the Bongo family's 50-year grip on power.
Former President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s party, the PDG, managed only three seats, with both parties sharing four seats on joint tickets.
A second round is set for October 11, where 77 undecided constituencies, mostly contested between the UDB and PDG, will determine the final makeup of parliament.
Gabon now operates under a presidential system, restored after Gen Oligui Nguema won April’s election, following the adoption of a controversial electoral code that allowed military figures, including himself, to run.
While legislative powers remain limited, this vote is being seen as a key test of Gabon's transition back to constitutional rule.
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