Rorisang Modiba delivers daily updates from around the world.
Nigeria – Severe flooding in Nigeria has killed at least 170 people and forced over 200,000 others to leave their homes, according to the National Emergency Management Authority. The worst-hit areas are in northern Nigeria. This year’s flooding is much worse than usual, affecting areas that don’t usually experience such events. Officials say climate change is to blame. Poor drainage systems and overflowing dams have worsened the situation, causing nearly 2,000 injuries and destroying over 100,000 hectares of farmland.
UK – The UK has seen a significant increase in people caught smuggling cannabis from countries where the drug is legal. Arrests have jumped from 17 in 2022 to 378 so far this year. Many of these couriers were tricked by traffickers into thinking that cannabis is legal in the UK. The National Crime Agency has made numerous arrests, with some couriers receiving long prison sentences. The amount of cannabis seized has also increased, from two tonnes in 2022 to 15 tonnes this year.
US – The American broadcaster, media personality, and writer Wendy Williams, 60, was seen in public for the first time since March last year when she went with her son Kevin Hunter Jr to a holistic store in Newark, New Jersey, on 19 August. Reports say she appeared “sharp, upbeat, and aware” during the visit. This is her first public appearance since she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Williams had been out of the public eye due to ongoing health issues, including Graves’ disease, lymphedema, and alcohol abuse, which led to the end of The Wendy Williams Show in 2022.
China – Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have erupted again, with recent clashes near the disputed Sabina Shoal. Chinese and Philippine ships collided several times last week, reigniting tensions despite a recent agreement to calm things down. The incidents happened just off the Philippines’ west coast, with Manila accusing China of ramming its ships, while Beijing blamed the Philippines.
Pictured above: Floods in Nigeria.
Source: X
