More horrors continue to emerge from the debris and ubiquitous layers of mud left by the walls of water that produced Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory.

Residents of Massanassa in the Valencia region located in the kingdom’s north, were calling for assistance of Thursday (Oct. 31). The floods have killed at least 158 people.

“What people need is food, because we understand that all the material losses are not important next to saving our lives, when we look at other people that have lost their lives”, sociologist Antonio said.

“We still don’t know how neighbours and acquaintances have been lost. We need drinkable water.”

An unknown number of people are still missing, and more victims could be found.

Spain PM said EU member states have stepped up to offer resources.

AEMET, Spain’s national weather service has issued amber rainfall warnings for Friday (Nov. 1st) for areas in the Valencia and Castellón regions, where many communities are still reeling from the floods.

Survivors of the worst natural disaster to hit Spain this century awoke to scenes of devastation after villages were wiped out by flash floods.

More than 1,700 soldiers have joined emergency workers. Thousands have lost the fruit of a lifetime’s work

Botswana’s ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has lost its parliamentary majority in this week’s election, according to reports from the private Mmegi newspaper and state radio, which cited results from over half the constituencies.

Though analysts anticipated a competitive race, they believed a divided opposition would favor President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s BDP, which has governed the country since its independence from Britain in 1966. However, based on results from 36 of the 61 constituencies, opposition parties have secured more than half the seats in parliament, according to Mmegi and state radio.

The BDP has won just one of the 36 constituencies so far, while the opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), has taken 23. To secure a majority, a party needs 31 seats.

Botswana, known for its stability and diamond wealth, provides free healthcare and education to its 2.3 million citizens and is the world’s top diamond producer by value. However, recent downturns in the diamond market have strained revenues, highlighting the country’s struggle to diversify its economy.

A Moroccan economist known for his human rights work has been detained after criticizing the government in remarks posted on social media during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the North African kingdom.

Prosecutors arrested Fouad Abdelmoumni in Casablanca on Wednesday and announced that he was being investigated on suspicion of spreading false information and accusing others of crimes on social media, Morocco’s state news agency reported. If charged and convicted, he faces up to five years in prison under cybercrime laws.

“This arbitrary arrest is part of a series of harassments targeting Abdelmoumni, as a reprisal for his bold positions, his opinions and the defence of human rights,” the Moroccan Association for the Support of Political Prisoners said in a statement published on Wednesday. “This arrest represents a new escalation in the authorities’ policy of repression against political and human rights activists in the country.”

Mr. Abdelmoumni, a former political prisoner, is the coordinator of the association.

As Mr Macron visited Rabat with Moroccan leaders including King Mohammed VI, the activist claimed in a post that Morocco was trying to “blackmail” France using methods such as spying and refusing to cooperate in managing illegal immigration.

Abdelmoumni has not yet been formally charged. When he appears in court on Friday, he will likely be charged with crimes related to the article, said one of his lawyers, Souad Brahma.

In Morocco, authorities can detain people under investigation for 48 hours without charging them.

Ms. Brahma said Mr. Abdelmoumni was arrested for expressing his opinion and called his detention a violation of his right to freedom of expression. She said she was denied the opportunity to visit him on Thursday, despite having received permission from the court. The authorities have not responded to allegations that the arrest was politically motivated.

Throughout his visit, Mr. Macron spoke of opening a new chapter in relations between France and Morocco, after years of tensions.

Amnesty International and the Paris-based nonprofit group Forbidden Stories published a report alleging that Moroccan authorities used Israeli software Pegagus to infiltrate the electronic devices of human rights activists, including Mr. Abdelmoumni, and politicians, including Mr. Macron.

Morocco has vigorously denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit.

Mr. Abdelmoumni, 66, has been a prominent human rights advocate since his arrest and torture along with other left-wing activists during King Hassan II ’s era of repression, known as the “Years of Lead .” He has publicly supported pro-democracy efforts in the country, including during the Arab Spring and the “Hirak” movement. Morocco’s 2017

After the Pegagus software investigation, Abdelmoumni was among the activists profiled in a Human Rights Watch report 2022

The report states that an anonymous person released a video of him and his partner (now his wife) having sex, likely captured by a hidden camera inside the air conditioner in his home. In Morocco, sex outside marriage is a crime, and information about their relationship was later published in pro-government media, in an operation that Mr. Abdelmoumni said was aimed at intimidating him.

This week, he took part in a vigil demanding justice for a Moroccan nationalist who disappeared in France in 1965 and appeared at the court where Morocco’s former human rights minister was being tried. He was on his way to a meeting of the Moroccan Association for the Support of Political Prisoners when he was arrested.

Mr Macron’s political party helped push through a resolution in 2023 condemning human rights abuses in Morocco in the European Parliament. However, the two countries have recently strengthened their political and economic ties. This week, they announced economic deals and lucrative contracts on projects ranging from transport to desalination infrastructure. Mr Macron also reiterated his support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. .

During his three-day visit, Mr Macron did not mention human rights in speeches he gave at a business forum, to the country’s French community or to the country’s parliament.

Kenya’s new deputy president has been sworn into office, two weeks after his predecessor was overwhelmingly voted out in an impeachment motion in parliament over allegations of corruption and inciting ethnic division.

Kindiki Kithure took office on Friday after a colourful event in the capital, Nairobi, attended by government officials and Western envoys among other guests.

The court cleared his swearing-in on Thursday after orders suspending it were lifted, despite a continuing court case challenging the impeachment of the previous deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua.

Gachagua is challenging the impeachment before the High Court in Nairobi, arguing that the charges are unsubstantiated and that the hearings were unfair.

The former deputy president was impeached and removed from office by a vote of more than two-thirds of legislators on Oct. 17 on charges of corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and support for anti-government protests. President William Ruto nominated Kindiki for the deputy role the next day.

Gachagua’s impeachment had highlighted divisions within the ruling United Democratic Alliance, or UDA, and friction between Ruto and Gachagua, both UDA members. Gachagua had been accused of insubordination when he opposed the government’s policy of forced evictions during heavy rains that caused flooding and deaths.

The new deputy president Kindiki called Friday’s event a celebration of the “constitution and our democracy” and committed to be loyal and faithful to the president.

President Ruto urged him to “please serve the people of Kenya” adding that like all public servants, they are not in office for personal interests and that all leaders serve at the pleasure of the people of Kenya and must uphold the constitution and the rule of law.

Kindiki — the former interior minister — takes the deputy president’s office at a time when arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances in Kenya have raised concerns among western envoys and human rights groups. The country is also going through economic hardships with a rising cost of living and newly increased taxes.

In June, the country witnessed a series of nationwide anti-government protests over a finance bill that proposed to increase taxes, culminating in the storming and burning of parliament on June 25, when several protesters were shot dead outside parliament gates.

Ruto, who came to office claiming to represent Kenya’s poorest citizens, has faced widespread criticism over his efforts to raise taxes to pay off foreign creditors. The public opposition led him to shake up his Cabinet and back off from certain proposals.

Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina, now crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, finds herself at the heart of a heated nationality debate after the South African Department of Home Affairs announced she would be stripped of her South African identity and travel documents.

The decision has stirred up questions about citizenship, belonging, and identity in South Africa.

The story began when Ms. Adetshina, a law student, reached the finals of the Miss South Africa pageant. However, her eligibility quickly came under scrutiny due to her Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, even though she says she was born and raised in the South African township of Soweto.

In August, she withdrew from the competition after authorities revealed that her mother might have committed “identity theft” to gain South African citizenship.

While some questioned her identity, others rallied around her, calling out the intolerance and highlighting her South African roots.

Following this backlash, Ms. Adetshina accepted an invitation to compete in Nigeria and went on to win the title of Miss Universe Nigeria.

Now, as she prepares to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico on November 16, the South African government has finalized its decision to revoke her identity papers, stating that she and her mother failed to prove their eligibility to retain citizenship.

Tommy Makhode, a senior official in South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, announced the revocation on Tuesday, explaining that the case had been referred to the Hawks—a specialized police unit investigating serious crimes and was deemed a “case of fraud.” Officials are now awaiting further action from prosecutors.

In a past statement, Ms. Adetshina emphasized that she sees herself as “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian,” expressing a dual identity she has cherished throughout her life. Now, as she prepares to represent Nigeria on the global stage, questions about her identity, citizenship, and her unique cross-cultural heritage remain.

Residents of Valencia woke up to scenes of devastation on Thursday, after villages were wiped out by monstrous flash floods that have claimed at least 155 lives.

The death toll is expected to rise further as search efforts continue with an unknown number of people still missing.

It is the worst natural disaster to hit Spain this century, with scenes eerily similar to damage left by a hurricane or tsunami.

Wrecked cars and trucks piled up along the highways, and a thick layer of mud covered many streets, as Spanish military personnel worked to clear flooded areas.

Over a thousand soldiers joined local emergency workers to search for bodies and survivors.

Thousands of people were left without water and electricity and parts of the region were isolated as roads were cut off and train lines disrupted.

Spain’s government declared three days of mourning starting Thursday.

At least one person has died and 35 people injured after a Russian bomb hit a residential building in Ukraine’s 2nd largest city, Kharkiv.

Authorities in the city confirmed the victim to be a 12 year old boy. Emergency services in Kharkiv said rescue operations were underway and their workers were assisting residents.

Officials said they feared others could be still trapped under the rubble, including a missing 15-year-old boy.

According to the regional governor, a 500-kilogram Russian glided bomb hit the building directly on Wednesday evening.

The strike damaged the entrance to a residential building.

Meanwhile Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Zelenskyy on Thursday repeated his demand for the United States to allow Ukraine to use long-range American missiles to strike air bases deeper in Russia.

Zelenskky comments followed the attack the Kharviv.

Russia has increasingly used powerful glide bombs to pummel Ukrainian positions and strike cities dozens of kilometers (miles) from the frontline.

Kharkiv, a city of 1.1 million, is about 30 kilometers (less than 20 miles) from border.

Guinea authorities dissolved dozens of political parties and placed two major opposition ones under observation late Monday, while the transitional government has yet to announce a date for elections.

The West African country has been led by a military regime since soldiers ousted President Alpha Conde in 2021. The West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS has pushed for a return to civilian rule and elections are scheduled for 2025.

The mass dissolution of 53 political parties and required observation of 54 others for three months is unprecedented in Guinea, which held its first democratic election in 2010 after decades of authoritarian rule. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization announced the moves based on an evaluation of all political parties begun in June. The evaluation was meant to “clean up the political chessboard,” according to the ministry.

The 67 parties that will be under observation for three months can operate normally but must resolve irregularities noted in the report. Those parties include the Rally of the Guinean People, which is the party of former President Alpha Condé, and another major opposition party, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea.

The authorities said the parties placed under observation failed to hold their party congress within the time limit and to provide bank statements, among other issues.

Guinea is one of a growing number of West African countries, including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where the military has taken power and delayed a return to civilian rule. Earlier this year, the military junta in Burkina Faso extended its transition term by five years.

Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, who leads Guinea, overran the president three years ago, saying he was preventing the country from slipping into chaos and chastised the previous government for broken promises.

However, since coming to power he’s been criticized by some for being no better than his predecessor.

In February, the military leader dissolved the government without explanation, saying a new one will be appointed.

People in Botswana are waiting for results of Wednesday’s election which could extend the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s 58-year rule.

Earlier in the day, the main opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) leader Duma Boko voiced concerns about the exercise.

“We are worried about all these things because they speak to the integrity of the process and they tell you that we’re dealing with an IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) that is hellbent on ensuring that we do not have free, fair and credible elections, but we make do with what we have,” said Boko.

Ballot counting began as soon polling closed at 17:00 GMT. But some voting stations stayed open long after the official closing time to allow voters queuing up to cast their ballots.

The election will determine the makeup of the diamond-rich southern African country’s parliament, and lawmakers will later choose the president.

The ruling party won won 38 of 57 contested seats in the last election in 2019.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a 63-year-old former high school teacher, is seeking a second and final term.

A party needs to win at least 31 parliament seats to be declared as the winner.

Botswana goes to the polls on Wednesday in a vote that will determine whether the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will extend its 58-year hold on power.

Analysts say, however, that this time round it is hard to predict the outcome of the general election.

The country faces tough times following a downturn in demand for diamonds which are vital to its economy.

The opposition say the BDP has been in power too long and accuse it of economic mismanagement and corruption, an accusation it denies.

Some young people in the capital Gaborone are hoping that the election will bring about employment and a change for the better.

Botswana is widely seen as a country with low corruption and good governance, but there is a growing lack of confidence in the government.

“I’m actually a graduate, but I don’t have any job. So I hope, I hope the future will be bright this time around after these elections,” said resident Maitshwarelo Ditsebe.

Unemployment has risen and stands at more than 27 per cent, with youth unemployment above 45 per cent.

“I wish the party I’ll be voting for will create employment for young women,” said another Gaborone resident, Boago Sentsho.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party will be competing against three challengers as he seeks a second and final term in office.

His main challenger is Duma Boko of the opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change who has pledged to more than double the minimum wage and increase social grants.

The election is not directly for president. Voters decide the makeup of parliament and lawmakers later elect a president.

Polling stations open at six on Wednesday morning with people voting for 61 seats in the National Assembly and 609 local council seats