International News
Morocco Quake Death Toll Rises To 2,122

Using heavy equipment and even their bare hands, rescuers in Morocco on Sunday stepped up efforts to find survivors of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,100 people and flattened villages.
The first foreign rescuers flew in to help after the North African country’s strongest-ever quake killed at least 2,122 people and injured more than 2,400, many seriously, according to official figures updated late on Sunday.
Friday’s 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in the hills of the Atlas mountains.
On Sunday an aftershock of magnitude 4.5 rattled already-traumatised residents in the same region.
The mountain village of Tafeghaghte, 60 kilometres from Marrakesh, was almost entirely destroyed, an AFP team reported, with very few buildings still standing.
Amid the debris, civilian rescuers and members of Morocco’s armed forces searched for survivors and the bodies of the dead.
AFP saw them recover one body from the ruins of a house. Four others were still buried there, residents said.
“Everyone is gone! My heart is broken. I am inconsolable,” cried Zahra Benbrik, 62, who said she had lost 18 relatives, with only the body of her brother still trapped.
“I want them to hurry and get him out so I can mourn in peace,” she said.
Many houses in remote mountain villages were built from mud bricks.
In the village of Amizmiz, near Tafeghaghte, a backhoe dragged away the heaviest pieces of rubble before rescuers dug into the dusty debris with their bare hands to remove a body that appeared to be under a quilt.
– The crucial hours –
The two villages lie in Al-Haouz province, site of the epicentre, which suffered the most deaths, 1,351, authorities reported.
According to Moroccan public television, “more than 18,000 families have been affected” by the quake in Al-Haouz.
Citizens on Sunday rushed to hospitals in Marrakesh to donate blood to help the injured.
Spain’s defence ministry said an A400 airlifter took off from Zaragoza with 56 rescuers and four search dogs headed for Marrakesh to “help in the search and rescue of survivors”.
“We will send whatever is needed because everyone knows that these first hours are key, especially if there are people buried under rubble,” Defence Minister Margarita Robles told Spanish public television.
Many residents of the usually bustling tourist hotspot of Marrakesh spent a second night sleeping on the streets, huddled together under blankets and among bags filled with their belongings.
One of them, Fatema Satir, said many stayed outside for fear of their houses collapsing.
“There is no help for us,” Satir said. “Our houses have been cracked, others destroyed — like my daughter’s house which was wiped out. We are in a chaotic state.”
In the city’s historic Jemaa el-Fna square, about 20 people were huddled on the ground, wrapped in blankets, while others stayed on the lawn of the nearby town hall, its 12th-century ramparts partially collapsed.
The kingdom declared three days of national mourning, and a prayer for the quake victims was to be held Sunday in all of the kingdom’s mosques.
Morocco’s interior ministry said on Saturday evening that authorities are “mobilised to speed up rescue operations and evacuate the injured.”
In addition to Spain, several countries offered aid.
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country has mobilised “all technical and security teams to be able to intervene, when the Moroccan authorities deem it useful.”
Macron, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Union and European Commission, also pledged, in a joint statement, to “mobilise our technical and financial tools and assistance” to help the people of Morocco.
– Long recovery ahead –
The United States said it also had search-and-rescue teams ready to deploy, and Pope Francis on Sunday again expressed support for those affected by the disaster.
“I thank the rescuers and all those who are working to alleviate the suffering of the people,” he said from the Vatican window above St Peter’s Square.
Algeria, which has long had tense relations with neighbouring Morocco, opened its airspace, which had been closed for two years, to flights carrying humanitarian aid and evacuating the injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country in 2020 established ties with Morocco, offered to send search-and-rescue teams, declaring that “Israel stands by Morocco in its difficult time”.
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,” said Hossam Elsharkawi, its Middle East and North Africa director.
The quake was the deadliest in Morocco since a 1960 earthquake destroyed Agadir and killed more than 12,000 people.
AFP
International News
JUST IN: Museveni Sworn In For 7th Term At 81 As President Of Ugand
Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for his seventh term as President of Uganda on May 12, 2026, at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, following his victory in the January 2026 elections.
Recall Museveni won with 71.65 percent of the vote, defeating his main challenger, 43-year-old Bobi Wine, who received 24.72 percent of the vote, according to the official results.

The 81-year-old leader took his oath for another five-year term, continuing his tenure as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Museveni, born 1944 in Mbarra district area of Uganda has served as president since 1986.
He started his education in 1953 at Kyamate Boys School, then joined Mbarara High School in 1959.

After his family’s migration from Ntungamo in 1960s, then within the British Protectorate of Uganda, he was admitted to Ntare School in 1961.
He studied political science from the University of Dar es Salaam where he initiated the University Students’ African Revolutionary Front.
International News
Tragedy as Nigerian Boy Drowns in Canadian Lake
The family of a 12-year-old Nigerian boy, Damilola Afolabi who drowned in a Canadian lake, has been thrown into mourning after the tragic incident occurred barely two months after they relocated abroad in search of a better life.
Damilola reportedly drowned at Mahogany Lake in Calgary on Sunday after jumping into the water while playing with friends
According to reports, the boy did not know how to swim and failed to resurface after entering the lake.
He was later pulled from the bottom of the lake and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The deceased was buried on Wednesday at the Muslim Cemetery of Calgary as relatives and members of the community gathered to mourn him.
Speaking on the tragedy, family spokesperson Patrick Adda said the family had only recently moved from Ghana to Canada and were still trying to settle into their new environment.
“They came in here,” Adda said. “They have no one. And all of us here. We’re like angels that came in their lives to see how best we can help them migrating to the best place to live and work, which is in Calgary.”
According to the family, Damilola had been trying to make new friends and adapt to life in Canada. He was said to enjoy riding bicycles and spending time outdoors in his neighbourhood.
His grieving father, Jubreel Afolabi, said his son had returned from church on the day of the incident before asking to go outside and play.
“On Sunday, my son just came from the church, and he wanted to play a little at the front of the house,” he said.
“That’s the end. I would never see my son again, when I see my son, I saw his body lying there.”
The distraught father added that the family relocated abroad hoping to secure a brighter future for their children.
“When we were about to leave Ghana Dami said, ‘Daddy, thank you for the good life you are going to give us in Canada,’” Jubreel recalled emotionally.
“I didn’t know that my son would never be with me at this moment anymore.”
Damilola was one of four children in the family. Adda revealed that his younger sister has continued asking about him since his death.
“His little sister calls him Da,” Adda said. “And the little sister, who is just a few years old, had Da changing her diapers and everything, and she was asking,
‘Where is Da?’”
The incident has also reignited concerns over safety at Mahogany Lake, where several drowning cases have been recorded over the years.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas reacted to the tragedy, saying it raises serious questions about public safety infrastructure around the lake area.
“It does make a bigger question, though, in terms of the type of supports and infrastructure and equipment we provide for our Calgary police and county fire departments,” he said.
Still overwhelmed by grief, the boy’s father said burying his son was a painful experience no parent should endure.
“I wish my sons would be the ones to bury me and not the other way around,” Jubreel said.
Reports added that a crowdfunding campaign has since been launched to support the bereaved family.
International News
Arsene Wenger Tackles Rooney Over Arsenal Win Celebration Comment
Arsene Wenger made his feelings clear on Arsenal’s celebrations after the win over Atletico Madrid – and they were different to Wayne Rooney’s
Arsene Wenger has leapt to Arsenal’s defence over their Champions League celebrations, insisting they were ‘deserved’ and ‘normal’ after Wayne Rooney’s brutal criticism. The England icon immediately took aim at Mikel Arteta and the players by claiming the jubilant scenes at the end were over the top.
Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal just before half-time to clinch a 2-1 aggregate win and set up a final against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners celebrated wildly after the final whistle, drawing criticism from Rooney, who was at the Emirates as a pundit for Prime Video. The Manchester United legend said: “They deserve to be in this position but they haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”
Legendary former Gunners boss Wenger disagreed with that stance, insisting the Gunners had every right to enjoy the moment. Speaking on beIN Sports, the Frenchman said: “They celebrate well tonight, which is normal, but you want to focus already on the final and the next games.
“The celebration is deserved and happiness is normal – absolutely normal – but the next step is to go to the final and win in.”
Wenger felt that the Gunners were worthy winners, saying: “I think Arsenal wanted it a bit more than Atleti and they were more decisive in the duels.
“We said before the game that to go to the final, they needed to be strong defensively and they didn’t concede a goal tonight. They played a team who for 45 minutes absolutely needed to score a goal and they didn’t give them a chance.
“I believe it shows how strong Arsenal are defensively and how disciplined they are, as well as the limitations of Atletico, who were not good enough in the final third.
“In the end, it’s a well-deserved win for Arsenal, there’s no doubt they were the better team over the two legs.”
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