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Climate Migration: Kenyan woman loses nearly all to lake

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Climate Migration: Kenyan woman loses nearly all to lake

By BRIAN INGANGA and JULIE WATSON

September 8, 2022 GMT

KAMPI ya SAMAKI, Kenya (AP) — Winnie Keben had felt blessed to be elevating her youngsters in her husband’s childhood residence locally of Kampi ya Samaki – simply over 1 / 4 mile (500 meters) from the shoreline of Lake Baringo.

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The huge freshwater lake buzzing with birds and aquatic life within the semi-arid volcanic area of Kenya’s Nice Rift Valley had lengthy been an oasis. It attracted fishers and worldwide vacationers to the group, a couple of five-hour drive from Nairobi.

However over the previous decade Lake Baringo has doubled in dimension, due primarily to heavy rainfall tied to local weather change, in response to scientists, and its fast-rising waters are more and more changing into a menace. The increasing lake has swallowed up houses and lodges and introduced in crocodiles and hippos which have turned up on folks’s doorsteps and in school rooms.

“It was not like this up to now,” Keben stated. “Individuals would transfer when the water strikes, however it will return quickly sufficient.”

Keben had by no means imagined leaving.

Then the lake took away virtually all the pieces.

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Full Protection: Local weather Migration

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EDITOR’S NOTE: That is a part of an ongoing sequence exploring the lives of individuals all over the world who’ve been compelled to maneuver due to rising seas, drought, searing temperatures and different issues prompted or exacerbated by local weather change.

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In her final moments in Kampi ya Samaki, Keben was washing off backyard filth in Lake Baringo’s refreshing waters. It had been a day of working her maize fields along with her husband. Night was falling. Her thoughts was on getting again to the home to make dinner.

Then one thing moved.

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“No sooner had I bent down to clean my proper leg, than I noticed a crocodile pop up from the waters,” she stated. “I screamed so loudly however sadly, I fell into the lake.”

The crocodile dragged her into deeper water as she tried to combat it off. Her husband ran from the fields towards her screams. However she was struggling to remain above the floor.

She managed to succeed in her hand above the water and wiggle her fingers, hoping her husband, now on the shore, would see them.

Laban Keben noticed, jumped in and grabbed her however the ferocious animal held on. Laban tried once more. And once more. After his third try, his spouse and the mom of their youngsters misplaced consciousness, he stated.

“I noticed her dying, leaving me behind,” he stated.

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He considered their daughter, barely six months previous, and their two different youngsters.

Not understanding what else to do, he began screaming for assist. One other man ran over with a machete and struck on the crocodile, Laban stated, and immediately, it swam away, leaving Winnie’s limp physique behind.

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Her leg was nothing however bones with hanging flesh, stated Laban, who together with native residents carried Winnie previous flooded roads to the closest paved one the place automobiles might get her to medical care. However on the hospital within the subsequent city, docs stated they weren’t geared up to deal with such a extreme damage.

Two hospitals later, she feared she wouldn’t survive.

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“I informed my husband to select up my youngsters and to take them to my mum, as I knew I used to be not going to make it,” she stated.

Medical doctors ended up amputating the leg to avoid wasting her life. Her mother stayed by her bedside till she was discharged from the hospital.

The household was compelled to promote their chickens, and goats to cowl her medical prices.

However whereas she was therapeutic, an incessant rain continued to fall. The lake took nonetheless extra from the Kebens. It flooded their residence and farmland.

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They left their group, the ultimate loss.

A resident from one other village, Meisori, realized of their ordeal and supplied to take them in, a gesture of kindness for which she is grateful.

However leaving Kampi ya Samaki, the place her husband and kids had been born, nonetheless hurts.

“I cherished my place very a lot, as I might do farming with my husband and lift cash for meals and faculty charges,” Winnie stated.

With just one leg, Winnie stated she now not can farm. Her husband earns a meager dwelling digging pit latrines and dealing at space farms to assist their rising household. She gave beginning to her sixth youngster final month.

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“Now we’re land beggars,” she stated.

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Baringo is one in all ten lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley which were increasing over the previous decade. The whole Jap African rift system, which stretches south to Mozambique, and the Western Rift – all the way in which to Uganda – are additionally affected. The rainfed waters have submerged villages and islands and introduced the fierce Nile crocodiles face-to-face with residents.

The rising lake waters have displaced greater than 75,000 households, in response to a 2021 report on the increasing lakes by Kenya’s Ministry of the Setting and Forestry and the United Nations Improvement Program.

Flooding round Lake Baringo has been among the many most extreme, in response to the report, with greater than 3,000 households destroyed.

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Lake Baringo stays an essential supply of freshwater for villagers, livestock, fisheries, and wildlife. However scientists concern it might sometime merge with a big salt lake not distant, the also-expanding Lake Bogoria, contaminating the freshwater.

Keben remembers when the shoreline was a brief stroll from their residence and the hippos and crocodiles stayed deep contained in the lake.

“They by no means attacked folks or animals,” Keben stated. “In the present day they assault all the pieces.”

Keben, 28, continues to be haunted by her assault a decade in the past. She has not returned to her household’s village — even for a short go to — and with good cause. The dangers of such assaults have solely elevated: Since she left, extra crocodiles and hippos have turned up in Kampi ya Samaki.

It’s not uncommon now to see village youngsters scarred by sharp tooth marks.

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Others, like Keben, have misplaced limbs, and an unknown quantity have died.

A ten-year-old boy was lately dragged off by a hippo and has not been discovered.

Keben stated she doesn’t plan to ever return to Kampi ya Samaki. Although she longs for the group.

“That’s the place I referred to as residence,” she stated, her voice nonetheless crammed with ache.

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Watson reported from San Diego.

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Related Press local weather and environmental protection receives assist from a number of personal foundations. See extra about AP’s local weather initiative right here. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.

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Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine Ex-President, Is Arrested on I.C.C. Warrant

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Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine Ex-President, Is Arrested on I.C.C. Warrant

Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, was arrested on Tuesday in Manila, after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity in his war on drugs in which, human rights groups say, tens of thousands of Filipinos were summarily executed.

He was taken into custody at the airport in Manila after returning from a trip to Hong Kong, according to the Philippine government. Mr. Duterte’s lawyer, Salvador Panelo, said the arrest was unlawful, partly because the Philippines withdrew from the court while Mr. Duterte was in office.

Mr. Duterte, 79, who left office in 2022, is a populist firebrand who remains one of the Philippines’ most influential politicians, and he has enjoyed relative immunity despite several accusations against him in connection with his antidrug campaign.

But Mr. Duterte’s arrest could be a major step toward accountability for thousands of Filipinos who have long sought justice for their loved ones, many of whom were gunned down by police officers, hit men and vigilantes. Activists say the vast majority of victims were poor, urban Filipinos, some of whom were minors and people who had nothing to do with the drug trade.

Only a handful of people have been convicted in connection with the killings, which rights groups say totaled roughly 30,000.

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“I am very happy that Duterte has been arrested so we can finally have justice,” said Cristina Jumola, whose three sons were killed during the drug war. “We waited so long for this.”

It was unclear whether Mr. Duterte would be forced to surrender to the I.C.C., which is based in The Hague. The case will be a high-profile test of the court, which in recent months has sought the arrest of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the head of the military junta in Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, accusing both men of crimes against humanity.

Minutes before he was arrested, Mr. Duterte was characteristically defiant.

“You would have to kill me first, if you are going to ally with white foreigners,” Mr. Duterte said as he was getting off the plane from Hong Kong, according to a video posted by GMA News, a Philippine broadcaster.

For years, Mr. Duterte seemed untouchable. As mayor of Davao, the second-largest city in the Philippines, for more than two decades, he ran a deadly antidrug crackdown with impunity. In 2016, he parlayed his law-and-order credentials into a victory in the presidential election, even though experts said the country did not have an outsized problem with drugs.

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At his final campaign rally that year, Mr. Duterte told the crowd to “forget the laws on human rights.”

“You drug pushers, holdup men and do-nothings, you better go out,” he said. “Because I’ll kill you.” He said he would give himself and his security forces immunity from prosecution and pardon himself “for the crime of multiple murder.”

While in office, Mr. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the I.C.C., which had begun looking into the extrajudicial killings.

Mr. Panelo, Mr. Duterte’s lawyer, said the arrest was unlawful in part because the Philippine police had not allowed the former president’s attorneys to meet him at the airport. He said he planned to bring criminal complaints against the police and the officials who ordered the arrest.

He added that the arrest was illegal because the arrest warrant “comes from a spurious source, the I.C.C., which has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.”

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But the Philippines is still a member of Interpol, which can seek the arrest of Mr. Duterte on behalf of the I.C.C. A representative of the international organization was present when Mr. Duterte was arrested.

This is a developing story.

Marlise Simons contributed reporting from Paris.

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Rubio says mineral deal ‘not main topic on agenda’ in Ukraine meeting

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Rubio says mineral deal ‘not main topic on agenda’ in Ukraine meeting

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the mineral deal, sought by President Donald Trump, is “not the main topic on the agenda” for the meeting set with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. 

“I wouldn’t prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal,” he told reporters on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. “It’s an important topic, but it’s not the main topic on the agenda.

“The minerals deal is on the table that’s continuing to be worked on – it’s not part of this conversation, per se,” he said, noting that Tuesday’s meeting in Jeddah can be considered successful even without securing such an agreement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 10, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: ONLY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA IS WITH A ‘GUN ON THE TABLE’

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“It’s certainly a deal the president wants to see done, but it doesn’t necessarily have to happen tomorrow,” Rubio added. 

The Ukrainian delegation is set to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year. 

Rubio will meet with the delegation in the city of Jeddah around noon local time on Tuesday.

“The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they’ve said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible,” Rubio said, adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war. 

Ukraine's National Police said seven people are dead and five wounded in a mortar strike east of Kyiv, in Makariv. (National Police of Ukraine)

Ukraine’s National Police said seven people are dead and five wounded in a mortar strike east of Kyiv, in Makariv. (National Police of Ukraine)

“Both sides need to come to an understanding,” he said. “The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine, in any reasonable time period, to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014. So the only solution to this war is diplomacy and getting them to a table where that’s possible.

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 “Then we’ll have to determine how far they are from the Russian position, which we don’t know yet either. And then once you understand where both sides truly are, it gives you a sense of how big the divide is and how hard it’s going to be,” Rubio explained. “I’m hoping it’ll be a positive interaction along those lines.”

Rubio lands in Saudi Arabia

Secretary of State Marco Rubio greets well-wishers upon arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on March 10, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

EU CHIEF DIPLOMAT WARNS TRUMP PUTIN ‘DOESN’T WANT PEACE’

Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East who has increasingly been involved with the talks regarding Ukraine and Russia, told Fox News’ Dana Perino on “America’s Newsroom” Monday morning, that the Trump administration has “gone a long way” to “narrow the differences” when dealing with Moscow and to get it to the negotiating table – though he did not go into detail. 

Witkoff suggested relations with Ukraine began to once again improve after Zelenskyy sent Trump a letter in which he apologized for the Oval Office exchange that went sour late last month after he refused to sign a mineral deal and angered the Trump administration – resulting in a series of explosive outbursts on live TV. 

While a mineral deal is unlikely to be achieved this week, according to Rubio, he said he hopes that with a successful meeting in Jeddah, he can secure the resumption of aid to Ukraine, though he did not detail if this would include the defensive aid the Trump administration halted, despite Russia’s continued bombardment against Ukrainian targets, or the intelligence sharing which the U.S. also stopped following the Oval Office showdown. 

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“The pause in aid broadly is something I hope we can resolve,” Rubio said. “I think what happens tomorrow will be key to that.”

Trump Zelensky

Trump and Zelensky were involved in an Oval Office shouting match. (Fox News )

Rubio also said that Russia will see its own consequences if it doesn’t agree to negotiate on ending the war in Ukraine, including additional sanctions. 

“It should be clear to everyone that the United States has tools available to also impose costs on the Russian side of this equation,” Rubio said. “But we hope it doesn’t come to that. 

“What we’re hoping is that both sides realize that this is not a conflict that can end by military means,” he added. 

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On Friday, in a posting on the Truth Social platform, Trump threatened Russia with “large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions and Tariffs,” until a ceasefire and peace settlement are reached.  

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French President Macron meets Moldovan counterpart Sandu for talks

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French President Macron meets Moldovan counterpart Sandu for talks

Sandu warmly thanked the French President, adding Moldova was open for business, which will not just profit France but all EU member states.

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French President Emmanuel Macron met his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday evening. 

Macron reiterated French support for Moldova in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as well as their accession bid to the European Union. 

Sandu told reporters that: “Russia breaks every promise. It pledged to withdraw its illegal troops from our territory by 2002. Never did. It cut off gas, violating its own supply contract.” 

“It imposes embargoes on Moldovan produce, ignoring trade agreements. It interfered in our elections, flouting basic bilateral principles. These aren’t isolated acts.” 

 She concluded by saying Moldova hopes to achieve EU membership by the end of the decade. ”EU accession is not just the destination. It is the path to a stronger country.” 

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Her arrival in Paris comes ahead of a Tuesday vote on a new €1.9 billion Reform and Growth Instrument for Moldova, to accelerate the country’s socio-economic reforms, strengthen its resilience and promote its integration into the EU through grants and low-interest loans.  

The European Parliament also said it will open an office in Moldova to further strengthen Parliament’s engagement in the Eastern Partnership region. 

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