Massive loss of life in North Africa

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

For those wanting to see something different from the flaps, fury and subterfuge of the New Zealand election campaign, the world news is providing a tragic distraction.

Within a few days, North African countries Morocco and Libya have both suffered massive disasters taking thousands of lives.

In Morocco a huge earthquake struck the historic city of Marrakesh late on their Friday night. Entire villages were flattened in the surrounding Atlas mountains and the death toll has quickly risen to 3000.

Two days later Storm Daniel barrelled into eastern Libya, bursting dams and wiping out as much as a quarter of the coastal city of Derna — bringing another huge death toll that could rise as high as 10,000.

The storm was another blow for a country that has suffered a decade of chaos since the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

On a bright note, Nasa’s James Webb space telescope has discovered tentative signs of life on a faraway planet.

The telescope may have detected a molecule called dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in the atmosphere of a “super-Earth” named K2-18b that is 120 light years away. On Earth, at least, this is only produced by life.

Researchers have also detected methane and carbon dioxide, which could mean the planet has a water ocean. They stress that the detection of DMS is “not robust” and more data is needed to confirm its presence.

In the highly divided United States, the US House of Representatives will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

House leader Kevin McCarthy said the inquiry would focus on “allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption” by Biden.

Republicans have been investigating the President since they took control of the House in January. The hearings have found no concrete evidence of misconduct by Biden but have shed more light on questionable business dealings by the president’s son, Hunter Biden — and on President Biden’s knowledge of his son’s activities.

The White House was quick to condemn the move, calling it “extreme politics at its worst”.

Many commentators see it as revenge for a series of criminal charges laid against former president Donald Trump.

Meanwhile North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un was making his way on his armoured train for a meeting in Russia’s far east with Vladimir Putin.

The train is something of a one-off, being bulletproof and including a restaurant serving fine French wine and with “lady entertainers”. A downside is that due to its weight it travels at just 50kmh — and the journey is 1100 kilometres.