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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 27 augusT 2019
Italian opposition leader 'optimistic' coalition can formed

ROME (AP) — The head of collapsed, but instead of a
Italy's opposition Demo- 5-Star coalition with Salvini's
crats expressed optimism League party, the new co-
Monday a deal can be alition would forge an alli-
struck with the populist ance with the Movement
5-Star Movement to form a and the center-left Demo-
new government of rivals crats.
that would keep right-wing Conte quit last week after
leader Matteo Salvini out of Salvini, riding a wave of
power and possibly bring popularity, yanked support
back the same premier for the nearly 15-month-
who quit barely a week old government in a bid
ago, reflecting the topsy- to trigger new elections
turvy state of the country's the League leader bets will
politics. bring him the premiership.
Late in the evening, Demo- In announcing his resigna-
cratic Party chief Nicola tion, Conte blamed his de-
Zingaretti headed back to mise on the disloyalty of his
Chigi Palace, the premier's right-wing Interior Minister
office, for talks with 5-Star Salvini and blasted the an-
Leader Luigi Di Maio as well ti-migrant League leader's
as with caretaker Premier blatant personal ambitions
Giuseppe Conte, who quit Secretary of the Italian Democratic Party (PD), Nicola Zingaretti, talks to the press outside the in sabotaging the coalition
his post last week after Sal- centre-left party headquarters in Rome, Italy, Monday, Aug. 26 2019. in pursuit of elections.
vini yanked his right-wing Associated Press Just ahead of the late
League's support for the night session, Zingaretti
government. Earlier, Zingaretti told re- discussing ideas and con- Zingaretti has been de- had evaded questions on
The huddle was reported to porters that his previous tent, and tonight we'll go manding that any new whether Conte, a non-
be still underway after mid- meeting with Movement into details, I'm optimistic." government break with the partisan who enjoys 5-Star
night, several hours after leader Luigi Di Maio was The choice of who would past. support might be tapped
Conte returned from the "positive." become premier — pos- But Conte's participation in to forge another coali-
just-ended G-7 summit in "I believe we're on the right sibly Conte again — has the talks signaled he might tion that this time shuts out
France to begin discussions path," Zingaretti said. "We been looming as a major head the government to Salvini and his nationalist
in Rome. had asked that we start off hurdle, especially since replace the one that just League party.q

Thousands in Mozambique rebuild after devastating cyclones

By ANDREW MELDRUM productive," said Amis. "The
VINHO, Mozambique (AP) park will also help us find a
— When Cyclone Idai market for the beans."
roared through central When Cyclone Idai first
Mozambique in March, hit, the park responded
it made some 200,000 by buying food and sup-
people homeless and de- plies at the local market
stroyed about 2 million and delivering it to flooded
acres of crops. families. The park is sup-
"The winds blew, the rains ported by the Gorongosa
poured and the river flood- Restoration Project, a non-
ed," said farmer Fernando profit group supported by
Amis. "It happened very American philanthropist
quickly. Before we knew Greg Carr, that cooperates
it the water was up to our with Mozambique's gov-
necks." ernment. The group spends
Amis, 63, said he had nev- more than half of its annual
er seen such destruction. budget on supporting the
"Our homes were ruined, local community.
our clothes and possessions "We were the first respond-
were swept away," he said. ers and we dropped food
"We were wet and had no In this photo taken Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, a woman plasters her home after Cyclone Idai ruined to people by helicopters,"
food. It was terrible." the home and destroyed possessions on the outskirts of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. said Edson Carneiro, 29, the
Weeks later a second cy- Associated Press park's agriculture manag-
clone hit northern Mozam- er. "We did that for a month
bique, the first time since clysmic storms, Amis is one thatched roofs. After los- National Park which distrib- and distributed 97 tons of
record-keeping began of the scores of thousands ing their entire maize crop, uted immediate food aid, food that we purchased
that two major cyclones hit of Mozambicans busy re- they are growing a crop of blankets and seeds to help ourselves."
the southern African coun- building their homes, fields sugar beans that will pro- those living in the buffer The park then worked with
try in a single year. Togeth- and lives. He and his three vide food for their 12 chil- zones around the park. the U.N.'s World Food Pro-
er the two storms affected wives are constructing dren and will also be sold "We are so grateful. We got gram and distributed more
3 million people, according seven buildings of wood- for cash. seeds from the park and than 500 tons of World Food
to the U.N. en poles that they plaster The Amis family benefited advice about how to plant Program aid between April
Five months after the cata- with mud and cover with from living near Gorongosa our bean crop so it will be and July, he said. q