Madagascar

ANTANANARIVO, Sept 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — True to his reputation as “pope of the poor”, Pope Francis starts a visit on Saturday to Madagascar, one of the world’s most impoverished nations.

Arriving from Mozambique, where he pleaded for understanding and the renunciation of violence in a country riven by 16 years of civil war and now hit by jihadist attacks, the Argentine pontiff’s first port of call on Saturday was to be a mass and prayer vigil with at least 12,000 young scouts.

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Saturday rapid deforestation and reduction in biodiversity in individual countries should not be treated as local issues since they threaten the future of the whole planet.

Francis made his appeal on a visit to Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, which research institutes and aid agencies say has lost about 44% of its forest over the past 60 years, abetted by illegal exports of rosewood and ebony.

AMBALAVAO, Madagascar (AP) — Babies wail as a nurse tries to reassure mothers who have come to vaccinate their children against a measles outbreak that has killed more than 1,200 people in this island nation where many are desperately poor.

Madagascar faces its largest measles outbreak in history, with cases soaring well beyond 115,000, but resistance to vaccinating children is not the driving force behind the rise.

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as Madagascar's president on Saturday at Mahamasina stadium in the Madagascan capital city of Antananarivo.

"From now on, Malagasy people will always be victorious every time in economy, in social sector, in cultural sector...," Rajoelina said in his national address during the inauguration ceremony.

ANTANANARIVO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The handover of power between Madagascar's incumbent President Hery Rajaonarimampianina and incoming President Andry Rajoelina was held Friday in the capital, Antananarivo, in the presence of acting president Rivo Rakotovao.

Before the power transfer, the three held a closed-door meeting for 47 minutes, and then the acting president left the room and let the other two to continue their meeting for 28 minutes.

The two signed the official documents and shook hands.