MANGWE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Delicately and with intense concentration, Zanyiwe Ncube poured her small share of precious golden cooking oil into a plastic bottle at a food aid distribution site deep in rural Zimbabwe.

“I don’t want to lose a single drop,” she said.

Her relief at the handout — paid for by the United States government as her southern African country deals with a severe drought — was tempered when aid workers gently broke the news that this would be their last visit.

Ncube and her 7-month-old son she carried on her back were among 2,000 people who received rations of cooking oil, sorghum, peas and other supplies in the Mangwe district in southwestern Zimbabwe. The food distribution is part of a program funded by American aid agency USAID and rolled out by the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

They’re aiming to help some of the 2.7 million people in rural Zimbabwe threatened with hunger because of the drought that has enveloped large parts of southern Africa since late 2023. It has scorched the crops that tens of millions of people grow themselves and rely on to survive, helped by what should be the rainy season.

They can rely on their crops and the weather less and less.

The drought in Zimbabwe, neighboring Zambia and Malawi has reached crisis levels. Zambia and Malawi have declared national disasters. Zimbabwe could be on the brink of doing the same. The drought has reached Botswana and Angola to the west, and Mozambique and Madagascar to the east.

A year ago, much of this region was drenched by deadly tropical storms and floods. It is in the midst of a vicious weather cycle: too much rain, then not enough. It’s a story of the climate extremes that scientists say are becoming more frequent and more damaging, especially for the world’s most vulnerable people.

In Mangwe, the young and the old lined up for food, some with donkey carts to carry home whatever they might get, others with wheelbarrows. Those waiting their turn sat on the dusty ground. Nearby, a goat tried its luck with a nibble on a thorny, scraggly bush.

Ncube, 39, would normally be harvesting her crops now — food for her, her two children and a niece she also looks after. Maybe there would even be a little extra to sell.

The driest February in Zimbabwe in her lifetime, according to the World Food Programme’s seasonal monitor, put an end to that.

“We have nothing in the fields, not a single grain,” she said. “Everything has been burnt (by the drought).”

The United Nations Children’s Fund says there are “overlapping crises” of extreme weather in eastern and southern Africa, with both regions lurching between storms and floods and heat and drought in the past year.

In southern Africa, an estimated 9 million people, half of them children, need help in Malawi. More than 6 million in Zambia, 3 million of them children, are impacted by the drought, UNICEF said. That’s nearly half of Malawi’s population and 30% of Zambia’s.

“Distressingly, extreme weather is expected to be the norm in eastern and southern Africa in the years to come,” said Eva Kadilli, UNICEF’s regional director.

While human-made climate change has spurred more erratic weather globally, there is something else parching southern Africa this year.

El Niño, the naturally occurring climatic phenomenon that warms parts of the Pacific Ocean every two to seven years, has varied effects on the world’s weather. In southern Africa, it means below-average rainfall, sometimes drought, and is being blamed for the current situation.

The impact is more severe for those in Mangwe, where it’s notoriously arid. People grow the cereal grain sorghum and pearl millet, crops that are drought resistant and offer a chance at harvests, but even they failed to withstand the conditions this year.

Francesca Erdelmann, the World Food Programme’s country director for Zimbabwe, said last year’s harvest was bad, but this season is even worse. “This is not a normal circumstance,” she said.

The first few months of the year are traditionally the “lean months” when households run short as they wait for the new harvest. However, there is little hope for replenishment this year.

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Joseph Nleya, a 77-year-old traditional leader in Mangwe, said he doesn’t remember it being this hot, this dry, this desperate. “Dams have no water, riverbeds are dry and boreholes are few. We were relying on wild fruits, but they have also dried up,” he said.

People are illegally crossing into Botswana to search for food and “hunger is turning otherwise hard-working people into criminals,” he added.

Multiple aid agencies warned last year of the impending disaster.

Since then, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has said that 1 million of the 2.2 million hectares of his country’s staple corn crop have been destroyed. Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has appealed for $200 million in humanitarian assistance.

The 2.7 million struggling in rural Zimbabwe is not even the full picture. A nationwide crop assessment is underway and authorities are dreading the results, with the number needing help likely to skyrocket, said the WFP’s Erdelmann.

With this year’s harvest a write-off, millions in Zimbabwe, southern Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar won’t be able to feed themselves well into 2025. USAID’s Famine Early Warning System estimated that 20 million people would require food relief in southern Africa in the first few months of 2024.

Many won’t get that help, as aid agencies also have limited resources amid a global hunger crisis and a cut in humanitarian funding by governments.

As the WFP officials made their last visit to Mangwe, Ncube was already calculating how long the food might last her. She said she hoped it would be long enough to avert her greatest fear: that her youngest child would slip into malnutrition even before his first birthday.

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Fans of YG Entertainment’s rookie girl group BABYMONSTER may celebrate as the group makes a victorious return with their debut mini-album, “BABYMONS7ER,” and its title hit, “SHEESH.”

The comeback, which debuted at midnight KST, represents a watershed moment for the group because it reunites all seven members on stage. Ahyeon, who was unable to participate in the group’s debut and the release of their second single owing to health issues, has finally made her long-awaited return, completing the lineup.

The title single, “SHEESH,” has already received notice due to its infectious sounds and appealing tune. Notably, TREASURE’s Choi Hyun Suk helped the composition process by co-writing both the music and the words. With his cooperation, viewers can expect a merger of skills from two of YG Entertainment’s most promising groups.

The accompanying music video for “SHEESH” promises to fascinate spectators with visually spectacular sceneries and powerful choreography, demonstrating the group’s variety and growth since its debut.

As BABYMONSTER’s latest release approaches, fans are flooding social media with words of excitement and support. The return of Ahyeon, paired with the group’s indisputable talent and creative effort with Choi Hyun Suk, paved the way for a successful comeback.

With “BABYMONS7ER” now available, fans and music lovers alike are urged to listen to BABYMONSTER’s latest release and watch the progress of one of K-pop’s most promising female groups.

For those anxious to experience the enchantment of “SHEESH,” the music video is now available to watch guaranteeing a fantastic visual and audio experience.

Stay tuned for further updates on BABYMONSTER’s journey as they continue to make their imprint on the K-pop world via their talent, passion, and dedication to their craft.

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Diarra Kilpatrick recalls writing for NBC’s Debra Messing procedural “The Mysteries of Laura” when she got feedback from the network over wanting to have Messing’s character, a homicide detective with the NYPD, out on a date.

“The network was like, ‘Do people hate her? There are still criminals at large.’ And I remember thinking, ’What? She has to have something for her,’” Kilpatrick said recently over Zoom.

A date is now at the center of a new comedic mystery series Kilpatrick created, executive produces and stars in for BET+ called “Diarra from Detroit.”

Kilpatrick (“Perry Mason”) plays a school teacher — also named Diarra — who is going through a divorce and has returned to her childhood home. She meets a man on the dating app Tinder and the two spend the night together. When Diarra doesn’t hear from him again, her friends say she’s been ghosted, but her conclusion is that something must be wrong and launches an investigation. This amateur sleuthing leads Diarra into dangerous situations.

Ghosting, says Kilpatrick, “is something that happens to all my girlfriends. They talk about it with such ease. They’re like, ‘I was talking to this guy, and then he ghosted. And so then I was talking to that guy, and then I ghosted.’ It’s such a prolific act. I feel like no one’s really talking about what it’s saying about us as a society, that we just aren’t communicating with each other anymore.”

Kenya Barris, creator of hit shows such as “black-ish” and “grown-ish,” is also an executive producer on the series. Barris is a partner at BET Studios and “Diarra from Detroit” is its first scripted series.

Kilpatrick recalls first meeting Barris at the NAACP Awards in 2017 where he told her he had read one of her scripts.

“That was such a big moment for me because I was like, ‘How on earth would you ever have time to read my script?’” recalled Kilpatrick. “It was years before it turned into anything but was just kind of that Black Hollywood ‘How do you do’ turning into something that’s amazing.”

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Like her TV character, Kilpatrick is from Detroit and her last name is familiar. Kilpatrick’s father is Bernard Kilpatrick and her half-brother is disgraced former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick who was convicted in 2013 on corruption charges. He served more than seven years of a 28 year sentence and was granted clemency by President Trump in 2021. The elder Fitzpatrick, who worked on political campaigns including his son’s mayoral bid and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s 2002 campaign, was also convicted in 2013 of tax fraud and spent 10 months in prison.

Kilpatrick says she’s aware that questions will come up about her family now that she’s in the spotlight.

”I’m prepared for it,” she said. “I do realize that in order to amplify my voice, I have to amplify my face, too. And that’s just going to come with the territory.”

Kilpatrick attributes spending time with her dad growing up that helped her to learn about the different neighborhoods of Detroit and to appreciate its people.

“I say I’m from all of Detroit because on the weekends, it was very common for my dad to be running a campaign or something, and me to be in the campaign office with him or going canvassing, passing out literature in a neighborhood, asking people to vote for this person or that person. So I saw a lot of the city, and I had a really warm point of view on it.”

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A viral video showcasing Purdue basketball standout Zach Edey has gone viral, attracting the attention of millions, including users of the platform X (previously known as Twitter). The video shows Edey entering a room at a college party, accompanied by a female, however the exact timing of the occurrence is unknown.

Video of Zach Edey is going viral on social media pic.twitter.com/BYt85lItnw

— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) April 1, 2024

The video’s rapid popularity coincides with Edey’s outstanding performance on the court, when he scored 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in just 39 minutes versus Tennessee. This outstanding performance powered Purdue to the Final Four, sparking tremendous attention in Edey, both on and off the court.

While the actual date of the video remains unknown, its resurrection in the aftermath of Edey’s athletic achievement has catapulted the Purdue star into the spotlight. As supporters prepare for Purdue’s Final Four matchup against North Carolina State on April 6th at 3 PM PST, they are ready to watch Edey demonstrate his abilities once more.

Edey will face DJ Burns of North Carolina State in the Final Four, who has been a dominant force throughout the tournament, scoring more than 18.6 points per game. With both players set to offer exceptional performances, the matchup promises to be an electrifying spectacle for basketball fans.

Stay tuned for more updates as Zach Edey and Purdue basketball continue to enthrall fans on social media and beyond.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Flo Milli always felt different from her peers growing up, believing she was destined for greatness. For her, the writing was always on the walls — and in the stalls.

“In high school, I used to have a lot of girls that used to hate on me. And as a child, I didn’t really know how to deal with that. So, I would talk to my goddad about it. He would… speak life into me,” said the “Never Lose Me” artist. “Before school started, early in the morning, I would go in the stalls and just write everything that I want to be, like ‘I’m that girl,’ or whatever I’m feeling about myself. And then, I would just say it in my head when I would walk through the halls… the more I said it, the more I like became it.”

The Mobile, Alabama, native now has much of the rap world believing it too. Earlier this month, Flo Milli released “Fine Ho, Stay,” her third — and arguably best — studio album. The rising rap star is steadily breaching her way into the conversation of hip-hop’s top female emcees, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

“The power of the tongue, period; I’ve always been taught that is very powerful,” said the 24-year-old, who was soft-spoken during the interview, juxtaposing her flamboyant music persona. “I would speak things into existence, even as a young kid. Everything I have now, I would just say it. And saying it over and over, writing it down just makes it more real because your mind just has to see it through.”

What she’s manifested presently is a 14-track project boasting production from hip-hop super producers such as Juicy J, Bangladesh and ATL Jacob. The “Fine Ho, Stay” title was chosen from a comment on social media after a post of her two previous album title names, “Ho, why is you here?” and “You Still Here, Ho?,” went viral. She thought the poster’s suggestion was hilarious.

But what isn’t a laughing matter is her music. While the previously released tracks “Fruit Loop” and the funky “BGC” don’t appear on the album, she didn’t leave her fans with a musical deficit. She jump-starts the EP with the swaggy, trap-beat led tracks “Understand,” “New Me” featuring Anycia and “Neva” featuring Monaleo, reminiscent of early 2000s Southern rap with updated sonics, showing her boastful attitude and animated vocal presentation.

But when she’s not threating to “hit that ho with a two-piece,” she stretches herself musically and thematically while showcasing her singing ability. The albums biggest record, the melodic “Never Lose Me,” currently sits at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. Milli recently dropped a remix with superstars SZA and Cardi B, while previously released remixes with Lil Yachty and a separate one with R&B crooner Bryson Tiller, both landed in December.

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While her aggressive, high-energy records serve their purpose, it’s her vulnerability that gives the album its wings, showing a rarely seen softer side in tracks like “Toast,” the sensual “Edible” with Gunna and “Can’t Stay Mad,” where she emotes, “When you love me like that / The best I ever had / You take me out my attitude / I cannot stay mad at you (Mad at you).”

“It’s kind of hard for me to talk about love and all that, but you know, it’s probably like a little tribute to somebody; I can be nice sometimes,” she coyly joked about the song. “I wanted to show that more on this album, just versatility… I came on the scene as a rapper, but I’ve always sung in the church since a kid. So, it’s really not nothing new to me, but (it is) to other people.”

Inspired by artists like Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne, Flo Milli, born Tamia Monique Carter, burst on the scene in 2019, while still a student at Clark Atlanta University, with “Beef (FloMix)” which went viral on TikTok. Her forward-thinking, self-marketing strategy — paying social media influencers to post snippets of her songs — helped her quickly gain exposure and earn a deal with RCA. Since then, she’s created big records like “Conceited” and “In the Party,” which has amassed more than 34 million YouTube views and was featured on Lah Pat’s “Rodeo” remix which peaked at No. 9 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.

While Flo’s priority now is music, she’s not limiting herself to recording studios. She hopes to resume modeling and begin acting. For a young woman who once felt an outsider, she’s become “that girl” she always envisioned, and one that many want to emulate.

“I just feel like I can do anything in the world,” said Flo. “Sometimes, I be in shock. I be like, ’Wait, I gotta own this moment and not try to move on and be like, ‘Ok, I want this, I want that.’ You gotta actually accept and appreciate what you already have and realize that, you know, you used to be praying for this.”

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Beyoncé continues to make waves in the music industry, with her current album, ‘COWBOY CARTER,’ reaching unparalleled levels of success on Spotify. The album, which is the second act after ‘RENAISSANCE,’ has earned Beyoncé the highest streaming album launch of her career on the site, outperforming its predecessor.

On its first day of release, ‘COWBOY CARTER’ received an incredible 76.1 million streams on the global Spotify chart, solidifying its standing as a music industry behemoth. This achievement officially breaks the record for the most first-day streams for any album on Spotify in 2024, demonstrating Beyoncé’s everlasting popularity and impact.

Notably, ‘COWBOY CARTER’ has a remarkable tracklist, with all 24 qualifying songs peaking simultaneously on global Spotify. Among these, prominent tracks are “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” “II MOST WANTED,” and “JOLENE,” which debuted at #5, #7, and #8 on the global Spotify list. The album’s broad selection of tracks showcases Beyoncé’s versatility as an artist and ability to connect with people across genres.

In addition to her solo work, Beyoncé’s collaborations with other musicians have received notice on Spotify. Her collaboration with Miley Cyrus on “II MOST WANTED” landed at number seven on the global Spotify list, demonstrating her ability to command attention and produce chart-topping singles.

Following the release of ‘COWBOY CARTER,’ Beyoncé reached a new milestone by being the #1 most-streamed artist on global Spotify for the first time.

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia could join other states in requiring children younger than 16 to have their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts.

Lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to Senate Bill 351, which also would ban social media use on school devices and internet services, require porn sites to verify users are 18 or over and mandate additional education by schools on social media and internet use. The House passed the measure 120-45 and the Senate approved it 48-7.

The bill, which Republican Sen. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas called “transformative,” now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.

A number of other states including Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Utah passed laws last year requiring parental consent for children to use social media. In Arkansas, a federal judge in August blocked enforcement of a law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.

Some in Congress also are proposing parental consent for minors.

State Rep. Scott Hilton, a Peachtree Corners Republican, argued the state should do more to limit social media use by children, saying it’s causing harm.

“Every rose has a thorn, and that’s social media in this generation,” Hilton said. “It’s great for connectivity and activism, but it has reared its ugly head on mental health.”

But opponents warned the bill would cause problems. For example, Rep. David Wilkerson, a Powder Springs Democrat, said that the ban on use of social media in schools could ban teachers from showing educationally valuable YouTube videos.

“If we do pass this, we’ll be back fixing this next year, because there are too many issues with this bill,” Wilkerson said.

The bill says social media services would have to use “commercially reasonable efforts” to verify someone’s age by July 1, 2025.

Services would have to treat anyone who can’t be verified as a minor. Parents of children younger than 16 would have to consent to their children joining a service. Social medial companies would be limited in how they could customize ads for children younger than 16 and how much information they could collect on those children.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms, but children have been shown to easily evade the bans.

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Up to 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use them “almost constantly,” the Pew Research Center found.

The Georgia bill also aims to shut down porn sites by requiring submission of a digitized identification card or some other government-issued identification. Companies could be held liable if minors were found to access the sites, and could face fines of up to $10,000.

“It will protect our children,” said Rep. Rick Jasperse, a Jasper Republican who argues age verification will lead porn sites to cut off access to Georgians. In March, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Texas law, leading Pornhub to cut off access to Texans.

The Free Speech Coalition, which represents adult film makers, says the bill would be ineffective because users could mask their location and because people would be forced to transmit sensitive information. They also argue it’s unconstitutional because there are less restrictive ways to keep children out and discriminate against certain types of speech. The coalition has sued multiple states over the laws.

The ban on school social media excludes email, news, gaming, online shopping, photograph editing and academic sites. The measure also requires a model program on the effects of social media and for students in grades 6-12, and requires existing anti-bullying programs to be updated.

The move comes after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned in May that social media hasn’t been proven to be safe for young people.

Murthy called on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now” and asked tech companies to share data and increase transparency and for policymakers to regulate social media for safety the way they do car seats and baby formula.

Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instragram, announced in 2022 it was taking steps to verify ages. Meta says it provides “age-appropriate experiences” for teens 13-17 on Instagram, including preventing unwanted contact from unknown adults.

Dozens of U.S. states, including California and New York, also are suing Meta Platforms Inc., claiming the company harms young people and contributes to a youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

Florida recently passed a law banning social media accounts for children under 14 regardless of parental consent and require parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.

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