Mali Mother's 9 Babies Doing Well in Morocco Clinic

A member of staff surveys one of nine babies kept in incubators after they were born to a Malian woman at clinic in the Moroccan city of Casablanca - AFP
A member of staff surveys one of nine babies kept in incubators after they were born to a Malian woman at clinic in the Moroccan city of Casablanca - AFP
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Mali Mother's 9 Babies Doing Well in Morocco Clinic

A member of staff surveys one of nine babies kept in incubators after they were born to a Malian woman at clinic in the Moroccan city of Casablanca - AFP
A member of staff surveys one of nine babies kept in incubators after they were born to a Malian woman at clinic in the Moroccan city of Casablanca - AFP

The nine babies born to a Malian woman on May 4 are doing well but need to remain under observation for up to two more months, the Moroccan clinic where she delivered said Wednesday.

Abdelkoddous Hafsi, spokesman for Ain Borja clinic in the city of Casablanca, said the nonuplets were now breathing without assistance as they had "crossed the stage of respiratory distress".

They are being tube-fed and their weight has "significantly" increased, to between 800 grams and 1.4 kilograms (1.7 and three pounds), he told AFP.

The mother, 25-year-old Halima Cisse from Timbuktu in northern Mali, is staying near her five baby girls and four boys.

They still need "another month and a half or even two months to be able to face life" without the clinic's assistance, said Hafsi.

A medical team of 10 doctors assisted by 25 paramedics was mobilized for the multiple births by caesarian section.

Mali's government flew Cisse from the West African nation to Morocco for better care on March 30. She was initially believed, after ultrasounds, to have been carrying septuplets.

Cases of women successfully carrying septuplets to term are rare -- and nonuplets even rarer.

The verified world record for the most living births is eight, born to an American woman, Nadya Suleman, nicknamed "Octomum", in 2009 when she was 33.



Parts of UK Flooded by Heavy Rain as Wild Weather Continues to Disrupt New Year Events

 A drone view shows abandoned cars after heavy overnight rain caused roads to flood, leaving cars stranded in Manchester, Britain, January 1, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows abandoned cars after heavy overnight rain caused roads to flood, leaving cars stranded in Manchester, Britain, January 1, 2025. (Reuters)
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Parts of UK Flooded by Heavy Rain as Wild Weather Continues to Disrupt New Year Events

 A drone view shows abandoned cars after heavy overnight rain caused roads to flood, leaving cars stranded in Manchester, Britain, January 1, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows abandoned cars after heavy overnight rain caused roads to flood, leaving cars stranded in Manchester, Britain, January 1, 2025. (Reuters)

Parts of the UK were flooded Wednesday as heavy rains and powerful winds continued to disrupt New Year’s celebrations.

Several communities in the Manchester area were flooded, with cars submerged up to their roofs on roads and in parking lots after nearly a month's worth of rain fell in two days.

A major incident was declared and mountain rescue teams were called in to help firefighters respond to properties underwater and stranded vehicles, Greater Manchester Police said.

"There’s still probably likely to be further flooding across the course of the day," Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said. "We are potentially expecting the flood situation to get worse before it gets better."

The deluge and gusts derailed New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations, leading to cancellations in Edinburgh and several other cities. Events planned for New Year's Day, including nippy outdoor swims and a bathtub boat race, were scrapped.

London, which was able to launch its massive fireworks display on the River Thames in front of Big Ben, had to postpone the start of its New Year’s Day parade and grounded inflatable floats due to the blustery conditions.

Flooding warnings, which indicate flooding is expected, were issued in more than 150 communities across the UK, with most being in northern England.

Several trains were canceled because of high water around the tracks and some highways were closed.

The storm brought snow to parts of the Scottish Highlands and a three-day snow warning was issued for most of England and Scotland this weekend.