AID workers tried to rescue victims clinging to trees and crammed on rooftops against rapidly rising waters after a cyclone unleashed devastating floods in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

More than 238 people are confirmed dead, with thousands more at risk as heavy rain is expected to continue until tomorrow.

“This is the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique’s recent history,” said Jamie LeSueur, head of response efforts in Beira for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

At least 400,000 people have been left homeless.

President Filipe Nyusi said the death toll from Cyclone Idai could reach 1000.

MEANWHILE, The president of the Japanese Olympic Committee is stepping down amid a vote-buying scandal that French investigators suspect helped Tokyo land next year’s Olympics.

Tsunekazu Takeda (announced that he will resign when his term ends in June, but he again denied corruption allegations against him.

The scandal, which authorities have been investigating for several years, has cast a long shadow over the Tokyo Olympics and underlines flawed efforts by the IOC to clean up its bidding process.

“I have not done anything wrong,” he said. “I will continue to do my best to clear my name.”

He said his decision was based on getting “a younger generation” to lead the Japanese Olympic body.

ELSEWHERE, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the only leader that independent Kazakhstan has ever known, abruptly announced his resignation after three decades in power.

The 78-year-old said he had taken the “difficult” decision to terminate his authority as president.

He did not give a reason, but noted that he would have marked 30 years in the job later this year.

He said he sees his mission as ensuring the transfer of power to a new generation of politicians.

His resignation will set the stage for a potential battle between Russia and the US for influence with the successor government.

AND finally, Egypt’s senior media regulator has put into effect tighter restrictions that allow the state to block websites and even social media accounts with more than 5000 followers if they are deemed a threat to national security.

It is the latest step by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s government to suppress dissent.

The new regulations allow the Supreme Media Regulatory Council to block websites and accounts for “fake news”, and impose stiff penalties of up to 250,000 Egyptian pounds (£11,000), all without having to obtain a court order.