Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Ebola, zika, SARS: a century after the “Spanish flu” killed 50 million people, humanity now risks a new wave of deadly diseases, and in today’s globalised world another such pandemic may be unavoidable, experts warned at the Davos summit this week. “Pandemics are becoming a …
Read More »Four ‘coup’ suspects fired from E. Guinea regime
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema fired four senior regime officials, including his grandson, in recent weeks on suspicion of collusion with a foiled December “coup”, official sources said Thursday. Ruben Clemente Nguema Engonga, president of the court of Bata city and son of …
Read More »Oldest human fossil outside Africa is dug up in Israel
Miami, United States | AFP | The oldest remains of a modern human outside Africa have been dug up in Israel, offering evidence of what genetic studies have already suggested — that humans migrated out of Africa some 50,000 years earlier than previously thought. Facial fragments, including a jawbone and …
Read More »Rhino poaching dips slightly in S.Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of rhinos killed for their horns by poachers in South Africa dipped in 2017, but more than 1,000 were still slaughtered, the government said on Thursday. South Africa is battling a scourge of rhino poaching fuelled by insatiable demand for their horn …
Read More »Crash between bus and taxi kills 14 in Algeria
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | A collision between a passenger bus and a taxi in Algeria killed 14 people and injured 22 others on Thursday, authorities said. The accident occurred at Sfid on a national highway linking the northwestern areas of Saida and El Bayadh, according to the emergency services. …
Read More »Hundreds protest Morocco trial of journalists
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Hundreds protested on Thursday outside a Moroccan court in support of four journalists being tried for publishing content deemed confidential. The journalists stand accused of publishing in late 2016 excerpts of a parliamentary commission’s debates over huge deficit at the national pension fund. A member …
Read More »Toyota South Africa recalls more than 700,000 cars over airbags
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Toyota South Africa Motors said Thursday it had issued a notice to recall more than 700,000 vehicles over airbag safety concerns, with some affected models dating back over 15 years. The Japanese carmaker said the recall was needed to replace front airbag inflators produced …
Read More »Total set to ramp up Nigerian oil output with new ship
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | A gigantic oil tanker arrived in Nigeria as part of a multi-billion dollar project that should allow one of Africa’s biggest crude producers to pump out an additional 200,000 barrels a day. The floating production storage and offloading vessel is docked in Lagos after spending …
Read More »‘Top player’ Sanchez in Man Utd FA Cup squad
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday hailed new signing Alexis Sanchez as one of the “best attacking players in the world”, confirming he will be in the squad to face Yeovil in the FA Cup. United travel to the fourth-tier club on Friday …
Read More »Mourinho signs contract extension at Man Utd
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Jose Mourinho has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Manchester United until at least 2020, the club said Thursday, ending rumours he is unhappy at Old Trafford. Mourinho became the first United manager in history to win a major trophy in …
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