Author: Editor

AT least four people died and nine were wounded in a high school shooting in the US state of Georgia on Wednesday, law enforcement authorities said, with a suspect taken into custody. After the latest chapter of America’s gun violence crisis — nearly 400 mass shootings this year alone, by one tally — people gathered at a sports field outside Apalachee High School, some forming a circle with their arms linked. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said four people had been killed. There was no immediate word on a motive. “An additional nine taken to various hospitals with injuries. Suspect…

THE 21-year-old daughter of South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma is marrying the Eswatini king for love, a spokesman for Africa’s last remaining absolute monarchy has told the BBC. Nomcebo Zuma’s engagement to King Mswati III was made official earlier this week at the end of the eight-day reed dance ceremony – a traditional rite of passage for young women and girls held every year. The 56-year-old monarch is currently in a polygamous arrangement with 11 wives – and has been married 15 times in total. Eswatini spokesman Alpheous Nxumalo dismissed outright the suggestion that the marriage would be a…

THE man who had been chief engineer at South Africa’s state-owned passenger rail company has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for faking his qualifications. Once hailed for his successful career, Daniel Mthimkhulu was head of engineering at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) for five years – earning an annual salary of about 2.8m rand ($156,000; £119,000). On his CV, the 49-year-old claimed to have had several mechanical engineering qualifications, including a degree from South Africa’s respected Witwatersrand University as well as a doctorate from a German university. However, the court in Johannesburg heard that he…

THE United States Justice Department has announced criminal charges against top leaders of Hamas over their roles in the October 7 attacks in southern Israel in what some see as a largely symbolic move against the Palestinian organisation. Six defendants, three of whom are deceased, were named in the complaint unsealed on Tuesday. The deceased defendants are former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in July in Tehran; Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an Israel air strike on Gaza in July; and Marwan Issa, whom Israel said it killed in an attack in March. The living defendants…

THE United States Justice Department has filed charges against a former top aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, accusing the aide of pursuing unlawful “political activities” on behalf of the Chinese government. The aide in question, 41-year-old Linda Sun, was appointed as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff in 2021 and previously worked under Hochul’s predecessor, Governor Andrew Cuomo. But in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors accused Sun and her husband Christopher Hu, 40, of using her position to benefit the Chinese government and profit from the exchange. “Linda Sun, a former New York State government employee, acted…

NEARLY 60 percent of young Africans want to leave their countries because their governments are not reining in corruption, according to a new poll of youth across 16 African nations. They cited corruption as the biggest obstacle to progress, according to the 2024 African Youth Survey published on Tuesday. The poll commissioned by the Johannesburg-based Ichikowitz Family Foundation surveyed 5,604 people between the ages of 18 and 24 in Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Eighty-three percent of them said they are concerned…

UGANDAN athlete Rebecca Cheptegei is in a critical condition in a Kenyan hospital, after allegedly being doused with petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend. The 33-year-old marathon runner, who competed at the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns, the doctor treating her said. She was attacked at her home in western Kenya, where she had been training. There are concerns about the increasing cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya, some of which have resulted in death. Ms Cheptegei is said to have been rescued by neighbours after the incident that happened on Sunday at…

A ONE-YEAR loan deal has been sealed between Napoli and Turkish club Galatasaray for Victor Osimhen. The Super Eagles of Nigeria forward is already on his way to Turkey for presentation to Galatasaray fans. According to a post by Fabrizio Romano on his X handle on Monday night, Napoli’s release clause has been reduced from €130m to €75m. The deal also leaves Napoli with an option to extend the player’s contract until 2027. The loan move to Galatasaray until June 2025 covers Osimhen €9/10m salary. The move to Turkey ends the transfer saga involving the Nigerian striker, Chelsea and Saudi…

IN what is still a rare public criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu, United States President Joe Biden has said that the Israeli prime minister is not doing enough to finalise a Gaza ceasefire deal. Biden told reporters outside the White House on Monday that the US is “very close” to presenting a final proposal that would lead to the release of Israeli captives in Gaza. Asked why he thinks this push would succeed when other attempts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza have failed, Biden said: “Hope springs eternal.” The US president then answered with a simple “no” when a…

THE United Kingdom says it will suspend 30 out of 350 arms exports licences to Israel, citing a “clear risk” they could be used in serious breaches of international humanitarian law. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament on Monday that the partial ban covers items “which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza” against Hamas but did not include parts for F-35 fighter jets. He said the decision to suspend the licences did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, adding that the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international…

AUTHORITIES in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have said at least 129 people were killed while trying to escape from the central Makala prison in the capital Kinshasa. In a statement posted on X early on Tuesday, Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo said prisoners attempted the break out on Monday amid a fire that hit the building’s administrative buildings including the infirmary. “The provisional toll is 129 dead, including 24 by gunfire, after warning,” Lukoo said in a statement posted on X, adding that some 59 people were injured. He said there was “significant material damage.” Lukoo said he…

TUNISIA’s electoral commission has approved just three candidates to run in next month’s presidential election ignoring a court ruling to reinstate three others. Among those approved are President Kais Saied and Ayachi Zammel, whose campaign team had earlier said had been arrested on Monday. The president faces accusations of trying to restrict the number of those allowed to run against him. Since he won his first term in 2019 Mr Saied has suspended parliament and concentrated power in his hands. Last week, the country’s highest court said three candidates who had been barred from running by the electoral commission should…

MANCHESTER United manager Erik ten Hag says he is “not Harry Potter”, and is adamant his side have a great chance to lift a trophy this season despite their chastening 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool. The visitors already had a goal ruled out before Luis Diaz struck twice in seven first-half minutes at Old Trafford. Mohamed Salah added a third nine minutes after the restart and United were fortunate to escape without a repeat of their 5-0 humiliation in the same fixture in 2021. It was a bad day for Ten Hag given his starting line-up included six of his…

TENS of thousands of Israelis have hit the streets demanding a ceasefire deal and Israel’s main labour union has called for a strike after six more captives were found dead in Gaza. Scuffles between the protesters and security forces were reported on Sunday night in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in Israel since the Gaza war began nearly 11 months ago. The protesters chanted “Now! Now!” and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire with Palestinian group Hamas to bring the remaining captives home. Many Israelis blocked roads in Tel Aviv and demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s office…

A BELUGA whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, after his strange harness prompted suspicions he was a Russian super spy, has been found dead in the southwest of Norway. The whale’s carcass was discovered floating off Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday by a father and son who were out fishing, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported. “Hvaldimir was not just a beluga whale; he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep bond between humans and the natural world,” Marine Mind, a nonprofit organisation that had been tracking his movements, said on social media. Hvaldimir,…

NONE of the African countries affected by the outbreak of a new variant of mpox have received any of the promised vaccine, pushing back a rollout that had been planned for last week. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been at the centre of an outbreak of the new clade 1b variant, with 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths this year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The variant has also been found in Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Sweden and Thailand. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that the first doses should arrive in the…

CHINA will urge a summit of 50 African nations in Beijing this week to take more of its goods, before Western curbs kick in on its exports such as electric vehicles and solar panels, in exchange for more pledges of loans and investment. But the dozens of African leaders arriving in the Chinese capital for the three-yearly event may not be easy bait. They will want to hear how China plans to meet an unfulfilled pledge from the previous summit in 2021 to buy $300 billion of goods. They will also seek assurances on the progress of incomplete Chinese-funded infrastructure…

BUNDESLIGA champions Bayer Leverkusen suffered their first Bundesliga defeat since May 2023 as a 3-2 loss at home to RB Leipzig on Saturday snapped their 35-match unbeaten run in the top flight. In a volatile match which saw visiting coach Marco Rose sent to the stands in the first half, Leverkusen jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo. But Kevin Kampl scored for Leipzig against the run of play just before half-time and Lois Openda levelled things up early in the second period. Openda scored again with 10 minutes remaining to secure…

ISRAEL’s military is conducting raids in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, blocking access to aid for Palestinians in the besieged refugee camp on the fourth day of its assault. Dozens of Israeli soldiers were stationed on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp, with Israeli military jeeps and armoured personnel carriers moving into the area. Israel’s army on Saturday announced the first death of a soldier since its ongoing raid began four days ago. An army statement said 20-year-old Elkana Navon “fell during operational activity” on Saturday and that another soldier was “severely injured” in the same incident, without…

TELECOMMUNICATIONS regulators in Brazil have begun the process of blocking X after the Supreme Court ordered the suspension of the social media platform for failing to meet a deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday ordered the “immediate, complete and total suspension of X’s operations” in the country “until all court orders … are complied with, fines are duly paid, and a new legal representative for the company is appointed”. Three of the country’s top telecommunications carriers said they would begin blocking access from midnight (03:00 GMT on Saturday), according…