Xenophobia: S/Africa apologises to Nigeria

By Muideen Olaniyi

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has apologised to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African citizens.

Ramaphosa’s apologies were conveyed to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, yesterday by his Special Envoy to Nigeria, Mr Jett Radebe.

Why Saudi Arabia and Iran are bitter rivals

By Jonathan Marcus

Saudi Arabia and Iran are at loggerheads. They have long been rivals, but it’s all recently got a lot more tense. Here’s why.

How come Saudi Arabia and Iran don’t get along?
Saudi Arabia and Iran - two powerful neighbours - are locked in a fierce struggle for regional dominance.

The decades-old feud between them is exacerbated by religious differences. They each follow one of the two main branches of Islam - Iran is largely Shia Muslim, while Saudi Arabia sees itself as the leading Sunni Muslim power.

37 years of Robert Mugabe

There are 1001 things I could say about Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the man who outlasted nearly every friend and foe in his long and eventful career as a freedom fighter, African nationalist, bush warrior, politician and African statesman.

By the time he was forced out in November 2017 after 37 years in power, Mugabe had outlasted three of his vice presidents. Vice President John Nkomo, who died in 2013, was Mugabe’s third vice president in 13 years. He succeeded Joseph Msika who died in 2009. Msika succeeded great old man Joshua Nkomo, who died in 1999. Mugabe’s last vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is now Zimbabwe’s president after a failed attempt to replace him with Grace Mugabe.

Nigeria: Thirty kidnapped victims after their release by bandits

Suspected bandits Saturday evening attacked Katsira Tsauna village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, killing three young men.

Three women were also said to have sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving treatment in a hospital.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo pays tribute to Mugabe

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has paid tribute to the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Osinbajo spoke with Zimbabwean journalists who approached him on arrival at the Harare International Airport on Friday night to attend the funeral of the late African leader.

Buhari to W/African leaders: It’s time to stamp out terrorism

  From left: President of Senegal, Macky Sall; President Muhammadu Buhari; President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo; and President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, during the Extra Ordinary ECOWAS Summit on Counter Terrorism in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso yesterday Photo: State House

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the West African leaders to stamp out terrorism in the sub-region at this point in time. 

President Buhari gave the charge in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in his speech at the Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Counter-Terrorism.

Xenophobia: Ramaphosa apologises at Mugabe funeral

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was jeered and whistled at on Saturday during his speech at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe’s funeral before he apologised for recent xenophobic attacks.

At least 12 people have been killed this month in a surge in violence and mob attacks against foreign-owned businesses in and around Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city.

Final farewell of Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe’s former First Lady Grace Mugabe says a final farewell at the casket of her husband, former President Robert Mugabe, at the national sports stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe yesterday 
Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Robert Mugabe granted national hero status and official mourning

Three days of national mourning have begun in Zimbabwe following the death of former president Robert Mugabe.

Mr Mugabe, Zimbabwe's first post-independence leader, ruled until he was ousted by a military coup in 2017.

Former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe dies aged 95

Guerrilla leader led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980 and ruled with an iron fist
Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe, a deeply polarising figure for most of his controversial life, died in a Singapore hospital on Friday, aged 95.

Mr Mugabe, who was removed from power by the ruling Zanu-PF party in November 2017 following a military coup, had been receiving medical care at a private hospital since April.

US scraps young immigrants scheme

An Obama-era scheme to protect young undocumented immigrants is being scrapped, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced.

No first-time applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme will be acted on after Tuesday, the government confirmed.

However, existing recipients will not be affected for at least six months.

Man carrying seven GAS TANKS on scooter caught playing on phone

Man carrying seven GAS TANKS on scooter caught playing on phone

A man was on Sunday caught on camera carrying seven gas tanks and playing with his phone while riding a motorbike in Nanjing, capital of eastern China’s Jiangsu province, reports the People’s Daily Online.

In the footage, the man can be seen preoccupied with his phone and is unaware of the traffic around him. At one point he even moved into another lane without realising it. A man can be heard warning him that his actions are dangerous. Another passersby also warned him but the man didn’t pay any attention.

When asked whether he cared about his own safety, the man fired back and said he has to make a living.

Photos: CEN

Queen of Denmark set for two-day visit to Ghana in November

The Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, will pay a state visit to Ghana from Thursday, November 23 to Friday, November 24.

According to a statement from the Danish Embassy, the visit follows an invitation from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the country’s Head of State.

The statement added that “the state visit will emphasize and consolidate the long-standing and well-established relationship between Ghana and Denmark, while at the same time marking the gradual transition from aid to trade.”

North Korea nuclear crisis: Kim Jong-un ‘begging for war’

North Korea nuclear crisis: Kim Jong-un ‘begging for war’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is “begging for war” with his latest and most powerful nuclear bomb test, the US envoy to the United Nations has said.

Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York that America did not want a war but its patience was “not unlimited”.

The US will table a new UN resolution shortly to toughen sanctions.

Car ploughs into living room of house, burst into flames: Man on sofa injured

A man who was relaxing on his sofa at home was left seriously injured - after a car crashed into his living room and burst into flames. 

A powerful white Volkswagen Golf R ploughed through the lounge wall of the Morehall Close semi-detached property in York, during the early hours of Sunday - while the man was watching TV. 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Demonstrators dressed as Ronald McDonald take part in a protest over working conditions and the use of zero-hour contracts at British outlets of the US burger chain London, UK.

Lawyers hail Kenya Supreme Court’s speedy disposal of election petition

Lawyers have expressed satisfaction with the verdict of the Kenyan Supreme Court nullifying the August 8 presidential election which returned President Uhuru Kenyatta, describing it as a victory for democracy and rule of law in Africa

The lawyers also hailed the expeditious conclusion of the case as a lesson for Nigeria and other African countries.

Constitutional lawyer, Sebastine Hon (SAN) described the nullification of the August election in Kenya which returned President Uhuru Kenyatta as a victory for democracy and rule of law in Africa.

Woman, 23, has been unable to urinate for 3 YEARS

Woman, 23, has been unable to urinate for 3 YEARS 

... After being struck down by a rare condition

A 23-year-old woman has been unable to urinate for three years after being struck down by a bizarre condition.

Vikki Black, from Barrow-in-Furness, suffers from Fowler’s syndrome, also known as urine retention. It leaves her bladder muscles unable to relax.

While most people take popping to the toilets for granted, she constantly thinks about it – because she simply cannot.

Meet the man who sews with his toes

Meet the man who sews with his toes

An inspirational man has defied the odds by becoming a professional tailor - despite having no arms.

Madan Lal, 45, from Haryana in India was born without arms but learnt to adapt to the demands of everyday life by using his feet.Now he uses his talented toes to stitch beautiful garments from a shop in his village.

He said: ‘Whatever I have to do in my life, it’s just with my feet. All the stitching work I do with my feet. From cutting the cloth to measurement, I have to use my feet.’

Paralysed mother finds love with trainer who helped her walk again

A paralysed mother who claims she was dumped by her husband while still on her hospital bed five days after suffering a stroke has found love with the personal trainer who helped her walk again.

Riona Kelly, 37, was left paralysed from her waist down following a spinal stroke and was told she would never regain the use of her legs.