Sierra Leone’s Vice President Enters Self-Quarantine After Security Personnel Died Of Ebola

The Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Samuel Sam-Suman has voluntarily placed himself under a 3-week quarantine after one of his security personnel died from the Ebola Virus, according to the Associated Press.

It is reported that Sierra Leone recorded 18 new cases of Ebola last week, up from 16 the week before.

OMG! Kenya school children tear-gased for protesting against a developer who 'grabbed' their playground

Pupils of Langata primary school in Kenya were this morning tear-gassed by Kenya Police following their protest against a certain land developer who they say 'stole' part of their school's land which is their playground. The land developer wants to turn it into private property.

According to reports from Kenya, the school authority had written to the government asking for help to stop their land from being taken over by the developer but their letters were not attended to. Seeing that their teachers were helpless, the school children decided to hold a protest in front of their school this morning.

 

They however got more than they bargained for as the police tear gassed them, which caused a stampede. Five of the children have been rushed to the hospital at the moment. More pics below

Mozambique Suffers Ten Harsh Days Of Unending Flooding, 71 Killed

A 10-day-old flood that has been raging in Mozambique is said to have killed a total of 71 people, according to authorities from the Mozambique National Disaster Management Institute.

Rita Almeida, from the Mozambique National Disaster Management Institute, disclosed the details of the flood today in Maputo, Mozambique.

She states that the floods sparked by heavy rains have affected the North and Central area of the Southern African country.

“Forty-nine of the victims died in the central Zambezia province, where the river Licungo burst its banks” Rita Almeida said.

Report says no fewer than 30,000 people have been rescued and placed in 34 accommodation centers.

CNN Military Analyst Releases Bombshell 'Black West Africa & BokoHaram are Not a Priority to the West'

Goodnews! Ebola Outbreaks in West Africa Slowing Down – UN

An outbreak of Ebola that has claimed over 8,400 lives in West Africa appeared to be slowing down, the UN special envoy on Ebola said on Friday.

“The change in behaviour that we’ve been hoping for, working for, anticipating, is now happening everywhere.
“The facilities to treat people are available everywhere.
“Safe burial teams are providing safe and dignified burial services everywhere and the result is that we’re seeing the beginning of the outbreak slowing down,’’ David Nabarro told newsmen.

Nabarro declined to predict when the outbreak of the virus could be definitively over.

The hemorrhagic fever is spread through contact with bodily fluids of infected people or the highly contagious body of someone who has died of the virus.

Albinos Killed in Tanzania for Money & Power Rituals

Tanzania has banned soothsayers in order to protect albinos, dozens of who have been killed in recent years for their body parts which are used in power and wealth rituals, media reported on Wednesday.

Home Affairs Minister, Mathias Chikawe announced the creation of a task force comprising representatives of the government and the Tanzania Albino Society (TAS) to investigate the killings.

About 70 albinos, people born without pigmentation have been killed in the east African country over the past six years.

The report says their body parts, ranging from hearts to genitals, are regarded as powerful magical ingredients. However, it said that 10 people have been convicted of murder.

“The new task force will review court cases involving albino killings to make sure culprits did not get away too lightly.

Dozens Killed As Floods Hit Malawi

At least 48 people have been killed and around 23,000 forced from their homes by heavy flooding in Malawi yesterday. 

President Peter Mutharika has declared a third of the country a disaster zone and urgently appealed for foreign aid.

Reports from neighbouring Mozambique said a group of 25 school children were swept away by floodwater on Monday after heavy regional rain began last month. Sadly, forecasters say they expect it to continue over the coming days.                                 

Mr Mutharika, the President has announced his government alone does not have the capacity to control the flood.

Photo Of The Day: Poverty Is A Disease

An African Boy Sucking Milk Directly From A Cow’s Breast

Lebanon imposes visas on Syrians refugees

Overwhelmed by a massive influx of desperate refugees, Lebanon began imposing unprecedented visa restrictions on Syrians on Monday, including those fleeing their country’s civil war, AFP reports.

“Today we began implementing the new entry measures and Syrians at the borders have begun presenting their documents to enter,” a source at Lebanon’s general security agency said.

The visa restrictions are the first in the history of the two countries and come as Lebanon struggles to deal with more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees.

The influx has tested the country’s limited resources, as well as the patience of its citizens, particularly as security has deteriorated.

Egyptian police man killed by bomb he's trying to defuse

The right pic was taken a few seconds after a brave Egyptian police officer was killed while trying to defuse a bomb left outside a petrol station on a busy road in Cairo, Egypt yesterday. The officer, dressed in protective gear (left) was filmed on mobile phone as he approached the bomb and filmed also as the bomb exploded in his hands a few minutes later (right).

Passersby rushed to his side after the explosion but he was already gone. A terror group named Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) later claimed on Twitter that they were responsible for the attack and had been targeting police officers at a nearby station. These photos were shared on Twitter.

Two Rhino Poachers Shot Dead in South Africa’s Kruger Park

Two suspected Rhino poachers were shot dead on Monday after they opened fire on rangers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a park spokesman said.

Kruger spokesman, William Mabasa said on Monday that poachers had killed a record number of rhinos in 2014 for their horns, which were coveted as an ingredient in traditional medicine in Vietnam and China.

“The rangers were on patrol when they came across a trio of armed men who started shooting,’’ Mabasa said.

However, two of the men were killed while a third escaped.

Number Of Reported Ebola Death In West Africa Rises To 7,905 - WHO

Ebola health care workers carry the body of a man suspected of dying from the Ebola virus in a small village Gbah on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/ Abbas Dulleh)

The World Health Organization says the number of reported Ebola deaths in West Africa has risen to 7,905.

The WHO says altogether some 20,206 cases of Ebola virus disease have been reported since the outbreak in December 2013.

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have been the hardest-hit countries in the epidemic.

An update released late Wednesday by the WHO says that new cases in Liberia have mostly declined in the past six weeks.

Sierra Leone President summons prayer over Ebola

Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma asked the country to begin a week of fasting and prayers on Thursday to end the Ebola virus that has killed more than 2,700 of his countrymen, Voice of America reports.

The worst outbreak on record of the virus is still spreading in West Africa, especially in Sierra Leone, and the number of known cases globally has exceeded 20,000, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

In a New Year’s Day broadcast, Koroma said the seven days of prayers and fasting would begin immediately. “Today I ask all to commit our actions to the grace, mercy and protection of God Almighty,” he said.

The death toll from the outbreak, which has been mostly confined to West Africa, has risen to 7,905, the WHO said, following 317 fatalities recorded since it last issued figures on December 24.

Canadian Ebola volunteers to West Africa doubles since call to action

In this Oct. 16, 2014, file photo, a healthcare worker dons protective gear before entering an Ebola treatment center in Freetown, Sierra Leone. CP

CBC

The number of Canadians who have volunteered to take part in the government's efforts to stop the deadly spread of Ebola in West Africa has doubled since Health Minister Rona Ambrose put out a call to action last month.

Ambrose called on health-care workers to join the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea during a press conference on Nov. 27.

​​Nick Ayre, a recruitment officer with the Red Cross’s Ebola response team, said 670 Canadians have applied to help contain the deadly virus in West Africa — 350 since the government's call for more volunteers. Of the 350 who have applied, 100 of those are government workers.​

In an interview with CBC News, Ayre did not sugarcoat the risks and challenges faced by volunteers on this mission.

Watch Hunger Games Cast Campaign For Ebola Funding In West Africa

Egypt And Morocco Ban 'Exodus: Gods And Kings'

Eric Kelsey REUTERS
Egypt has banned Hollywood's big screen biblical epic "Exodus: Gods and Kings," a 20th Century Fox spokesman said on Friday.

The studio owned by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc declined to give a reason for the ban, but films that depict biblical figures have been prohibited before in the Muslim country.

Paramount Pictures' Bible tale "Noah" was banned in several countries in the Middle East this year for its depiction of a prophet, which is forbidden in Islam.

British and Canadian troops join Ebola fight in Sierra Leone

A local resident awaits the landing of a British Navy helicopter as it drops food aid on Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014. AP

The Associated Press
Reservists and troops from Britain and Canada have left for Sierra Leone to help in the battle to contain the Ebola virus outbreak.

British officials said Saturday that 16 reservists and 100 regular military personnel left on a morning flight from the Brize Norton military airbase.

Officials say Canadian military personnel are on the same flight.

Sierra Leone braces for more Ebola health crisis

A few people seen during a three-day lockdown to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in September, 2014

Sierra Leone, caught in the grip of the Ebola crisis, is bracing itself for a sharp increase in cases of the killer disease over the Christmas period, Sky News reports.

The Government is so worried about the situation it has outlawed any seasonal public celebrations and soldiers are being put on the streets to make sure no one disobeys the directive.

The outbreak of the virus, which began a year ago in neighbouring Guinea and quickly spread to Liberia, is now dominating the lives of everyone in Sierra Leone.

The western part of the country, including the capital Freetown where around a third of the population of more than six million lives, is bearing the brunt of the current upturn in cases.

Authorities have instigated what they call the “Western Surge” to redouble efforts to try to keep the virus at bay.

Prince Harry Tries His Hand at Cooking, Baking & More during a Charity Visit to South Africa

Prince Harry visited Lesotho, South Africa, recently for his Sentebale charity projects and his trip was documented.

Travelling with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with whom he co-founded the charity in 2006, the prince visited a number of Sentebale’s community partners, among them the Thuso Centre for children with disabilities, where he took part in a cooking lesson.

There were several lovely moments documented during his visit like Prince Harry playing with a three-year-old orphan girl Karabo, learning sign language, his attempts at baking and cooking as well as moments when he had kids in smiles.

South Africa wins Miss World 2014 pageant

Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss has won the Miss World 2014 pageant. Miss Hungary and Miss US were 2nd and third runners up respectively.