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South Africa to clear Covid lockdown criminal records
More than 340,000 people were convicted of breaking some of the world's toughest lockdown restrictions. More »
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1181 posts
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Russia urged to renew Ukraine grain deal at Africa summit
Egypt's leader says it is "essential" the deal allowing Kyiv to export produce be revived. More »
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Niger coup: Are military takeovers on the rise in Africa?
A series of coup attempts in recent years has raised fears that military takeovers in Africa are on the rise. More »
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Africa’s week in pictures: 21 – 27 July 2023
A selection of the best photos from the African continent and beyond. More »
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Niger coup makes the troubled Sahel region yet more fragile
One of the few democracies left in the Sahel, Niger now faces military rule just like its neighbours. More »
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Highlights: U.S. Open day one
NEW YORK(Reuters) – Highlights of the first day at the U.S. Open on Monday (times ET- GMT-4). The Grand Slam, the second this year after Wimbledon was cancelled and the French Open was postponed, is being played without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic:... More »
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Algeria approves more measures to ease coronavirus lockdown
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algerian authorities said on Monday they will carry out further measures to ease a coronavirus lockdown from Sept. 1, including lifting a ban on some cultural activities such as reopening museums and libraries. Nurseries would also be reope... More »
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Mammal-like Triassic creature beat polar winters by hibernating
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The tusks of a stoutly built plant-eating mammal relative that inhabited Antarctica 250 million years ago are providing the oldest-known evidence that animals resorted to hibernation-like states to get through lean times such as polar wi... More »
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Payment holiday parachute might COVID-proof government bonds, top fund says
LONDON (Reuters) – The option of a one-time payment holiday during times of intense crisis might enable countries to pandemic-proof their bonds, a prominent debt fund believes. Economic fallout from COVID-19 has triggered a record number of sovereign defaults ... More »
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‘UFO’ in Congo jungle turns out to be internet balloon
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – An unidentified flying object parachuted into dense Congo jungle to the confusion of local authorities, who detained two people for questioning until a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet confirmed the de... More »
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Comedian mocks Zimbabwe’s government, despite fear of reprisal
HARARE (Reuters) – Victor Mpofu is using satire to shine a light on Zimbabwe’s political problems, reaching a growing audience despite living in fear of retribution from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Mpofu, aka Doc Vikela, has seen his followers o... More »
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Nigerian lesbian love film to go online to avoid censorship board
LAGOS (Reuters) – Two young women fill the screen, reclining on a bed, talking about their hope of having children. They are protagonists in a new Nigerian film called “Ife” depicting their love story. The topic is controversial in Nigeria, where same-sex rela... More »
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Chemical signal for locust swarming identified in step toward curbing plagues
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Scientists have identified a chemical compound released by locusts that causes them to swarm, opening the door to possible new ways to prevent these insects from devouring crops vital to human sustenance as they have for millennia. Resea... More »
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Global commercial insurance rates up 19% in second quarter – Marsh
LONDON (Reuters) – Global commercial insurance rates rose 19% in the second quarter, driven higher by claims related to COVID-19 and other large losses, insurance broker Marsh said on Monday. The rate rise was the highest since Marsh began its commercial insur... More »
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Egypt’s annual urban consumer price inflation fell to 4.2% in July – CAPMAS
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s annual urban consumer price inflation fell to 4.2% in July from 5.6% in June, the central statistics agency CAPMAS said on Monday. Month on month inflation increased to 0.4% in July from 0.1% in June mainly on the back of an increase ... More »
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Special Report: COVID opens new doors for China’s gene giant
SYDNEY (Reuters) – As countries scramble to test for the novel coronavirus, a Chinese company has become a go-to name around the world. BGI Group, described in one 2015 study as “Goliath” in the fast-growing field of genomics research, is using an opening crea... More »
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There may never be a ‘silver bullet’ for COVID-19, WHO warns
GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization warned on Monday that, despite strong hopes for a vaccine, there might never be a “silver bullet” for COVID-19, and the road to normality would be long. More than 18.14 million people around the world are report... More »
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Russia to deliver COVID-19 drug to South Africa, Latam countries: wealth fund
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has signed deals to supply South Africa and seven Latin American countries with an anti-viral drug Russian authorities have approved to treat COVID-19, its sovereign wealth fund said on Monday. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF... More »
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Snazzy face mask fashion reaches Nairobi neighbourhood
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Most of us have accepted COVID-19 face masks as an inconvenient, albeit necessary, safety measure. For the style conscious like James Maina Mwangi, however, they are an unmissable fashion opportunity. Mwangi’s brightly coloured suits and ha... More »
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Travel bans cannot be indefinite, countries must fight virus at home – WHO
GENEVA (Reuters) – Bans on international travel cannot stay in place indefinitely, and countries are going to have to do more to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus within their borders, the World Health Organization said on Monday. A surge of infection... More »
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Kenya’s Cheruiyot ready to hunt for glory on the track again
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot, the 1,500 metres world champion, is hoping to return to competitive running next month after a hiatus caused by the coronavirus crisis. Cheruiyot, a three-time Diamond League winner, has targeted the Aug. 14 Monac... More »
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Economic pitfalls risk cooling Egypt’s hot money inflows
CAIRO/LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) – The threat of conflict in Libya, water security worries and a flatlining tourist sector risk upending a nascent rally in Egyptian bonds, bankers and economists say. The North African country has attracted a wave of foreign invest... More »
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Coronavirus fans flames of love in Nigeria’s online dating scene
LAGOS (Reuters) – Oreoluwa Akinnawo is in his element. Lagos’s bars and restaurants are shut and Nigerians are struggling to socialise. The pandemic is his perfect time to find a soul mate online. “The dating thing during this restriction works perfectly for m... More »
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Investors chase risky assets as stimulus measures offset virus worries: BofA
LONDON (Reuters) – Investors pumped money into riskier bonds and equity funds, BofA’s weekly fund flow statistics showed on Friday, as unprecedented stimulus measures helped offset worries about rising COVID-19 case numbers in the United States. The policy sup... More »
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Triple jump champion Taylor supports Games protest option
(Reuters) – Twice Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor has joined calls to allow athletes to protest peacefully during the Games as anti-racism stances are increasingly seen at sports events in the wake of George Floyd’s death in U.S. police custody. ... More »
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Madagascar’s president says two lawmakers have died from COVID-19
ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) – Two lawmakers in Madagascar have died of COVID-19 and at least 25 members of parliament and of the senate have been infected with the virus since the first case was confirmed on the island in March, President Andry Rajoelina said late ... More »
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Head of Somalia’s military unhurt, civilian killed in suicide car bomb on convoy
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – The head of Somalia’s military escaped unhurt and one civilian was killed on Monday when a suicide attacker drove a bomb-laden car into a convoy in the capital Mogadishu, according to a military spokesman and an ambulance service. The al ... More »
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Oil dips on surge in COVID-19 infections
LONDON (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Monday on a record daily rise in global coronavirus cases, with big spikes in infections over the weekend in the United States, while traders await an OPEC meeting expected to recommend an easing of supply cuts. Brent crud... More »
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German study shows low coronavirus infection rate in schools
BERLIN (Reuters) – Very few of 2,000 school children and teachers tested in the German state of Saxony showed antibodies to COVID-19, a study found on Monday, suggesting schools may not play as big a role in spreading the virus as some had feared. Germany bega... More »
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Tunisia seeks late debt payments as crisis hits economy, state budget
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia has asked four countries to delay debt repayments, it said on Monday as it announced more pessimistic economic and budget forecasts for 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is negotiating with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France and I... More »
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UAE wants to see a return of Libya’s oil production with safeguards: minister
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates wants to see a return of Libya’s oil production as soon as possible but with safeguards in place to prevent proceeds from fuelling further conflict in the north African country, a senior Emirati official tweeted on Mo... More »
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UK decision on Huawei not set in stone, British minister says
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s decision to allow China’s Huawei to play a limited role in building its 5G network is not “fixed in stone” and is being reviewed following the imposition of U.S. sanctions, culture minister Oliver Dowden said on Monday. Britain gra... More »
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Scaled-down Czech film festival opens in empty auditorium
PRAGUE (Reuters) – A Czech film festival disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic unveiled a scaled-down programme of movies on Friday with an opening ceremony in an empty auditorium and a star-free red carpet. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, central a... More »
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Angolan app gives performers a lifeline – streaming to paying public
LUANDA (Reuters) – When the Angolan government imposed its coronavirus lockdown in late March, local entrepreneur and innovator Claudio Kiala saw a gap in the market when it came to virtual entertainment. Kiala and his team had been developing a performance pl... More »
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How to rid East Africa of locusts? Serve them in a kebab or drive them to cannibalism
NAIROBI, (Reuters) – Eat them, poison them, and use scent to drive them to cannibalism – as a second wave of locusts threatens to devour East Africa’s crops, scientists in a Nairobi lab are experimenting with novel ways to kill them. Swarms are the worst for t... More »
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Wall Street faces danger signs after best quarter since ’98
(Reuters) – A stock rebound marked by Wall Street’s strongest quarter in more than two decades has slowed in recent weeks, as a resurgence in coronavirus cases threatens to derail the economy’s recovery from a deep downturn. With the S&P 500 up 18% in the quar... More »
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New rules may be needed for payments in wake of Wirecard, BIS boss says
LONDON (Reuters) – More joined up rules may be needed across the payments sector after the collapse of Germany’s Wirecard AG, Bank for International Settlements president Augustin Carstens said. Wirecard’s demise has thrown a spotlight on payments, which is on... More »
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Writing on the wall: Congolese murals counter COVID-19 denial
KINSHASA (Reuters) – In central Kinshasa, freshly painted murals show traditional idols wearing medical masks or applying hand sanitiser, part of an art initiative to counter public disbelief in the face of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping Democratic Republic... More »
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Rainy day hastens sovereign wealth funds’ refocus to home
LONDON (Reuters) – Famed for snapping up glitzy real estate and stakes in troubled international banks during the global financial crisis, sovereign wealth funds are investing more at home, a trend set to accelerate in the wake of the economic carnage wrought ... More »
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Fund giant BlackRock ‘warming up’ to European assets
LONDON (Reuters) – BlackRock’s Investment Institute said on Tuesday it was “warming up” to European assets following what it called the eurozone’s “impressive” efforts to tackle the coronavirus. The research arm of the world’s biggest fund manager said two fac... More »
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Britain reels from latest terrorism-linked stabbing, American among dead
READING, England (Reuters) – The English town of Reading held a minute’s silence on Monday for the victims of a stabbing that killed three people including an American in the latest terrorism-linked attack. Three people were also hospitalised after a man wield... More »
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UK says Reading knife attacker was acting alone
READING, England (Reuters) – The man who went on a stabbing spree in the British town of Reading was acting alone, interior minister Priti Patel said on Monday. “This is a tragic, tragic event,” Patel said. She did not comment on whether the arrested man was L... More »
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Rare ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse on the longest day of the year
CHIAYI, Taiwan (Reuters) – A shimmering ring of light flashed into view on Sunday in parts of the eastern hemisphere as the moon drifted across the face of the sun in a rare eclipse on the longest day of the year. The path of the eclipse spanned East Asia, Sou... More »
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Sudan finds mass grave of conscripts killed during Bashir’s rule
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s public prosecutor on Monday announced the discovery of a mass grave east of Khartoum suspected to contain the remains of students killed in 1998 as they tried escaping military service at a training camp. An investigation had been ... More »
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Gunmen ambush Mali army convoy, soldiers killed: residents
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Gunmen ambushed an army convoy near a town in central Mali on Sunday and killed a number of soldiers, residents from another nearby town said. Several other soldiers and around half of the dozen or so vehicles in the convoy were still missin... More »
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Congolese fashion designer goes virtual as virus hits runway shows
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – U.S.-based Congolese fashion designer Anifa Mvuemba was excited about debuting her fashion line, Hanifa, at this year’s New York Fashion Week. But when her show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mvuemba got creative. The 29-y... More »
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Up to 17 infected, 11 dead in new Ebola outbreak in Congo
KINSHASA (Reuters) – The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded up to 17 Ebola cases in a new outbreak of the deadly virus in the western province of Equateur, and 11 of those infected have died, medical authorities said on Monday. The authorities had repor... More »
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Tear gas fired as crowd seizes Kenya pop star’s body to halt hasty COVID funeral
KISUMU (Reuters) – Hundreds of Kenyans defied tear gas and riot police on Friday to carry off the body of a popular singer, trying to prevent a swift burial under rules for suspected coronavirus cases which the crowd said would be disrespectful. Mourners and f... More »
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South Africa’s Life Healthcare hit by cyber attack
(Reuters) – South Africa’s Life Healthcare said on Tuesday its southern African operation was hit by a cyber attack affecting its admissions systems, business processing systems and email servers, but is yet to determine the extent to which data has been compr... More »
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Pandemic offers scientists unprecedented chance to ‘hear’ oceans as they once were
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Eleven years ago, environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel dreamed aloud in a commencement speech: What if scientists could record the sounds of the ocean in the days before propeller-driven ships and boats spanned the globe? They would liste... More »
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Slow recovery in markets seen as COVID-19 risks persist, cash still king: BofA survey
LONDON (Reuters) – Investors are bearish on stocks, especially riskier assets, and expect a slower economic recovery as the risk of a second wave of infections from the novel coronavirus persists, a BofA fund manager survey showed. World stocks have bounced ba... More »
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U.S. overtakes China as most attractive country for renewables investment: research
LONDON (Reuters) – The United States has overtaken China as the most attractive country in the world for renewables investment and the global clean energy sector is expected to bounce back quickly despite the coronavirus pandemic, research showed on Tuesday. I... More »
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Sport – On this day: Born May 20, 1952: Roger Milla, Cameroonian footballer
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – When the country’s president demanded that a soon-to-turn 38-year-old striker be included in the World Cup squad, it was seen as a new low for African football. The game on the continent had long been dogged by the fatuous interventions o... More »
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ITF plans on new relief fund to support lower-level players
MUMBAI (Reuters) – The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said it is working on additional measures, including a new relief fund, to support lower-ranked professionals who have been left in the lurch due to coronavirus-led lockdowns. The professional te... More »
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Lockdown story time: Roald Dahl with Streep, Cumberbatch and more
LONDON (Reuters) – Stuck at home with the kids? Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cate Blanchett may be able to help. Oscar-winning New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi has lined up some of his Hollywood friends by videolink from their living rooms for a ... More »
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For DJ Black Coffee, COVID-19 signals pause to rethink music business
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – He rose from South Africa’s poorest province to become one of the world’s most successful DJs, entertaining millions in dance clubs all over the globe, but the COVID-19 lockdown has got DJ Black Coffee wondering about the future of the... More »
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Live music lifts spirits in Burkina Faso’s coronavirus curfew
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – On stage in an empty auditorium, backed by starry lights, Patrick Kabre plucks his electric guitar and sings through a microphone to an audience many miles away. Kabre is contributing to COVID-Live, a series of sessions by musicians bro... More »
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Style-conscious Africans turn compulsory masks into fashion accessories
LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigerian fashion designer Sefiya Diejomaoh likes to wear bright, bold clothes to match her personality. She believes a global pandemic should not get in the way of her sense of style. The mask she wears, which has become compulsory attire as ... More »
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Nigerian comics fight COVID-19 with gags and slapstick slaps
LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigerian comedian Maryam Apaokagi has a sure-fire way of getting people to listen to her coronavirus health advice – she delivers it with a hard slap in the face. The 21-year-old has joined a line-up of the nation’s top performers working hea... More »
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Vodacom launches commercial 5G mobile network in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Mobile operator Vodacom Group said on Monday it had switched on Africa’s first live 5G mobile network in three cities in South Africa, with further rollouts planned in other parts of the country. Vodacom was recently assigned temporary... More »
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President queries Tanzania coronavirus kits after goat test
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Coronavirus test kits used in Tanzania were dismissed as faulty by President John Magufuli on Sunday, because he said they had returned positive results on samples taken from a goat and a pawpaw. Magufuli, whose government has already... More »
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Nigeria taps the power of music to try to beat coronavirus
LAGOS (Reuters) – Two dozen Lagos healthcare workers in scrubs and face masks rushed outside the isolation tents and, making sure to keep six feet apart on the bright green grass, danced and swayed as a saxophone and trumpet struck up the band. Inside the tent... More »
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‘River monster’: Huge African dinosaur Spinosaurus thrived in the water
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The huge African predator Spinosaurus spent much of its life in the water, propelled by a paddle-like tail while hunting large fish – a “river monster,” according to scientists, that showed that some dinosaurs invaded the aquatic realm.... More »
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A piece of the moon for sale: just $2.5 million
LONDON (Reuters) – One of the world’s largest lunar meteorites goes on private sale at Christie’s on Thursday, valued at 2 million pounds ($2.49 million). The moon rock, weighing over 13.5 kg, was probably struck off the surface of the moon by a collision with... More »
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Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world
(Reuters) – More than 2.97 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 205,948 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 0200 GMT on Monday. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global ... More »
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Spray it, don’t say it: Kenya graffiti artists spread health message
NAIROBI (Reuters) – A six-foot image of a sad-eyed man, baseball cap askew and mask covering his nose and mouth is spray painted on a building in a Nairobi slum. Next to it are the words “Corona is real”. There are six other pieces of graffiti like it around M... More »
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Apple expands services business to markets in Africa and beyond
(Reuters) – Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Tuesday said it would expand its App Store, Apple Music and other services to dozens of new markets in Africa, the Middle East and beyond in the biggest geographical expansion of its services in almost a decade. Apple said it ... More »
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U.S. crude futures turn positive after historic plunge, Brent falls
SEOUL (Reuters) – U.S. oil prices hobbled back into positive territory on Tuesday after sinking below $0 for the first time ever, but international benchmark Brent dipped as the global coronavirus crisis severely reduces demand for crude. U.S. West Texas Inter... More »
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‘Listen to your heart’: Indigenous elders channel tough love in Earth Day film
LONDON (Reuters) – Indigenous elders from Alaska to Australia have come together to deliver some tough love in a new film for Earth Day: the human race will only survive if we start putting our minds at the service of our hearts. Produced by Academy and Emmy a... More »
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Actor Idris Elba launches U.N. coronavirus fund for poor farmers
BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – British actor and filmmaker Idris Elba launched a new United Nations fund on Monday to help farmers in poorer nations, calling on richer economies to provide aid to prevent “needless hunger and suffering” stemming from ... More »
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Mime artist breaks silence to give coronavirus health tips in Cairo
CAIRO (Reuters) – Wearing white face paint, stripy top and bright red spectacle frames, Ahmed Naser stands in a street in Cairo distributing face masks and health advice to passing children. The 22-year-old engineering student has been entertaining youngsters ... More »
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‘Stink flirting’ is a thing – just ask a ring-tailed lemur
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – For human beings, “stink flirting” may not sound like a prudent dating strategy. For ring-tailed lemurs, it is the way to go. Scientists on Thursday described the results of a comprehensive study of this behavior – unique in the animal k... More »
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Factbox: Countries pondering an easing of coronavirus curbs
(Reuters) – Various countries around the world are wondering when and how to ease coronavirus lockdowns, though the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that should be done slowly and only when there is capacity to isolate cases and trace contacts. Follo... More »
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China says there is no discrimination against ‘African brothers’
BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Monday there was no discrimination against “African brothers” in the country and rejected U.S. accusations of mistreatment of Africans in Guangzhou as an attempt to harm Beijing’s relations with African nations. Foreign minist... More »
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Uber to give drivers millions of face masks to battle coronavirus
(Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) on Thursday said it plans to ship millions of face masks to its active drivers and food delivery people around the world to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The ride-hailing company’s vice president o... More »
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Jabeur mulls swapping rackets for dancing shoes in lockdown
MUMBAI (Reuters) – Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur is holed up in New York due to the coronavirus pandemic and says she is contemplating taking up dancing to remain fit as the tennis world finds innovative ways to deal with the lockdown. The 25-year-old became... More »
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Rockets hit near site of foreign oil firms, state-run companies in Iraq’s Basra: sources
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – Rockets landed near a site connected with foreign oil firms and state-run companies in Iraq’s southern city of Basra early on Monday, without causing damage or casualties, oil and police sources said. The rockets, which police said were... More »
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Masks do reduce spread of flu and some coronaviruses, study finds
LONDON (Reuters) – Face masks could help limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers who studied the effect of surgical masks on the transmission of other corona and flu viruses. In the study, the use of surgical masks by sufferers sign... More »
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Deep OPEC+ cuts won’t be enough to prevent oil inventory build: IEA head
LONDON (Reuters) – Deep oil output cuts by OPEC and other producing nations would not be enough to prevent a huge build in global crude inventories in the second quarter as measures to contain the coronavirus lead to “unprecedented” demand loss, the head of th... More »
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Zimbabwe turns water cannon on coronavirus
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s police began using water cannon on Friday to disinfect markets and bus ranks, turning instruments associated with repression into weapons against the new coronavirus. Zimbabwean police have a reputation for heavy-handed tactics ag... More »
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OPEC+ debates biggest ever cut as virus destroys oil demand
DUBAI/LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – OPEC and allies are working on a deal for an unprecedented production cut equivalent to around 10% of global supply, an OPEC source said after U.S. President Donald Trump called on oil nations to stop the oil rout caused by the ... More »
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Factbox: Google location data shows slump in trips to malls, offices
(Reuters) – Google on Thursday published reports for 131 countries showing whether visits to shops, parks and workplaces dropped in March, when many governments issued stay-at-home orders to rein in the spread of COVID-19. Here is a list of countries in alphab... More »
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Landmark skull fossil provides surprising human evolution clues
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Scientists have solved a longstanding mystery over the age of a landmark skull found in 1921 in Zambia – the first fossil of an extinct human species discovered in Africa – in research with big implications for deciphering the origin of ... More »
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Senegal’s graffiti artists join fight against coronavirus
DAKAR (Reuters) – The mural stretched over 10 metres of wall in Senegal’s seaside capital Dakar shows a giant pair of hands reaching out for sanitiser, and a woman in hoop earrings and a facemask colored blue, red, gold and green. It is the work of RBS CREW, a... More »
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South Africa’s confirmed coronavirus cases jump by 128 to 402
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Monday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had risen to 402, a jump of 128 since Sunday’s announcement that could worry public health experts concerned about the country’s ... More »
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Factbox: Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world
(Reuters) – More countries imposed lockdown measures as coronavirus cases across the globe ballooned, led by a sharp rise in infections in Europe. Italy banned travel within the country, nearly one in three Americans were ordered to stay home and New Zealand w... More »
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IOC to start discussions on possible Tokyo 2020 postponement
ATHENS (Reuters) – The International Olympic Committee is stepping up its “scenario planning” for the Tokyo 2020 Games — including a possible postponement — as the coronavirus pandemic spreads, it said after an emergency meeting on Sunday. The IOC will hold di... More »
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Anglo American says to reschedule work at mines to contain virus
LONDON (Reuters) – Anglo American said on Friday it would reschedule work at mines in countries such as Chile to contain the spread of coronavirus but added there had been no material disruption on production. The virus, which has claimed over 10,000 lives glo... More »
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Trump says he will enter Saudi-Russia oil fray at appropriate time
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would get involved in the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia at the appropriate time, saying low gasoline prices were good for U.S. consumers even as they were hurting the indust... More »
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Sweden says to send up to 150 special forces troops to Mali
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s government on Monday said it had decided to send troops to Mali to join French-led special forces that are fighting militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in the Sahel region of North Africa. The Social Democrat and Green... More »
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Taiwan reports eight new virus cases, widens travel warning
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan reported eight new cases of coronavirus on Monday, its biggest daily rise, though all of them involved people who had arrived from overseas. The total number of cases in Taiwan stood at 67. Among the latest cases were people returning... More »
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Investors dump equities, bonds as coronavirus spooks markets, BofA says
LONDON (Reuters) – Investors pulled out of most asset classes, with stocks and bond funds seeing a combined $36 billion of outflows in the week to Wednesday, BofA said, amid fears of economic damage from the coronavirus epidemic. Stock markets have been sellin... More »
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Zimbabwean artist’s dynamic stone sculptures find global acclaim
HARARE (Reuters) – When Dominic Benhura started creating traditional Zimbabwean stone sculptures as a teenager four decades ago, he never imagined that art would bring him fame or fortune. Born to a peasant family in 1968 in Murewa, 90 kilometers northeast of ... More »
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Somalis turn to Dr Hyena to fight depression, mental illness
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – The growls from the caged hyena reverberate through the room as Mohamed Sheikh Yakub slumps silently in a chair nearby, hoping the animal will frighten away the evil spirits he says have troubled him since his divorce. The traditional tre... More »
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Switzerland files criminal complaint over Crypto spying scandal
VIENNA (Reuters) – The Swiss government has filed a criminal complaint over the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s alleged use of a cryptography company as a front to spy on various governments’ secret communications, the Swiss attorney general’s office said o... More »
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Lesotho PM appears in court to hear charges of murdering wife
MASERU (Reuters) – Lesotho’s Prime Minister Thomas Thabane appeared in court on Monday to hear charges of murdering his estranged wife, a Reuters witness saw. Thabane, 80, is suspected of involvement in the murder of his then wife Lipolelo, who was shot dead i... More »
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Reed outlasts DeChambeau for one-shot win at WGC-Mexico Championship
(Reuters) – Patrick Reed displayed typically steely resolve and an assured putting touch, outlasting fellow American Bryson DeChambeau for a one-stroke victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Sunday. Reed took the lead with a tap-in birdie at the 16th hole a... More »
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Britain doesn’t need anything special from EU trade deal – PM Johnson’s spokesman
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain does not need any special arrangements in its future relationship with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday, adding that it wants a trade agreement similar to other deals the EU has struck. Prim... More »
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South Africa lifts foot-and-mouth auction ban: farm minister
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa has lifted a two-month ban on livestock auctions that halted trade in cattle, sheep and other animals following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Limpopo late last year, the agriculture minister said on Monday. I... More »
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French soldier has died while on duty in Burkina Faso
PARIS (Reuters) – A French soldier has died while on operations in Burkina Faso, the French Armed Forces Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The ministry said the causes of the death of Sergeant Morgan Henry were unknown for now and an investigation was un... More »
