Category: Africa

La Palma Volcano’s Tremors Stop, but Eruption May Not Be at an End

LA PALMA—The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma fell silent as constant tremors stopped late on Monday, though experts cautioned this did not necessarily mean the eruption is nearing an end after 85 days. Seismic activity on the island all but stopped around 9 pm local time on Monday, The Canary…


Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Less Protective Against Hospitalization After Omicron Emerged: Study

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been less effective in protecting against hospitalization following the emergency of the Omicron virus variant, according to a new study of real-world data from South Africa. The protection from the vaccine’s primary two-dose regimen has dropped to about 70 percent in recent weeks, according to Discovery Health, the largest private…


UK’s Handling of Omicron ‘Verges on Hysteria’: South African Medical Association Head

The South African doctor who alerted the world about Omicron said the UK government should “stay calm” as she described its handling of the new CCP virus variant as verging on “hysteria.” It comes as Parliament is due to vote on measures including mask mandate, self-isolation rules, and COVID-19 passes on Tuesday, and amid rumors of…


Wall Street Falls on Omicron Worries Ahead of Fed Meeting

U.S. stocks fell on Monday on worries about the Omicron coronavirus variant ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting later this week, while investors watched Apple close in on $3 trillion in market capitalization. Seven of the 11 major S&P 500 sector indexes fell, with only defensive stocks including consumer staples, utilities, and real estate gaining….


South African President Receiving Treatment for Mild COVID-19

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms, his office said on Sunday. “The President is in good spirits but is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force,” the office said in a statement. The 69-year-old, who…


South Africa Sees Downward Trend in COVID-19 Cases Despite Conducting More Tests

The number of new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in South Africa has continued its downward trend despite increased testing, according to South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) data. The NICD reported 17,154 new cases on Dec. 11, nearly 2,000 down from the 19,018 new cases reported on Dec. 10. At the same…


South African Doctors See Signs Omicron Is Milder Than Delta

JOHANNESBURG—As the omicron variant sweeps through South Africa, Dr. Unben Pillay is seeing dozens of sick patients a day. Yet he hasn’t had to send anyone to the hospital. That’s one of the reasons why he, along with other doctors and medical experts, suspect that the omicron version really is causing milder COVID-19 than delta,…


One Person Dies, 12 Injured in Fire at Tunisian Ennahda Party HQ

TUNIS, Dec 9—One person died after he set himself on fire at the headquarters of Tunisia’s Ennahda Islamist party on Thursday, causing 12 injuries including to Ali Larayedh, an ex-prime minister, the civil protection agency and judicial authorities said. Ennahda said one of its members was killed in the fire but did not give details….


Gunmen Attack Mosque in Nigeria’s Troubled North, Killing 16

LAGOS, Nigeria—Gunmen attacked a rural village in northern Nigeria, killing 16 worshippers at a mosque and kidnapping others, said a local official. The assault on Ba’are village in the Mashegu area of Niger state lasted for hours on Thursday, local government chairman Alhassan Isah Mazakuka said. Dozens of the assailants arrived on motorcycles and rampaged…


As Nigeria Violence Cascades, Rights Advocates Petition Biden

A group of human rights watchdogs has petitioned President Biden to reinstate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” regarding severe violations of human rights within its territory. Although the State Department assigned to Nigeria this label a year ago, it was rescinded shortly before Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Nigeria on Nov….