South African politician sentenced to three years in prison for smashing a water jug on the head of an opposition member

Prominent member of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC), Andile Lungisa has been sentenced to three years in prison for smashing a water jug on the head of an opposition politician during a brawl in October 2016.

The former chairman of the party in Nelson Mandela Bay had behaved like a common street thug when he assaulted the Democratic Alliance's Rano Kayser during a heated council meeting, a magistrate's court ruled.

Lungisa will spend his first night in prison after the court refused to give him permission to appeal against his sentence, it adds. One year of his sentence was suspended, meaning that he will spend two years in jail.

Nigerian Immigration Service imposes airport screenings following fresh Ebola outbreak in Congo

 
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is taking swift action to ensure that Ebola does not enter the country following a fresh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

NIS spokesperson Sunday James told BBC that immigration officials would tighten vigilance at airports and make more use of thermometers to screen passengers.

'We are sending a signal to all entry points in the country. The intention is to ensure that any suspected case can be promptly handed over to health officials at the airports. This is a matter which everybody must be concerned about. All hands must be on deck" he said.

During the 2014 outbreak in West Africa, more than 11,000 people died mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola also spread to Nigeria when Patrick Sawyer, who was infected with the virus, flew into the country from Liberia.

Nigeria’s response to the crisis was generally praised. Eight people died, including Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevo, who first attended to Mr Sawyer and helped to ensure a more devastating outbreak was avoided in Nigeria.

Sir Alex Ferguson is out of intensive care two days after undergoing brain surgery

 
Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is out of intensive care following emergency surgery on a brain haemorrhage on Saturday.

The English giants confirmed moments ago on twitter saying, “Sir Alex no longer needs intensive care and will continue rehabilitation as an inpatient. His family have been overwhelmed by the level of support and good wishes but continue to request privacy as this will be vital during this next stage of recovery".

Ferguson’s wife Cathy and their sons Darren, Jason and Mark have been at his bedside. They are said to be “pleased and extremely encouraged” by his progress.

Goodwill messages from the biggest names in football flooded in after it was revealed Sir Alex had needed an emergency operation.

Six miners trapped in Kenya after quarry collapses

According to local Daily Nation newspaper the rescue workers lack equipment to free the six trapped miners.

A seventh miner was pulled out, and was rushed to hospital for treatment as heavy rains may have contributed to the collapse of the quarry.  "The miners continued working even when it was heavily raining outside, they were not aware," an official is quoted saying.

Four men arrested by Gambian police for protesting the pollution of Gunjur sea by a Chinese company

According to this Twitter user, Four men who protested the pollution of Gunjur sea by a Chinese fish meal company were arrested by the Gambian police. She tweeted

Police arrested these four young men in the #Gambia after one of them delivered a speech protesting against the pollution of the ocean by a Chinese company. Such injustices are caused by systems that take more than the downfall of a dictator to fix.

She also revealed that the Chinese company, Golden Lead reinstalled their waste pumps and put up their flag after the pumps were removed by youths of the community

The Chinese fish meal company Golden Lead dumps its waste in the Gunjur Sea polluting the sea which is a source of income to over 2000 families. Few weeks ago, #Gambian youths removed the waste pumps but the Chinese reinstalled them along with their country’s flag

Toddler, 3, is snatched and eaten by leopard at safari park in Uganda

A 3-year-old boy met his tragic end when he was snatched and eaten by a leopard at a Safari Park in Uganda. 

The toddler, who is the son of a ranger, was being looked after by a nanny in the unfenced staff quarters at a safari lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park when the attack occurred. The child had followed the nanny outside on Friday night and that's when the leopard snatched the three-year-old, who has not been named, and dragged him into the bush, wildlife authority spokesman Bashir Hangi said.

His remains were found the next day and the leopard is now being hunted so that it can be removed from the wild.

The park ranger told AFP: "The maid was not aware the child followed her. She heard the kid scream for help, she intervened but it was too late the leopard had vanished with it in the bush and a search was mounted until we got the skull the next day.

"The hunt is on with the intention of capturing the leopard and removing it from the wild because once it has eaten human flesh, the temptations are high to eat another human being, it becomes dangerous."

Vietnam authorities seize 3.3 tonnes of pangolin scales in a container from Nigeria

The customs office at Saigon Port under the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on May 3 seized an additional 3.3 tonnes of pangolin scales illegally imported from Africa.

The container was declared by Tan Vinh Thinh Trade Co. Ltd to contain dried cashew nuts. It was in transit to Cambodia from Nigeria.

After examining, the customs office and the Anti-Smuggling Police Department (C74) under the Ministry of Public Security found the pangolin scales contained in bags and covered by cashew nut bags.

The city’s customs force is working with relevant agencies to further investigate the case.

On April 27, HCM City’s Customs Department also seized nearly 3.8 tonnes of pangolin scales, illegally imported to Cat Lai Port in district 2.

The pangolin scales were hidden in bags, in the middle of two containers, surrounded by timber blocks in order to escape the attention of authorised agencies. The case is under investigation.

Pangolin scales are still consumed in traditional medicine although it is illegal to hunt, trap, keep, kill, transport, sell or advertise pangolins or pangolin products in Vietnam.

Source: VNA