Tag Archives: South Africa

The New York Times reports: Underscoring growing concerns about Omicron, scientists in South Africa said on Friday that the newest coronavirus variant appears to spread more than twice as quickly as Delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. Omicron’s rapid spread results from a combination of contagiousness and an ability to dodge the body’s immune defenses, the …

The Washington Post reports: South Africa’s new daily coronavirus cases have almost tripled in three days, according to new figures released Thursday, raising alarms over the possible spread of the new omicron variant recently detected by the country’s scientists. New daily confirmed cases rose to 11,535 on Thursday from 8,561 on Wednesday and 4,373 the previous day, according to official …

CNBC reports: U.S. stocks dropped sharply on Friday as a new Covid variant found in South Africa triggered a global shift away from risk assets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1000 points, or 2.8%, for its worst day of the year, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite slid 2.3% and 2.2%, respectively. Friday is a shortened trading day …

Axios reports: U.S. public health officials were set to speak Friday with their South Africa counterparts as they sought scientific details about a new COVID-19 variant already prompting European and Asian countries to enact new travel restrictions. Driving the news: Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN Friday “we’re rushing now to get that scientific data to try …

Euronews reports: Concerns over a new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa have prompted fresh travel restrictions in Italy and Germany on Friday as Brussels mulls EU-wide flight restrictions. The European Commission will propose to suspend air travel from southern Africa amid concerns over the variant, EC President Ursula Von der Leyen [photo] said on Friday. The proposal could be …

The Associated Press reports: A new coronavirus variant has been detected in South Africa that scientists say is a concern because of its high number of mutations and rapid spread among young people in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province, Health Minister Joe Phaahla announced Thursday. The coronavirus evolves as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying …

The BBC reports: FW de Klerk, the former president of South Africa and the last white person to lead the country, has died at the age of 85. Mr de Klerk, who was also a key figure in the nation’s transition to democracy, had been diagnosed with cancer this year, a spokesman said. He was head of state between September …

ABC News reports: A suspected poacher found dead in a South African national park is believed to have been killed by an elephant, park officials said. Rangers in Kruger National Park discovered the body on Thursday after following tracks in the Stolznek section of the giant game reserve, a spokesperson for the park said in a statement on Twitter. “Initial …

USA Today reports: A herd of breeding elephants trampled a suspected poacher to death while he tried to flee from South African park rangers. The encounter happened April 17 after three people ran from the rangers in Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game preserves, according to park officials. Rangers, using dogs and aircraft, captured one of the suspects, …

Reuters reports: President Joe Biden will impose a ban on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa starting Saturday in a bid to contain the spread of a new variant of COVID-19, a senior U.S. public health official told Reuters. Biden on Monday is also reimposing an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. travelers …

The Daily Beast reports: Former Vice President Joe Biden conceded Friday that he was never arrested while trying to visit Nelson Mandela in South Africa, as he’d said on the campaign trail. “I guess I wasn’t arrested,” Biden told CNN’s New Day in a Friday interview. “I was stopped. I was not able to move where I wanted to go.” …

The New York Times reports: At least three times this month, Joseph R. Biden Jr. has asserted that he was arrested as he sought to visit the anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela in prison, even saying that Mr. Mandela later thanked him for going to such an effort. But on Tuesday, Kate Bedingfield, a deputy campaign manager, said Mr. Biden was …

Complex reports: A rhino poacher was trampled to death by an elephant and his remains were devoured by a pride of lions, Kruger National Park officials said Thursday. The man was hunting with a group in the preserve in South Africa on Tuesday when he was trampled by the elephant, the Letaba Herald reported. Four other hunters were arrested Wednesday. …

The BBC reports: A group of funeral directors in South Africa say they will sue a self-styled prophet who claims to have resurrected a dead man. A viral video of Pastor Alph Lukau shows him shouting “rise up” to a man lying down in a coffin who then jerks upright to cheers from worshippers. The funeral companies say they were …

CBS News reports: South Africa accused United States President Donald Trump of sowing division Thursday after he tweeted that the U.S. State Department would probe “land and farm seizures… and the large scale killing of farmers.” Trump’s tweet apparently followed a segment on Fox News which claimed that Pretoria had started “seizing land from his own citizens without compensation because …

The Associated Press reports: Former U.S. President Barack Obama in his first high-profile speech since leaving office is calling today’s times “strange and uncertain.” Obama opened his speech in South Africa by saying that “each day’s news cycle is bringing more head-spinning and disturbing headlines.” He is speaking in South Africa to mark the 100th anniversary of  Nelson Mandela’s birth. …

The Telegraph reports: At least three suspected poachers who were apparently hunting for rhinos have been mauled to death and eaten by lions on a game reserve in South Africa, the owner said on Thursday. The men entered the Sibuya Game Reserve on the southeast coast armed with a high-powered rifle and an axe in the early hours of Monday …

Via press release: The South African government condemns in the strongest terms possible the latest act of violent aggression carried out by Israeli armed forces along the Gaza border, which has led to the deaths of over 40 civilians. The victims were taking part in a peaceful protest against the provocative inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem. This latest …

The BBC reports: South African anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie Mandela has died aged 81, her personal assistant says. Winnie Madikizela Mandela was the former wife of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela. The couple – famously pictured hand-in-hand as Mr Mandela walked free from prison after 27 years – were a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle for nearly three decades. …

Agence France-Presse reports: A suspected poacher was mauled to death and eaten by a pack of lions close to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, police said Monday, adding that little was left of the victim’s body. The remains were found at the weekend in the bush at a private game park near Hoedspruit in the northern province of …