accidents
Uganda’s Zika Forest, birthplace of virus threatening the world
The turnoff into the Zika Forest is easy to miss, just a small break in the tree line along the main road between Entebbe Airport and Uganda's capital, Kampala. A worn-out sign announcing its start only comes into view after a journey down a small dirt path. The explosive spread of the Zika virus may have caught the world...
Zika virus infection ‘through sex’ reported in US
A rare case of the Zika virus being transmitted through sex, not a mosquito bite, has been reported in the US. A patient infected in Dallas, Texas, is likely to have been infected by sexual contact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told the BBC. The person had not travelled to infected areas but their partner had returned...
Zika virus infection and Zika fever: Frequently asked questions
What is Zika virus infection? Zika virus infection is caused by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, usually causing mild fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and muscle pain. The virus was isolated for the first time in 1947 in the Zika forest in Uganda. Since then, it has remained mainly in Africa, with small and sporadic...
Violent Mexico volcano explosion caught on camera (TIMELAPSE)
A pillar of ash shot 10,000 feet into the sky in a violent explosion of the Colima volcano in south-central Mexico. The event was captured on a web camera installed by scientists to monitor the active volcano in the Jalisco province. The awe-inspiring timelapse footage shows the volcano as it burst last Friday. The mountain is...
Neil Prakash dead? ISIS fighter allegedly killed in Syria
NEIL Prakash was a rapper who wrote songs about sex, Islam and drugs before he turned into a terrorist mastermind. He was formerly known as Kree Dafa and when his musical career failed, he went on to lead Australians to Islamic State. The 24-year-old Islamic State jihadist, who has a Fijian and Cambodian background, is now...
Zika virus hits Australian shores
FEARS that Zika could spread to Australia have grown after it was revealed a man was hospitalised in Darwin with the virus. The 27-year-old Australian is believed to have contracted Zika after he was bitten by a macaque monkey while on holiday in Bali, according to medical reports. The case emerged a day after researchers...
Over 80 killed, children burnt to death in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria
Boko Haram militants killed 86 people, including children, in their recent attack on villages in northeastern Nigeria on Saturday. Horrifying details of the attacks emerged on Sunday. The Saturday night assault on the outskirts of the Nigerian city of Maiduguri – the birthplace of Boko Haram – lasted for hours,...
Deadly California weather leaves 150,000 without power
Ferocious winds and intense rains pummeled Southern California, leaving one driver dead and more than 150,000 in the dark. Massive trees snapped like toothpicks, causing damage from San Diego to north of Los Angeles. In San Diego, an 80-foot tall tree fell on a car Sunday, killing the driver, Fire-Rescue Capt. Joe Amador said....
‘World’s best chef’ Benoit Violier found dead at Swiss home
THE ‘world’s best chef’ Benoit Violier has been found dead at his Swiss home. Violier, 44, has taken his own life just months after his three-star restaurant Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in the small Swiss town of Crissier was named the best in the world. The Frenchman was due to attend the launch of...
1 dead, multiple injured in Denver motorcycle rally shooting & stabbing
At least one person was killed in a shooting and stabbing attack at a motorcycle rally in Denver, Colorado, with multiple victims hospitalized. Police say no one is yet in custody and the situation is being investigated. The shooting broke out on Saturday afternoon at the National Western Complex, which was hosting the Colorado...
Masked marchers beat immigrants in Stockholm
A gang of up to a hundred black-clad masked men marched in central Stockholm on Friday evening, singling out and beating up immigrants, and handing out leaflets threatening further violent attacks against unaccompanied refugee youth. The march, the most extreme reaction seen so far to the murder on Monday of social worker...
Japan sets up anti-air missiles in Tokyo to boost defense against N. Korea
Japan says it has deployed two Patriot missile interceptors in Tokyo to counter North Korea’s activity. The deployment comes amid reports that Pyongyang is preparing for a space rocket launch. Two ground-to-air Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) launchers were installed near the Defense Ministry’s headquarters on...