Medical director raises alarm over ‘really worrying’ interval between the onset of symptoms and death that has been 48 hours in most cases

Events

Health experts say an unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks

Events

Officials believe the outbreak began on January 21, and 419 cases have been recorded as of Monday. This includes 53 deaths.

Events

The first outbreak in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours

Science

The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases

Events

The World Health Organisation reports dozens of deaths from an unknown disease in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that quickly causes symptoms

Events

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported more than 50 deaths from an unknown illness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has an extremely short window between symptoms and death

Events

Serge Ngalebato, the medical director of the Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the situation was "really worrying"

Events

Six weeks after a devastating blaze in Accra ripped through one of the world’s biggest secondhand markets, many stalls remain unfinished and thousands still have no income It was a blaze that left two people dead and destroyed the fabric of one of the world’s largest secondhand clothes markets. It also wiped out the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people in a matter of hours.Six weeks on from the 1 January fire in Ghana’s capital, Accra, the aluminium roofing has been replaced and wooden frames have been erected, but many stalls remain unfinished and empty. In the heart of the market, the sound of hammering and building work fills the air. Vendors mill around with little to sell. The narrow passageways – once so rammed with customers there was a stampede two months ago – are easy to pass through. Continue reading...

Events

Thai & Asian Delish opened in 2016 but nearly a decade later I decided to try out its delicious dishes for the first time

Politics

Big hitter from DR Congo has flown out to replace ill Briton against Joseph Parker for Saturday’s showdown in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia’s attempts to seize control of boxing have been relentless but not even its massive wealth and swaggering certainty can overrule the harsh vagaries of life. Boxing is an extreme and unhinged version of real life and it is always subject to bedlam and disruption. And so, on Thursday afternoon, there was a familiarly knotty twist in the sleek Saudi plan to stage “the greatest fight card in the history of boxing” in Riyadh on Saturday night.Daniel Dubois, fresh from his destruction of Anthony Joshua, was meant to defend his IBF world heavyweight title against Joseph Parker as the main undercard bout in a seven-fight extravaganza. It carried the promise of an intriguing and dangerous contest for both men – only for Dubois to fall ill with a virus. Continue reading...

Events

Big hitter from DR Congo has flown out to replace ill Briton against Joseph Parker for Saturday’s showdown in RiyadhSaudi Arabia’s attempts to seize control of boxing have been relentless but not even its massive wealth and swaggering certainty can overrule the harsh vagaries of life. Boxing is an extreme and unhinged version of real life and it is always subject to bedlam and disruption. And so, on Thursday afternoon, there was a familiarly knotty twist in the sleek Saudi plan to stage “the greatest fight card in the history of boxing” in Riyadh on Saturday night.Daniel Dubois, fresh from his destruction of Anthony Joshua, was meant to defend his IBF world heavyweight title against Joseph Parker as the main undercard bout in a seven-fight extravaganza. It carried the promise of an intriguing and dangerous contest for both men – only for Dubois to fall ill with a virus. Continue reading...

Sport

Experts warn young people should have limited use of devices and spend more time outdoorsEvery hour young people spend in front of screens increases their chance of being shortsighted, researchers have found, with experts warning young children should have limited use of devices and spend more time outdoors.Myopia is caused by having an over elongated eyeball and is a growing problem, with research suggesting about 40% of children and adolescents worldwide could have the condition by 2050. Continue reading...

Politics

Partnership comes as London station looks at ways to almost triple passenger numbersSt Pancras railway station in London and the Channel tunnel operator have agreed to work together to open up more trains from Britain to France, and routes to Germany and Switzerland.The agreement is the latest sign of growing momentum for new passenger rail links from England across the Channel, after the UK’s only international station announced plans to triple the number of people who can travel through every hour. Continue reading...

Politics

The number of hospital beds taken up by patients with the virus across England reached a record high last week

Events

Immediately after his inauguration, the US president and the head of Doge froze funding for all foreign assistance, creating chaos for staff and for humanitarian projects, charities, governments and people around the worldWithin hours of taking office on 20 January, the US president, Donald Trump, announced an immediate 90-day freeze on all US foreign assistance, including over $40bn (£32bn) for international projects coming from USAid, the US Agency for International Development.In that time, there would be a review conducted to ensure the agency was backing work that aligned with the administration’s “America First” agenda. Waivers were later announced for “lifesaving humanitarian assistance” but it was quickly apparent the guidelines were confusing and contradictory. Continue reading...

Politics

ScotRail is scaling back opening hours at Stranraer as it claims more people are buying tickets online or at machines.

Politics