Scientists in the UK have begun testing the BCG vaccine, developed in 1921, to see if it can save lives from Covid. The vaccine was designed to stop tuberculosis, but there is some evidence it can protect against other infections as well. Around 1,000 people will take part in the trial at the University of Exeter. But while millions of people in the UK will have had the BCG jab as a child, it is thought they would need to be vaccinated again to benefit. Vaccines are designed to train the immune system in a highly targeted way that leaves...
Nigerian serial killer sentenced to die in Port Harcourt
A man who killed nine women in a case that caused outrage in Nigeria has been sentenced to death in the southern city of Port Harcourt. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Gracious David-West strangled his victims in hotel rooms across Nigeria between July and September 2019. Justice Adolphus Enebeli said he is to die by hanging. The death penalty is not commonly carried out in Nigeria – the last three executions were in 2016. One of his victims survived the attack, but was not a witness during the trial. Authorities say her whereabouts are unknown despite being told not to leave the...
US election 2020: Trump ready to return to public events, says doctor
US President Donald Trump has completed his course of treatment for Covid-19 and can return to public engagements this weekend, his physician has said. Dr Sean Conley said the president had responded “extremely well” to medication and had “remained stable”. Mr Trump later said he would probably take another Covid test on Friday and hoped to hold a rally over the weekend. The president earlier pulled out of next Thursday’s TV debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden. He said he was “not going to waste my time on a virtual debate” after organisers said it would have to take place...
France plans punishment for ‘virginity tests’
The French government plans to introduce jail terms and fines for doctors who provide controversial so-called “virginity certificates” for traditional religious marriages. It is part of draft legislation aimed at reinforcing French secular values and combating what President Emmanuel Macron calls “Islamist separatism”. But the French abortion advice group ANCIC says stopping “virginity tests” requires broader educational work. The UN says such tests must be stopped. The French Interior Ministry says the bill – not yet fully debated by French politicians – proposes a year in jail and fine of €15,000 (£14,000) for any medical professional who issues a “virginity...
Liberia man drowns rescuing dropped $20 note in Monrovia river
A man has drowned after jumping from a bridge into a river in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, to retrieve a $20 note that he had dropped, police spokesman Moses Carter has said. Street hawker Tamba Lamine managed to find the money, and showed it to onlookers but then drowned, he said. Mr Lamine was walking with a friend on the bridge when the note fell. He felt pressured to get the cash back because he had to give his friend his $5 “share” of it, Mr Carter said. The two had jointly sold some merchandise, the police spokesman added. The US...
‘Don’t be afraid,’ Trump says on leaving hospital
US President Donald Trump has made a theatrical return to the White House to continue his treatment for coronavirus after a three-night hospital stay. Mr Trump, who is still contagious, removed his mask on the balcony of the White House, while posing for pictures. His physician said he would continue treatment from there, and he “may not entirely be out of the woods yet”. Several of Mr Trump’s staff and aides have also tested positive for the virus in recent days. Questions remain over the seriousness of Mr Trump’s illness after a weekend of conflicting statements. The US remains the...
One in 10 worldwide may have had COVID-19, WHO says
One in 10 people around the world may have contracted Covid-19, the World Health Organization said, at a special meeting of WHO leaders. A top official said the estimate meant “the vast majority of the world remains at risk”. Just over 35m people have been confirmed as being infected with coronavirus – the WHO’s estimate puts the true figure at closer to 800m. Experts have long said the real number of cases would exceed those confirmed. The WHO is meeting at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the global response to the pandemic. Ten months on, the crisis shows...
Trump spends first night in hospital after Covid-19 diagnosis
US President Donald Trump has spent his first night in a military hospital where he is receiving treatment after testing positive for coronavirus. “Going well, I think!” Mr Trump tweeted late on Friday. US media said his symptoms included a mild fever. He has so far been treated with an experimental drug cocktail injection and the antiviral medication remdesivir. In exactly one month, Mr Trump faces Joe Biden in the presidential election. The president’s diagnosis has upended his campaign and also cast doubt on his attempt to get a new Supreme Court judge confirmed before polling day. In a memorandum...
Trump and Melania test positive for coronavirus
US President Donald Trump has said he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus and are now in quarantine. The president, aged 74 and therefore in a high-risk group, announced the news in a tweet. “We will get through this together,” he wrote. It comes after one of his closest aides tested positive for coronavirus. Hope Hicks, the 31-year-old adviser to the president, was the closest aide to Mr Trump to test positive so far. She travelled with him on Air Force One to a TV debate in Ohio this week. Mr Trump’s physician Sean Conley released...
Kenya lost Covid-19 billions to corruption – audit report
Kenya lost 2.3bn Kenyan shillings ($21m; £16m) during the procurement of Covid-19 items, according to a recent audit report. Auditor General Nancy Gathangu said managers at the state body responsible for purchases, the Kenya Medical Supply Authority (Kemsa) violated procurement rules leading to the loss of public money. The government ordered an investigation following a public outcry. Kemsa has denied that any money was stolen. The audit report says that Kemsa bosses colluded with companies that were given contracts. Some of the companies were registered around the time the country recorded its first Covid-19 case. Items were overpriced and some...