Senegal

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More Than 60 Feared Dead in Failed Journey to Spain

Dozens of survivors found on fishing boat off Cape Verde were in a 'bad state'

(Newser) - More than 60 migrants are feared dead after a Spanish fishing vessel rescued a boat off the Atlantic archipelago of Cape Verde that originally had more than 100 people aboard, authorities and migrant advocates said Thursday. Seven bodies were found on the boat and an estimated 56 people are missing...

Legislative Brawl in Senegal Injures Pregnant Lawmaker

Two male lawmakers receive jail time

(Newser) - Two members of parliament in Senegal have been handed six-month jail sentences for attacking a pregnant lawmaker, who suffered a kick to the stomach. Chaos erupted during a budget debate in the National Assembly on Dec. 1. Amy Ndiaye, a member of the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition, had "...

It Was Worse Than the Titanic. You Likely Haven't Heard of It

The Joola capsized 20 years ago

(Newser) - As far as maritime disasters go, the Titanic stands alone—at least in our minds, but not in the history books, at least as far as victims go. In a piece for the New York Times, Elian Peltier revisits the Joola, the passenger ferry that departed on a 17-hour journey...

Mothers Give Birth, Only to Lose Babies in Fire

Tragedy in Senegal

(Newser) - "To their mothers and their families, I express my deepest sympathy." Such were the condolences issued Thursday by Senegal's president to the families of 11 newborns who were killed when a fire swept through the neonatal unit of a hospital in Tivaouane Wednesday night; three infants were...

Minister: Missing Star Student Is Alive, Safe, and 'Deeply Sorry'

Diary Sow told him she was on break to 'regain her senses'

(Newser) - After the student known as the "pride of Senegal" disappeared in France earlier this month , it made headlines around the world and a major campaign was launched to find her. A Senegalese minister now says 20-year-old Diary Sow just needed a break, the BBC reports. In a lengthy Twitter...

The Pride of Senegal Is Missing in Paris

Novelist Diary Sow, 20, failed to show up at school this month

(Newser) - French authorities are racing to find Diary Sow, a Senegalese student missing in Paris who is considered "the pride of a whole nation." Senegal President Macky Sall recently bestowed that compliment on Sow, a published author, whose name "is practically synonymous with achievement" in her home country,...

At Least 140 Dead in 2020's Worst Shipwreck

Boat caught fire between Senegal and Canary Islands

(Newser) - At least 140 people drowned off the coast of Senegal in what a United Nations agency says is the deadliest shipwreck so far in 2020. Authorities say the ship, carrying about 200 migrants headed for the Canary Islands, caught fire and capsized a few hours after leaving Senegal on Saturday,...

Akon Now Owns His Own City, Named After Himself

And running on his own cryptocurrency

(Newser) - Rapper Akon is of Senegalese descent and spent much of his childhood in the West African country, and now he owns a city there. "Just finalized the agreement for AKON CITY in Senegal. Looking forward to hosting you there in the future," he posted last week on Twitter...

Jay-Z, Beyonce Pay Homage to 1973 Film in Tour Promo

'On the Run II' promo apparently a shoutout to Senegalese movie called 'Touki Bouki'

(Newser) - Film buffs may perk up at seeing the new video clip for Beyonce and Jay-Z's "On the Run II" tour, released Monday. Nestled in the 45-second video (and also used as a promotional still for the tour) is a shot of the couple on a motorcycle adorned with...

Chimp Leader Killed, Eaten by His Former Subjects

It's a very rare occurrence of chimps killing in their own community

(Newser) - It was already a rare occurrence when a group of chimpanzees murdered one of their own—and then they started eating the body. In a study published last week in the International Journal of Primatology , researchers recount only the ninth recorded murder of a chimp by its own community. In...

Report: 130 Chinese Firms Export Torture Gear

Amnesty International identifies 'intrinsically cruel' equipment

(Newser) - Chinese firms are widely and in many cases "openly" distributing devices that can readily be used for torture, Amnesty International says in a new report. The number of companies involved has surged from 28 to more than 130 in the past decade, the activist organization notes, and most of...

US Ebola Contribution: 3K Military, $750M

'Significant' response will train hundreds of health workers, build hospitals

(Newser) - As part of his promised "scaled-up response" to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, President Obama is expected to announce during a visit to the CDC today that the US will be sending 3,000 military personnel in an effort that could cost up to $750 million over the...

Another Country Confirms Case of Ebola

Senegal says infected university student came from Sierra Leone

(Newser) - Ebola has spread to yet another country in Africa: Senegal. Local press reported today that a university student infected with the virus had traveled from Guinea into the West African nation, CNN reports. The student, 21, has been placed in quarantine in a hospital in Dakar and is in stable...

'Tip of Iceberg'? Ebola Toll Passes 500

Aid group blames 'gross misjudgement in gauging severity'

(Newser) - Deep in the forests of southern Guinea, the first victims fell ill with high fevers. People assumed it was the perennial killer malaria and had no reason to fear touching the bodies. Some desperate relatives brought loved ones to the distant capital in search of better medical care, unknowingly spreading...

What to Look for as Obama Tours Africa

Nelson Mandela reportedly on life support

(Newser) - President Obama has arrived in Senegal, the first of three countries he'll visit during his African tour—the other two being Tanzania and South Africa, the Wall Street Journal reports. His trip comes at a heavy moment for South Africa, the New York Times notes, with Nelson Mandela said...

Will Climate Change Destroy Senegal's 'Venice'?
 Africa's 'Venice' in Peril 

Africa's 'Venice' in Peril

Two-thirds of Saint-Louis residents face flood risk

(Newser) - It's called the "Venice of Africa": Saint-Louis, Senegal, is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Senegal River, and the water has long been central to its economy. But now, like its Italian namesake , it's facing disaster from rising water levels. Some two-thirds of the city's...

African Troops Join Battle for Mali

11 civilians dead in first days of fighting

(Newser) - The first days of the battle against Islamic extremists holding Mali's north have left at least 11 civilians dead, including three children who threw themselves into a river and drowned trying to avoid falling bombs, a presidential spokesman said today as troops from Mali's neighbors are expected to...

President's Power Grab Riles Once-Stable Senegal

African nation faces rare unrest over leader's bid for third term

(Newser) - Protesters took to Senegal's streets last week after a court ruled that the country's president could serve a third term. Yesterday, paramilitary forces reportedly opened fire on demonstrators, killing two. It's an unusual moment of unrest in a West African democracy that's been largely stable, never...

N'Dour Halts Music Career in Bid to Be Senegal Prez

Global musical celeb changing his tune, running in next month's race

(Newser) - Global music celeb Youssou N'Dour is ready for a promotion—heading the nation of Senegal. The man who said he never wanted to go into politics has changed his tune. N'Dour, 52, has suspended his music career to take up the "supreme patriotic duty" of running in...

Protester Sets Self on Fire in Senegal

It's the latest self-immolation in Africa

(Newser) - A man set himself on fire in front of the presidential palace in Senegal today in the latest self-immolation on the African continent. He's being treated at a hospital, and his motive isn't known. The mutiny in Tunisia that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was touched...

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