1. China: Suspected case of bubonic plague reported in Inner Mongolia
Authorities in China have stepped up precautions after a city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region confirmed one case of bubonic plague.
According to state reports, the Bayannur patient - a herdsman - is in quarantine and in a stable condition.
Officials issued a Level 3 warning, the second-lowest in a four-tier system.
The bubonic plague, caused by bacterial infection, can be deadly, but can be treated with commonly available antibiotics.
The new case was first reported as suspected bubonic plague on Saturday at a hospital in Urad Middle Banner, in Bayannur city.
It is not yet clear how or why the patient might have become infected.
The level 3 alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague and calls on the public to report suspected cases.
2. Nigeria to 'avenge attack on UN helicopter'
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has said the government will avenge the attack on a UN helicopter in which two people died.
The president described the attack in the north-eastern state of Borno as "dastardly" that will not go away without "severe consequences", local media reported.
A five-year-old child is among the two who were killed in the attack on Saturday attributed to insurgents in the restive north-eastern region.
The helicopter was being used to facilitate humanitarian support to civilians in the area that has been affected by violence for more than a decade.
The UN has in the meantime halted humanitarian aid in the region.
2. India overtakes Russia in Covid-19 cases
India has recorded more than 24,000 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, taking its total above that of Russia.
The country now has the third-largest number of confirmed cases in the world at 697,413. There have been 19,693 deaths.
The latest surge in numbers has also been powered by a rise in cases from a handful of southern states, including Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
India reopened shopping centres, places of worship and offices a month ago.
For the last three days, India's caseload has galloped at an alarming rate, adding more than 20,000 daily infections per day.
Although India has the third highest number of cases, it is eighth in fatalities, according to statistics from Johns Hopkins University.
4. Study warns 13 UK universities 'could go bust without bailout'
Many UK universities have seen their finances hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, a new study suggests that 13 universities face "a very real prospect" of insolvency following the crisis unless they receive a government bailout.
High-ranking universities with large numbers of international students face the largest immediate drop in income, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
But the least prestigious universities are at the greatest risk, it warns. The researchers say the total size of the university sector's losses is "highly uncertain" - anywhere between £3bn and £19bn, or between 7.5% and almost half the sector's annual income.
The researchers' central estimate is an £11bn loss, amounting to a quarter of the sector's annual income.
The Department for Education said a government package announced in May, allows UK universities to access business support and job retention schemes, while the sector will also benefit from the pulling forward of £2.6bn in tuition fee payments to ease cash flow problems.
5. Sudan fires police chief and deputy after protests
The transitional government in Sudan has fired the police chief and his deputy, days after large protests across the country as people called for greater political reforms.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok relieved Adel Mohamed Bashaer, the director-general of Sudan’s Police Force, of his duties, replacing him with Ezz Eldin Sheikh Ali.
Sudan's cabinet later said in a statement that Othman Mohamed Younes, Mr Bashaer’s deputy, was also dismissed.
No reasons have been given for firing both officials.
But last week Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok promised changes were on the way in a speech that was meant to reassure tens of thousands of protesters who have a long list of demands.
There has been growing frustration at the slow pace of change in the country since President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown by the military last year following months of protests.
6. Malawi cancels independence day celebrations
Malawi's new president, Lazarus Chakwera, has called off independence celebrations and further scaled back plans for Monday's formal inauguration.
Both events were due to be marked by a huge jamboree in Lilongwe's football stadium.
On Saturday, the president announced the stadium's capacity would be halved to 20,000 to limit the spread of coronavirus.
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Now the stadium festivities have been cancelled altogether, with the inauguration being moved to a military barracks to be witnessed by only 100 specially-invited guests.
The cancellation will put a dampener on the euphoria generated by the historic opposition triumph in a recent election re-run, after last year's fraudulent polls were overturned.
7. Libya condemns attack on recaptured airbase
The UN-recognised government in Libya has condemned overnight air raids on an important airbase recaptured last month from the renegade general Khalifa Haftar.
The government said the attack on the Al-Watiya base was carried out by a foreign airforce -- but did not say which country it suspected.
General Haftar is backed by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
General Haftar's forces say the base was used by Turkey to provide military support to the official government that proved crucial in defeating their offensive on the capital, Tripoli.
From Opera News Hub
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