HARARE: More than 300 elephants and other animals have died of cyanide poisoning by poachers in Zimbabwe’s largest game park, a wildlife conservation group said yesterday.
“In July, around 300 elephants had died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange and were discovered by a group of hunters who flew over the area,” Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said.
He said other animals that have also been killed include lions, vultures, painted dogs and hyenas.
“The authorities only stepped in September and by then the numbers had escalated. As at last week, about 325 had died altogether.”
Government officials were not immediately available to confirm the figure.
Pope seeks answers from ‘bling bishop’
VATICAN CITY: A big-spending German Catholic bishop was called before Pope Francis yesterday, as speculation grows over whether he will be forced to resign for his high-roller lifestyle.
Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed the “bling bishop” by the press for his extravagances, was received by the pontiff after a tense week’s wait in Rome.
A Vatican statement confirmed the audience but did not offer any further details.
Tebartz-van Elst hit the headlines following accusations he took a business-class ticket on a trip to India and squandered money on luxuries.
His private quarters in a brand-new bishop’s palace are reported to have cost about ¤2.9m ($3.9m) and included a 63-square-metre dining room and a ¤15,000 bathtub.
Cholera kills 50 in northern Nigeria
KANO, Nigeria: Cholera has killed 50 people in northwest Nigeria in the past week, health officials said yesterday, in the latest outbreak of the disease which has claimed thousands of lives across the country since 2010.
The latest infections struck Zamfara state where residents began drinking water directly from streams and untreated wells after a main water pipeline was forced to shut. “We have recorded an outbreak of cholera in the past one week in six local government areas of the state which has resulted in the death of 50 people,” Zamfara state health commissioner Kabiru Janyau said.
San Francisco rail strike enters 4th day
SAN FRANCISCO: A strike by commuter rail system workers in the San Francisco area entered a fourth day yesterday, as the traffic-clogged region started the work week with no labor talks scheduled.
Bay Area Rapid Transit employees walked off the job on Friday after contract talks broke down over pay increases and workplace rules. The strike shut down a commuter rail system that carries some 400,000 passengers a day. The BART Board of Directors met in Oakland last afternoon to discuss the talks with the transit system’s general manager and its labour negotiations team. Agencies
