Queen misses Christmas Day church service 'because of cold'

Members of the Royal Family arrived at church without the Queen

The Queen has not attended church on Christmas Day because she is still suffering from a heavy cold.

Buckingham Palace said she was staying indoors to help her recover but added that she would still participate in the family's Christmas Day celebrations.

Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and others attended church at the Queen's Norfolk estate, Sandringham.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went to church in Berkshire, where they are spending Christmas with the Middletons.

Nicholas Witchell, BBC royal correspondent, said the Queen's absence from the church service - the first time she has missed the service "in many years" - is understood to be a "precautionary measure".
Our correspondent said there was "no sense of undue concern" from Buckingham Palace.

Prince George left church sucking a candy cane

The Queen and Prince Philip began their Christmas break this week one day late, postponing their trip because they were both suffering from colds.

They flew from Buckingham Palace to the Norfolk estate by helicopter on Thursday, having missed a train on Wednesday.

A palace spokesman said: "Her Majesty the Queen will not attend church at Sandringham this morning.

"The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery.
"Her Majesty will participate in the Royal Family Christmas celebrations during the day."

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are spending Christmas with the Middleton family in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

Prince Harry attended church at Sandringham

Prince Harry met members of the public after leaving the church

The Duke of Edinburgh, who has also suffered from a heavy cold, did attend the service

Members of the public wait to see the royals at the Sandringham estate

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall

Freed Chibok girls reunited with their families for Christmas

Pictures of the girls returning home

More than 20 Nigerian "Chibok girls" who were released by the Islamist group Boko Haram in October have rejoined their families for Christmas.

It is the girls' first return home since they were kidnapped from their school in Chibok in April 2014.
The young women were freed in October after Switzerland and the International Red Cross made a deal with Boko Haram.
Since then, the 21 girls have been held in a secret location for debriefing by the Nigerian government.
One of the girls, Asabe Goni, 22, told Reuters news agency it was a "miracle" that she was home again.
Helping her mother prepare for Christmas, she said she was excited to go to church on Christmas Day.
"I never knew that I would return (home)," she said simply. "I had given up hope of ever going home."
Of the 276 students kidnapped, 197 are still reportedly missing, and negotiations for their release are under way.

The girls pictured in May 2014, shortly after their kidnapping

Many of the Chibok girls were Christian, but were encouraged to convert to Islam and to marry their kidnappers during their time in captivity.
Ms Goni said some were whipped for refusing to marry, but otherwise they were well treated and fed, until food supplies recently ran short.
After the deal in October, the girls' captors announced that any girl who wanted to be released should line up.
Ms Goni was ill and too exhausted to move as the others scrambled into formation - but she soon learned she would be among the lucky few to leave.
Who are Boko Haram?
Boko Haram 'ousted from forest bastion'
"I was surprised when they announced that my name was on the list," she said.
Her joy was lessened, however, when she was forced to leave behind her cousin Margaret, with whom she had lived since childhood.
The young woman was interviewed at her family's home in the northern city of Yola, surrounded by her father, stepmother, five siblings, and several neighbours.
"Some of the other girls left behind started crying," Ms Goni said. "But the Boko Haram men consoled them, telling them that their turn to go home would come one day."
Before the girls' release, there had only been one confirmed release of a student kidnapped from Chibok.

The young women are returning home for the first time since their kidnap in April 2014

Relatives of the freed Chibok girls were able to see them in October 2016 when they were first released

On 24 December, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said the army had driven Boko Haram's militants from the last camp in their Sambisa forest stronghold.
"The terrorists are on the run and no longer have a place to hide," Mr Buhari said in a statement.
The army has been engaged for the last few weeks in a major offensive in the forest, a huge former colonial game reserve in north-eastern Borno state.
There has been speculation that some of the Chibok girls are being held in the forest, after it was named by a small number of those who escaped.
Mr Buhari said that efforts to find the remaining girls were being intensified.

Nigerian officials row over 'plastic rice'

Nigeria's food safety agency has denied claims by the health minister that it has cleared the reported "plastic" rice.

A senior official at the National Agency For Food and Drugs (Nafdac) said the minister's Twitter statement "is not their position".
Health Minister Isaac Adewole had tweeted that tests by the agency found "no evidence" of plastic material.
About 2.5 tonnes of the "plastic" rice has been confiscated.
Rice is Nigeria's staple food and it is a tradition for people to give bags of rice as a gift during the Christmas period.

Lagos customs chief Haruna Mamudu said on Wednesday the fake rice was intended to be sold during the festive season but has not commented on the health minister's statement.
The official at Nafdac told the BBC's Stephanie Hegarty that the tests were still ongoing:
"We are not done with comprehensive tests. We are still in the laboratory. We haven't concluded analysis and it is not something we can conclude in two days."
"We are yet to conclude the chemical and biological analysis," he added.
Mr Adewole had said the agency would "release detailed findings to public as soon as it concludes investigations", adding that Nigerians should remain calm.
It is not clear where the 102 seized sacks of rice came from but rice made from plastic pellets was found in China last year.

Mr Mamudu had said the rice was very sticky after it was boiled and "only God knows what would have happened" if people ate it.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Lagos, who felt the rice, said it looked real but had a faint chemical odour.
The Lagos customs chief had called on "economic saboteurs who see yuletide season as a peak period for their nefarious acts to desist from such illegal" business activity.

Is the rice still on sale in the markets?

We haven't heard any reports that the rice is still on sale in markets. Customs officials were investigating but as of now have found nothing.
Nigeria's custom officials say they seized a total of 102 sacks, each containing 25kg (55lb), branded "Best Tomato Rice".
It is, however, unclear how many bags had been sold, if any, and if there are other forms of contraband in the market.

Has anyone eaten it?

We haven't heard of any members of the public eating it.
Customs officials cooked the rice and said that the texture was very gummy and it smelled odd, they refused to eat it.
When asked the same question on Twitter, Health Minister Isaac Adewole joked that no, he wouldn't eat it without salt.

An unverified video of the rice being cooked has been shared on social media.
In it the cook says the rice catches fire and sticks on the pan.

How worried are Nigerians?

Very worried. There have been several media reports warning the public about fake foodstuffs especially from China and their potential dangers.
Speaking to the BBC's World Have Your Say programme Ibrahim, from Kano State, said selling fake rice was wickedness of the highest order.

How could there be such a disagreement between different Nigerian officials?

Customs officials did say that they were awaiting tests by Nafdac, the food standard agency, before they could confirm what the rice was made of.
They suggested they would accept the results of those tests.
However, a customs agent told the BBC that the texture of the rice was like nothing he had seen before.
It is possible that this is a different type of rice that they weren't familiar with.
It is also possible that the Ministry of Health is making an effort to avoid public hysteria in the run-up to Christmas.

Underdogs Zimbabwe ready for 2017 AFCON

With barely 20 days to go for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Zimbabwe appears ready and fired up.

Head coach Kalisto Pasuwa has released a 31-man provisional squad which he says will be trimmed down to 23 by December 30.

The warriors have been in camp since December 22 and are scheduled to play Ivory Coast on December 26.
Pasuwa’s men are largely seen as the underdogs in Group B but may pull a surprise.
“Looking at names on the ground, we are the lowest ranked team if not the second from the bottom, but again football is football, its the right attitude and preparation that will make one to be on top of the situation.We are not going there to add numbers, we want to go and do something better for the country,” Pasuwa said.
Comprising mostly local players, this may be just the tournament for them.
“We want to go and prepare and bring the cup home if possible, we are going there to fight ,we are going there to make the nation proud,” Defender, Hardlife Zvirekwi said.
Gabon will only be their 3rd AFCON appearance, and they would certainly want to make it past the group stages.
The team will play their final warm up match against Cameroon on January 10 before heading to Gabon for their opening match on January 15 against Algeria.

Maiduguri residents prepare for Christmas as security improves

Residents of Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria are out shopping for Christmas, a reflection of a greater sense of security in the city after security forces made gains against a militant insurgency in the region.

“It seems Christmas this year is going to be better because the security improvement in Maiduguri and we believe we will celebrate Christmas right inside our church to our home, maybe going to one place or the other with our family members,” said Sebastian Ali, a resident.

Boko Haram has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million in the conflict.

The militant group still stages suicide bombings in the region, as well as in neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Churches are holding evening concerts as more people flock venues in the predominantly Muslim city, to revive part of the Christmas tradition here.

“Concerning this coming Christmas I’m afraid of it because I don’t think there will be movement because of the bomb blast been happening these two days because that is how it has been for the past few years here in Maiduguri but I just pray they can just allow us to move around to hang out with friends,” said another said Maiduguri resident, Jessica Gazama.

According to the U.N. World Food Programme some 4.4 million people are also reported to be going through hungry across northeast Nigeria, and two million need food aid urgently.

Angola declares end to deadly yellow fever epidemic

Angola on Friday declared the end of a yellow fever outbreak that killed at least 400 people, after an emergency United Nations vaccination campaign covering 25 million.

The outbreak erupted in December last year in the slums of the capital Luanda, spreading to 16 of Angola’s 18 provinces and into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Officials said no new cases had been reported in Angola since June after the mass vaccination campaign was launched in both countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) described it as the world’s worst yellow fever outbreak in a generation.

“Since June 23 that Angola has not registered new epidemic cases of yellow fever, everything is under control and it is finished,” Health Minister Luis Sambo told a press conference in Luanda.
Last month WHO said the outbreak in Angola and DR Congo was “coming to a close” after more than 7,300 suspected cases and a vaccination effort involving 41,000 volunteers.
There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, a viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted mainly by the same species of mosquito that also spreads Zika and dengue.

Yellow fever vaccinations are routinely recommended for travellers to Angola, though the country had not previously seen a significant outbreak since 1986.
WHO has warned of future outbreaks in Africa due to increased urbanisation as transmission rates are higher in densely populated areas.

Angola's ruling party meeting set to enthrone dos Santos' successor

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos will confirm Saturday the end of his controversial reign of thirty-seven years and enthrone his likely successor, AFP reports.

74-year-old dos Santos will make the announcement confirming he will not seek a new term in the 2017 general elections as his party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) marks its 60th anniversary on Saturday.
Defence Minister Joao Lourenco is expected to take over as the next MPLA leader.
The Angolan Constitution does not provide for a presidential election, but specifies that the post of head of state belongs to the leader of the party that wins the legislative elections.
Dos Santos became president in 1979, making him Africa’s second-longest serving leader — one month short of Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
His reign has seen the end of civil war and an investment boom, but has also been criticised as secretive and corrupt with Angola’s citizens suffering grim poverty as his family became hugely wealthy.
The end of Dos Santos’s regime will shake up Angola, where he has been a looming presence in daily life longer than most people can remember, exercising almost total authority over government, politics, media and business.
He was sworn in 1979 following the sudden death of Angola’s liberation president Agostinho Neto.

iPhone 7 encased in gold, with Trump's face sold for $151,000 in Dubai

An iPhone 7 encased in solid gold encrusted with diamonds and bearing the face of United States President-elect, Donald J. Trump has been sold at the price of $151,000, CNNMoney reports.

The gift is said to be one of the breathtaking pieces sold by Goldgenie, a store in the United Arab Emirates where the super rich do their shopping.
‘‘There are very wealthy, high net-worth individuals all over the world and sometimes it’s very difficult to buy gifts for them because they have everything,’‘ Frank Fernando, managing director of Goldgenie said.
There are very wealthy, high net-worth individuals all over the world and sometimes it's very difficult to buy gifts for them because they have everything.
His store is located in Sharjah, a city near Dubai. All objects sold in the shop are either solid gold, gold plated or diamond encrusted. He disclosed that the idea of the golden Trump iPhone came from a Chinese customer.
He told CNN money that the Chinese woman in November requested that the customized phone be put together for her. According to him, the unnamed woman’s family wanted to present it to the president-elect.
Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America. The 70-year-old secured 290 of the electoral votes as against main opponent Hillary Clinton who gained 232 of the votes according to the CNN poll center.
In percentage terms, Trump had polled 47.5% (representing 59.2 million votes) as against Clinton’s 47.7% (59.4 million votes.) The November 8 election was keenly contested after months of heated campaigns.

Ethiopia's mass release of 'detainees' excites top US officials

Samantha Power, the United States (US) ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has described as ‘‘encouraging news,’‘ the recent release of political prisoners by Ethiopia.

Ethiopian authorities earlier this week disclosed the release of some 9,800 people detained under the current state of emergency. Local media reports that a number of politicians and media personalities were among the released detainees.
Mrs Powers has in the past called for an end to mass arrests by the regime with the recent call for release being that of Bekele Gerba who has been held in detention by the Ethiopian authorities since 2015.
She was particularly happy about the release of the Blue Party leaders, including Blen Mesfin, a member of the opposition who was first detained in April last year.
According to humanrights.gov, Blen Mesfin was arrested along with Meron Alemayehu, and Nigist Wondifraw. The three were among a number of opposition members and others arrested and charged with inciting violence in Addis Ababa in April 2015.

A top US Department of State official who was recently in Ethiopia for meetings on human rights and governance, Tom Malinowski, also tweeted about the release of prisoners whiles expressing the hope that many more will be released soon.
Malinowski also ‘celebrated’ the affirmation of the Prime Minister’s affirmation of the right to peaceful protest in the Horn of Africa country.
Ethiopia is currently under a 6 month state of emergency where anti government protests are banned. There have bee restriction on movement and on the use of social media and some conventional media.