Gunmen kill 15 persons at a bar in South Africa

Johannesburg: Gunmen armed with rifles and pistols opened fire at people in a bar in the South African township of Soweto in the early hours of Sunday, killing 15 and wounding nine, the police said. The carnage took place shortly after midnight, according to the police, who said the group of men entered the Orlando East tavern, in the township on the outskirts of the main city of Johannesburg, before “shooting randomly at the patrons”. Reuters

Jawbone, possibly 1.4 million years old, found

Spain: Archaeologists in Spain said they had dug up an ancient jawbone that could help them look into the face of some of the earliest human ancestors in Europe. The surprise find, which could be about 1.4 million years old, could also give vital clues to the evolution of the human face over the millennia, the team from the Atapuerca Foundation said. Reuters

Giant African land snails put Florida on offensive

Florida: Hundreds of giant African land snails have turned up on Florida’s Gulf Coast, officials said, threatening to destroy a vast array of plants and trees, and posing the risk of transmitting a rare type of meningitis to humans. The snail, native to East Africa, is one of the most damaging in the world, eating at least 500 different types of plants, tree bark, and even paint and stucco on houses, the US Department of Agriculture’s website said. Reuters

Macau shuts casinos to contain Covid outbreak

Macau: Macau will shut almost all commercial and industrial businesses, including its casinos, for a week from Monday, as authorities race to curb a surge of Covid-19 infections in the world’s biggest gambling hub. Essential services, including hotels, supermarkets and pharmacies, will, however, remain open, city officials said. Reuters