11 parents of abducted girls die from stress and attacks in Nigeria

In just three months, seven fathers have been killed by insurgents and at least four more parents have died of heart failure 

In the three months since Islamic extremists kidnapped more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls, 11 of their parents have died, town residents say.

The town where the girls were kidnapped, Chibok, is cut off by militants, who have been attacking villages in the region.

Seven fathers of kidnapped girls were among 51 bodies brought to the Chibok hospital after an attack on the nearby village of Kautakari this month, said a health worker who insisted on anonymity for fear of reprisals by the extremists.

At least four more parents have died of heart failure, high blood pressure and other illnesses that the community blames on trauma due to the mass abduction 100 days ago, said community leader Pogu Bitrus, who provided their names.

Manchester United thrash LA Galaxy 7-0 as Ander Herrera stars to give Louis van Gaal victory in first match

Size of Manchester United’s winning margin impressive with Louis van Gaal inspiring the demolition of a team crowned MLS champions just two years ago 

                                     Seven-up: Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney celebrate

Louis van Gaal launched his reign as Manchester United manager in emphatic style with Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and youngster Reece James all scoring twice in a remarkable 7-0 victory against LA Galaxy in California.

Just 11 days after signing off at the World Cup with Holland, following victory over Brazil in the third/fourth place play-off in Sao Paulo, Van Gaal was back in the dug-out for his first game as United manager in the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

And the Dutchman emerged from the friendly fixture, which saw United win the Chevrolet Cup in front of a crowd of 86,432, with a host of plus points, including the performances of debutants Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw.

Islamic State tells Mosul shopkeepers to cover up naked mannequins

Mosul shopkeepers under orders from the Islamic State to protect the modesty of plastic mannequins in clothing displays 

Islamic State instructions said clothing outlets must cover the faces of mannequins in line with Muslim tenets of covering up the human former

Islamic extremists have sought to entrench their strict religious regime in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul by banning naked mannequins, just days after imposing orders to convert, pay taxes or die rules on the city's Christians.

Islamic State instructions said clothing outlets must cover the faces of mannequins in line with Muslim tenets of covering up the human former.

The orders which apply to both male and female mannequins are in line with strict interpretations of sharia law that forbid statues or artwork depicting the human form are part of a growing web of rules and commercial regulations emanating from the Islamic militant group. It has also set out an extensive list of levies on all vehicles and trucks bringing goods into Mosul.

  

Chelsea's bid to sign Didier Drogba puts Romelu Lukaku's future in doubt

Didier Drogba's possible return to Chelsea creates more uncertainty over Romelu Lukaku's future and raises questions about ability meet home-grown quotas

                      Uncertain future: Romelu Lukaku has no clue where he will be playing his club football next season

Chelsea's bid to re-sign Didier Drogba underlines doubts over the club’s ability to meet the home-grown player quotas for the Premier League and Europe.

The Premier League have confirmed that Romelu Lukaku qualifies as a home-grown player this season, but the return of 36-year-old Drogba would increase the uncertainty over his position.

Chelsea appear to have put Lukaku’s future on hold until he returns for pre-season training in Holland on July 30, with Everton ready to make a bid to take him to Goodison Park permanently.

Juventus and Wolfsburg are also interested and Chelsea may be open to loaning Lukaku abroad now he has spent long enough in England to count as a home-grown player.

Head doctor fighting Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone contracts the deadly virus

Sheik Umar Khan has been hailed a 'national hero' by government for his work saving victims of the Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 600 people in West Africa

 Sheik Umar Khan, 39, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed 206 people in the West African country

The head doctor fighting the deadly tropical virus Ebola in Sierra Leone has himself caught the disease, the president's office said.

The 39-year-old Sheik Umar Khan, hailed as a "national hero" by the health ministry, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed 206 people in the West African country.

There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola which can kill up to 90 percent of those infected, although the mortality rate of the current outbreak is lower at around 60 percent.

Across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, 632 people have died from the illness, according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) data, putting great strain on the health systems of some of Africa's poorest countries.