Beverlyn Nyamakwenje was fast asleep in her home in the east Johannesburg township of Katlehong when she was woken by gunshots.

Instructed by her panicked father, the 19-year old Zimbabwean grabbed a few belongings and fled with him to a police station for safety.

"We left our bags," Nyamakwenje said. "We only took two minutes."

Nyamakwenje is one of around 850 people who have taken refuge in halls set up for foreigners displaced by xenophobic violence in the Joburg region, a municipal spokesman said.

The door and windows of her little home have been smashed and the rooms wrecked. Everything inside has been stolen or burnt.

She and her father are holed up in Katlehong's Tsolo community hall, alongside 250 Zimbabweans and Malawians.

More than 500 Mozambicans have been placed in a hall nearby.

"It happened so fast," said Nyamakwenje on Monday, her fourth day at the shelter. "I only got one pair of shoes and two of my jeans."

At least 12 people have been killed by a surge of anti-foreigner violence in the country's financial capital last week.

South Africa is a major destination for economic migrants from neighbouring countries.

They have often borne the brunt of anger from locals frustrated over jobs.

But the latest surge of attacks on businesses and homes has worried other African countries. Nigeria is flying hundreds of its citizens home.

For now, Nyamakwenje sits on a plastic chair in the dimly-lit hallway, walls lined with blankets and hurriedly packed suitcases. Baby cries echoed around her.

Outside, excited children clambered around municipal pick-up trucks. Women weaved each others hair. Boys kicked lazily at a football.

Most live in the area, but they are too frightened to return home.

Violence flared up again on Sunday, breaking the tentative calm that returned to Johannesburg by the end of last week.

"In the news they are saying that the fighting was finished but.... they are fighting with us, even today," said Poronkie, a 47-year old plumber from Zimbabwe afraid to give his full name.

Another two people were killed in the attacks on Sunday, with hundreds of shops and properties looted, and more than 600 people arrested.

"I am homeless," Poronkie told AFP. "They burnt everything that belonged to me. I thank God that I am still alive."

'We are not doing anything'

Millions of economic migrants live in South Africa -- the continent's second largest economy -- though official numbers are unclear as most are undocumented.

In poor districts, many South Africans scapegoat foreigners for the limited progress made by the majority black population since apartheid ended in 1994.

"The South Africans don't want us anymore and they are executing us very brutally," said Joseph Mozorodze, 25, a Zimbabwean builder who has worked in Johannesburg for several years.

"We are not doing anything, we are just looking for jobs to earn money."

Xenophobic attacks are not uncommon, especially for migrants working in low-skilled labour.

Municipal police spokesman William Ntladi told AFP he had dealt with similar situations during his career.

Anti-foreigner violence left 62 people dead in 2008, while seven were killed in attacks in Johannesburg and Durban in 2015.

"The number we have now is less than the previous one," said Ntladi. "(In 2015) we had to use many municipal facilities to accomodate them."

Community leaders were working to ease tensions between groups and help reintegrate the displaced, he said.

Aid organisations are providing meals and donations.

'Worried about my life'

John Chirwa did not have high hopes.

Since the violence broke out, the 27-year-old Malawian security guard has been too nervous to leave his wife and newborn alone at night.

They sleep at the shelter while he goes to work.

"I was not feeling good, I couldn't work as usual," said Chirwa, picking at a plate of corn meal and chicken before his night shift.

"This violence is not just violence. It's called xenophobia. People are getting killed."

He toyed with the possibility of returning to his country, like many displaced.

"If I insist on staying maybe I'm going to loose my life," said Harry Mrevo, also from Malawi, whose home was destroyed by mobs. "So I'm waiting to go home if they provide transport."

The embassies of Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have liaised with the International Organization for Migration (OIM) to carry out voluntary repatriations.

Nigeria's consul also announced plans to fly back around 600 citizens over the course of this week.

At Tsolo, three suited Zimbabwean diplomats arrived in an SUV to take names and telephone numbers.

"I'm worried about my life, I'm still very young and I'm not going to school," said Nyamakwenje, as her fellow citizens lined up to register with the embassy.

"Why did they do that?" she asked. "What exactly did we do wrong?"

A nine-year-old girl is believed to be the first child double amputee to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week.

Daisy-May Demetre modelled for luxury childrenswear label Lulu et Gigi after designer Eni Hegedus-Buiron spotted her at London Kids Fashion Week.

The Birmingham-born model was born with fibular hemimelia, a birth defect which means all or part of the fibula bone in the leg is missing.

She had both her legs amputated below the knee at 18 months old to give her the best chance of being able to walk and run.

Daisy now wears prosthetic legs and was even seen cartwheeling at London Kids Fashion Week.

Her father, Alex Demetre, told CBS News: "Daisy's a special, unique child doing stuff all the doctors told me would never really be possible."

Describing how Daisy started modelling, he said: "It just so happened on the TV pops up a disabled modelling agency so I put the idea to her."

Daisy began her modelling career at eight years old, appearing for River Island.

Her older sister Ella, 11, joined her on the runway at New York Fashion Week.

Ms Hegedus-Buiron, who appointed Daisy as a brand ambassador for her Lulu et Gigi line, said she wanted people to see that "beauty is not one-sided".

"(Daisy) is not different to anyone else," she added.

Later this month, Daisy will model at the top of the Eiffel Tower for Paris Fashion Week.

No fewer than two persons were butchered on Sunday night by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in Nding Loh village of Fan District of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Daily Sun gathered that the villagers were attacked at 7pm where two persons were killed and five others sustained gunshots injuries.

Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Istifanus Gyang, who confirmed the attack in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Protocol, Musa Ashoms, described it as unfortunate.

Gyang lamented that the attack is coming at a time that he has put in motion necessary machinery to rescue, reconcile and empower the people of Plateau North.

“Senator Gyang has expressed sadness, and described as unfortunate the attack and killing of two persons again and five others injured on Sunday night at Nding Loh, Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State by gunmen.

“I am shocked and sad that after several appeals for peace and unity in Plateau North Senatorial District, my constituents are witnessing attacks while several lives have been lost.

“This is regrettable that when we have not recovered from the attacks in Vatt, Rubung in Foron District where lives were lost, we are confronted with another sad moment.

“I condemn the murder of my constituents at this time that we are putting efforts to reconcile the entire Plateau North for peaceful coexistence.

“I remain focused and committed to the mandate given to me to secure the people, reconcile the people and empower the people of Plateau State North.”

The state police public relations officer, Mathias Tyopev, confirmed the killings and said that Stephen Samuel (28) and Dajugu Randong (28) were murdered.

“On September 9, at about 2015hrs, the Barkin Ladi Police Division in Plateau State received a distress call that a Peugeot 504 station wagon with Reg. No. AA 393 TSF, ash in colour, was attacked by gunmen.

“The caller also said that the victims were traveling from Fanlo to Nding village when they were suddenly attacked. The attack resulted in the death of Stephen Samuel, male, 28-year-old and Dajugu Randong, male 28yrs. Five other persons escaped the attack with various degree of injuries.”

He said investigators have since visited the scene of crime and efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.

At least 640 Nigerians have signed up to take free flights home from South Africa after xenophobic attacks on foreigners, a spokeswoman for Nigeria's president said on Tuesday.

Private Nigerian airline Air Peace plans to operate two flights with Boeing 777 aircraft, the first leaving Lagos late on Tuesday to return on Wednesday with evacuees.

The plane can carry roughly 300 passengers.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday called for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians wanting to return home, and Air Peace offered free flights last week.

In the latest of periodic xenophobic violence in South Africa, deadly riots last week in Pretoria and Johannesburg killed at least 10 people including two foreigners, and targeted foreign-owned businesses.

Retaliatory attacks in Nigeria forced South African businesses to shut doors for several days, and South Africa temporarily closed its embassy on safety fears.

Buhari will visit South Africa next month to address the attacks and seek a solution.

A police officer stationed at the border of Kenya and Ethiopia has put down his gun to teach class five pupils after teachers failed to show up over fear of insecurity.

Jairus Mulumia was part of a security team deployed at Forole Primary School following a series of banditry attacks in the area that left several people dead.

In a Facebook post by Education Development Trust, Africa, Mulumia asked the school teacher to allow him teach the pupils after their teachers failed to report over insecurity.

"After getting permission from the headteacher, Mulumia, a trained teacher, got into class 5 and started teaching mathematics," said Education Development.
Incidentally, when officers from the non-governmental organization visited the school they found only girls in that class had the courage to attend school.

The school is a beneficiary of a United Kingdom aid funded project dubbed Wasichana Wetu Wafaulu.

Kenyans on social media were full of praises to the man in uniform for taking the right action in advancing the education of the youngsters.

The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia has nullified the election of the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu, for Abia North Senatorial District.

Delivering its judgment on Monday, a member of the three-member tribunal, Justice I.P.C Igwe, said that the petitioner, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, successfully proved his allegation of substantial non-compliance with the electoral guidelines.

Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had approached the tribunal to nullify the election of Kalu, who contested the Feb. 2019 election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

The petitioner told the tribunal that Kalu’s declaration as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not comply with the provisions of the 2010 Electoral Act as ammended.

He alleged that INEC excluded some votes during the collation of results, adding that the commission also disenfranchised many registered voters in the constituency.

The tribunal said that since all the parties agreed that elections were peaceful in the entire senatorial district, INEC failed in its duty to ensure that all the unit results were duly recorded in the relevant ward and local government result sheets.

It frowned at the exclusion of over 30,000 votes from Arochukwu Local Government Area, without giving good reason for its action.

The tribunal held that the excluded figure was much higher than the over 10,000 votes, which was the margin of lead between Kalu and the petitioner.

The panel therefore nullified the election and ordered a supplementary election in the affected areas within 90 days.

In a reaction, counsel for Ohuabunwa, Mr Mike Onyeka, hailed the judgment, saying it had increased his confidence in the judiciary.

“I feel a little more confident in the judiciary because what has been decided is the justice of the matter,” he said.

In a related development, the tribunal upheld the election of Rep. Sam Onuigbo for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by the Chairman, Justice Cornelius Akintayo, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Martin Apugo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for lack of competence.

Apugo had petitioned the tribunal claiming that Onuigbo, who contested the poll on the platform of PDP was not duly elected.

He contended that Onuigbo did not score the majority of the lawful votes cast and that his election should be annulled, while urging the tribunal to declare him winner instead.

He alleged that election did not hold in some areas, adding that the exercise was marred with irregularities in some parts of the constituency.

Apugo specifically alleged corrupt practices, including mutilation and swapping of results by INEC in favour of Onuigbo.

But the tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove his allegation that the exercise did not hold in some areas with ample evidence.

It further held that the petitioner failed to prove the criminal allegation beyond reasonable doubt and therefore dismissed the petition in its entirety.

He awarded N200,000 as cost to each of the first, second and third respondents.

Former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's body will lie in state at two different stadiums in the capital city for three days, the information minister said Monday, but she did not announce where he would be buried on Sunday.

Mugabe, an ex-guerrilla chief who took power in 1980 when the African country shook off white minority rule and ruled for decades, died on Friday at a hospital in Singapore. He was 95.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a statement that the government has dispatched Vice President Kembo Mohadi and other senior officials and family members to Singapore to accompany Mugabe's body home.

The body will arrive in the country "any time on Wednesday," she said. The body will lie in state at Harare's Rufaro Stadium and then at the National Sports Stadium, also in the capital, she said.

Mutsvangwa said Mugabe would be buried on Sunday but she did not say where he will be buried, saying more updates will be provided "as more information on the program trickles in."

Presidential spokesman George Charamba and deputy information minister Energy Mutodi at the weekend said the former authoritarian ruler would be buried at the National Heroes' Acre, a monumental burial site reserved for people viewed by the ruling ZANU-PF party as having served the country with distinction during and after the 1970s war of independence. Mugabe's first wife, Sally, is buried at Heroes' Acre and a vacant plot reserved for the former president is next to her grave.

However, family spokesman Leo Mugabe, a nephew of the former president, said over the weekend that burial arrangements have not yet been finalized. This has prompted speculation of a rift between the government and members of Mugabe's family, who want him to be buried at his rural home in Kutama, about 85 kilometers (52 miles) southwest of Harare.

Leo Mugabe told reporters that Mugabe had died "a very bitter man" because he felt betrayed by the former political and military leaders who were his allies for close to four decades before they forced him to resign in November, 2017.

On Thursday, a woman was told she was "too big" to receive a pedicure from a nail salon based in Houston, Texas. The woman believes she was discriminated against by the employee, who admitted to denying her service.

Tina Lewis, who had visited the Rose Nails salon a week prior to the incident to get her eyelashes done, had returned to receive a pedicure. Instead, she was told by an employee, Marie Bui, that the salon chairs were not big enough for her to sit in. Lewis, who gets her nails done every two weeks, has never had an experience like this before, she told KTRK.

"I was like, 'Can I get a pedicure? And what chair do I sit in?' And [the employee] was like, the chairs were not big enough for me to sit in. And I was like, 'Are you serious? So you’re saying that I'm too big to sit in a chair?'" Lewis said.

Bui admitted that she informed Lewis she would not be able to get a pedicure due to her size.

"I said, 'I'm sorry I cannot serve you because my spa chair is very small,'" Bui said, according to ABC7 Chicago. Bui adding that she did not intend to sound mean or rude, but claims that another customer had damaged one of the salon chairs, and Bui believed it was caused by that person's weight.

According to KTRK, the salon owner said that they had the right to deny service to Lewis, adding that the chairs cost hundreds of dollars and they are unable to afford repairs to damaged chairs.

“Someone needs to go down there and let them know that if they do have [weight] requirements, that they need to be posted on the door,” Lewis said.

Lewis said that the employees at the salon are lucky that they told her this, and not a woman who may have low self-esteem. Despite remaining confident in herself, the interaction left Lewis shocked.

"It was... very disrespectful,” Lewis said. “To me, I felt like it was discrimination."

However, the salon did not break any law. Unlike discriminating against a person's race or gender, which is protected under the law, weight discrimination is not illegal. In fact, in 49 states, it is even legal to terminate an employee for their weight.

A massive anaconda has killed a crocodile in an epic animal kingdom battle.

These pictures show how the 29ft-long snake clashed with the six-foot-long caiman crocodile in Pantanal, Brazil.

The green anaconda fought the crocodile in the swamps of tropical wetland where both species dwell.

In the images, the anaconda wraps itself around the crocodile in an effort to suffocate it.

While the snake managed to slither away from the encounter, the crocodile is believed to have died.

Wildlife photographer Kevin Dooley, 58, who took the photos, said he has "never captured anything like this before”.

Mr Dooley, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, US, said: "I was sitting in a boat having our lunch when this happened. I couldn't believe it all.

"I heard all of this splashing, and when I looked I could see the caiman was suffering.

"The anaconda just kept strangling the caiman. It had even broken all of the caiman’s legs.

"It all happened in around eight minutes.

"I think eventually the anaconda ran out of oxygen and had to let go of the caiman.

"And at that point, the caiman then bit into the snake.

"But the snake managed to get away and slither out. I think eventually the caiman died."

Mr Dooley added: "I felt very blessed and very lucky and somewhat sad for the caiman.

"I never thought in my life I would witness something like this."

A Maryland woman was taken into custody this week for allegedly murdering her neighbor, despite being the one to report the fatal incident to officials.

Detectives from the Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit announced in a press release on Monday that they had arrested Chun Yong Oh in connection with the murder of her 82-year-old Bladensburg neighbor, Hwa Cha Pak.

Authorities believe a dispute between Oh, 73, and Pak broke out early Sunday morning and escalated to a point that Oh eventually “struck the victim multiple times with a brick.”

Police said Oh then called 911 to report the incident, which is where they discovered Pak’s lifeless and beaten body in the garden behind their building.

“On September 8th, at approximately 7:15 am, officers with the Bladensburg Police Department responded to an apartment building in the 5900 block of Emerson Street for a welfare check,” a spokesperson for the Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit wrote in the release.

“They located the victim suffering from upper body trauma in a garden in the back of the building,” the spokesperson continued. “She was pronounced dead on the scene.”

A spokesperson for the Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit tells PEOPLE that the case remains an active investigation and it is not yet clear what caused the alleged dispute between the neighbors.

Oh has since been charged with first and second-degree murder and is being held at the Department of Corrections on “a no-bond status,” according to the Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit, which investigates all homicides in Bladensburg.

Speaking to The Washington Post after the tragedy, Pak’s eldest grandson, Andy Kwon, expressed his heartbreak, anger and despair.

“She helped raise all of us,” Kwon told the outlet of his grandmother, whom he said followed her only son to the United States from South Korea in the 1980s and later helped raise her nine grandchildren while their parents worked.