World review: Zambia mourns 'good luck' fish, End of Kardashians

Zambia's President Edgar Lungu has joined the nation in mourning the death of a fish that lived in a pond at the country's second-biggest university.

Students at Copperbelt University (CBU) lit candles and marched around campus to mourn the big fish.

The hashtag Mafishi, as the fish was affectionately known, is trending on Twitter in the southern African state.

For the past two decades CBU students have believed the fish would bring them good luck in exams.

Mafishi, meaning "Big Fish" in the local Bemba language, was thought to be at least 22 years old and had lived in the university's pond for more than 20 years, student leader Lawrence Kasonde said.

His death was still being investigated, added the president of the Copperbelt University Student's Union.

"It is yet to be buried, we are planning on embalming it," Mr Kasonde told the BBC.

Some students used to pay homage to the fish before exams, believing it brought them good luck while others saw it as a stress-reliever, says BBC Zambia reporter Kennedy Gondwe.

The long-running TV reality show about the Kardashian family is coming to an end, Kim Kardashian West has announced.

"It is with heavy hearts that we've made the difficult decision as a family to say goodbye to Keeping Up With The Kardashians," she said in a statement posted on Twitter.

The show has run for 14 years, and made global mega-stars of Kim, her siblings, their parents, partners and children.

The final season, its 21st, will air in early 2021.

Expressing her thanks to the "thousands of individuals and businesses" involved in the programme, Kim also added: "I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who has watched and supported me and my family these past 14 incredible years."

"This show made us who we are and I will be forever in debt to everyone who played a role in shaping our careers and changing our lives forever," she went on.

Final clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, have been put on hold after a participant had an adverse reaction in the UK.

AstraZeneca described it as a "routine" pause in the case of "an unexplained illness".

The outcome of vaccine trials is being closely watched around the world.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine is seen as a strong contender among dozens being developed globally.

Hopes have been high that the vaccine might be one of the first to come on the market, following successful phase 1 and 2 testing.

Its move to Phase 3 testing in recent weeks has involved some 30,000 participants in the US as well as in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Phase 3 trials in vaccines often involve thousands of participants and can last several years.

Uber has said that all taxis available through its app will be electric by 2040 - and by 2030 in US, Canadian and European cities.

The ride-hailing firm said the move was part of its "responsibility" to tackle the challenge of climate change.

The company said that it would spend $800m (£614m) to help drivers switch to electric cars, creating partnerships with manufacturers to ensure discounts.

Users will also be able to request an electric or hybrid vehicle.

That option is available in 15 US and Canadian cities for an extra $1, Uber said. It said it would launch in more than 65 cities globally by the end of the year.

"It's our responsibility as the largest mobility platform in the world to more aggressively tackle the challenge of climate change," chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said in a blog post on Tuesday.

"While we're not the first to set ambitious goals in transitioning to [electric vehicles], we intend to be the first to make it happen."

The US is to block key exports from China's Xinjiang region due to allegations that they are produced using forced labour.

The proposed bans include cotton and tomato products which are two of China's major commodity exports.

The Trump administration has been ratcheting up pressure on China for its treatment of Xinjiang's Uighur Muslims.

In recent years China has massively increased security in Xinjiang, citing a threat of separatism and terrorism.

By some estimates up to a million people have been detained without trial for minor infractions, in what China says are re-education camps.

Compiled by D.Tarus