John Leicester
John Leicester works from Paris, France. A bit of this, a bit of that, always for The Associated Press. France-based, with itchy feet. Jack of all news trades, possibly mastering some. Words and images John Leicester has over 3208 followers on Twitter.
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/ 15 February 2007

France ‘reaping what it sowed’ in Africa

An era draws to a close this week when French President Jacques Chirac hosts his last summit of leaders from Africa, a continent where France’s traditional influence is being threatened by resource-hungry China. Chirac’s office said there would likely be a meeting on Thursday between the heads of Sudan, Central Afrian Republic and Chad about Darfur.

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/ 16 June 2006

Net closes in on cycling’s ‘blood brothers’

Of all the forms of doping in sports, perhaps none is more vampirish than athletes siphoning, storing and transfusing their own blood. A pint here, a pint there. Packed with red blood cells that carry oxygen to tired muscles, a back-alley transfusion can add a spring to the step of a World Cup soccer player or help a Tour de France cyclist ascend steep mountain passes.

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/ 8 February 2006

Nigeria reports first deadly bird flu in Africa

A ”highly pathogenic” strain of the H5N1 bird-flu virus has been found in poultry stocks in Nigeria — the first reported case of the disease in Africa, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health said on Wednesday. Nigeria reported the outbreak among commercial, battery-cage poultry in a village in Kaduna state.