The first time someone took note of Coniochaeta pulveracea was more than two hundred years ago, when the South African-born mycologist Dr Christiaan Hendrik Persoon mentioned it in his 1797 book on the classification of fungi. Now C. pulveracea has had its whole genome sequenced by microbiologists. All because this relatively unknown fungus has an extraordinary ability to degrade wood -- hence the descriptor 'pulveracea', meaning powdery.

In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found new clues into the parts of the human genome associated with the higher rates of asthma in those of African ancestry.

Scientists working in a range of disciplines joined forces to identify a new approach to combat African sleeping sickness. Fundamental research has revealed a promising strategy to develop a suitable agent.

Britain's Dan Evans beats wildcard Lloyd Harris of South Africa 6-0 6-2 to reach the Delray Beach Open quarter-finals in Florida.

With a little research, travelers can find copies of "The Negro Motorist Green Book" online and retrace the route in the movie or develop their own tours of sites that once provided refuge to African-Americans.

African-American children often are reported by parents and teachers to display behaviors of ADHD at a higher rate than children from other racial and ethnic groups. For the first time, researchers have found that African-American mothers in a study rated boys as displaying more frequent ADHD symptoms than Caucasian mothers did, regardless of child race.

Egypt choose six venues across five cities to host this year's Africa Cup of Nations including the Cairo International Stadium and the Port Said Stadium.

South Africa's minister of finance says that the government will loan the troubled state power company, Eskom, 69 billion rand ($4.9 billion) to help it service its debts.