No image available
/ 6 February 2007
President George Bush has approved a Pentagon plan to create a new military command for operations in Africa to coordinate action and counter potential threats from the continent, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday. ”This command will enable us to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current arrangement,” Gates told a congressional panel.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
An invitation to anti-apartheid activist Allan Boesak to speak at Adelaide Tambo’s Cape Town memorial service has been withdrawn over ”sensitivities”, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said on Tuesday. Ndungane said the clergyman was approached to deliver the homily, or short sermon, at Wednesday’s memorial in St George’s Cathedral.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) demanded transparency and accountability from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in a march to its offices in Johannesburg on Tuesday. While the SABC is supposed to report fairly, in a balanced way, it seems to have become a ”fully fledged mouthpiece of the government”, FXI spokesperson Vumile Velaphi said.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
African economies face a daunting challenge to catch up with the rest of the world after missing out on two decades of growth, a new report by the World Bank said on Tuesday. The author of the study, Benno Ndulu, said Africa has been losing the battle against poverty in comparison to the rest of the world, but expressed hope there is enough ambition to reverse the current situation.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused Iran on Tuesday of trying to whip up the ”maximum trouble” possible but said no one was contemplating military action against Tehran. Blair, a close ally of United States President George Bush, accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons capability in defiance of the United Nations.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
Escalating clashes over fertile land in Kenya’s Mount Elgon region have killed 60 people and forced tens of thousands more from their homes since December, the Kenya Red Cross said on Tuesday. Land is an explosive issue in the East African nation, where for decades top politicians grabbed public land for political patronage.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
A 21-gun salute, honour guard and parade of South African government ministers led by President Thabo Mbeki welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday. Hu started his two-day state visit to South Africa with talks with President Thabo Mbeki.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
Cultural critics poured scorn on Tuesday on decisions by two major London museums to devote shows to celebrities Kylie Minogue and Kate Moss, charging they were chasing crowds, not quality. The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Kylie: The Exhibition opens on Thursday.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
A woman burst into tears in the Cape High Court on Tuesday during an angry outburst over the death of her teenage daughter, who was allegedly shot by the 64-year-old man who had fathered the girl’s baby. According to prosecutor Penelope Magona, the girl left home at the age of 13 to live with the man.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has requested an investigation by the research ethics council following concerns about the health of participants in microbicide clinical trials. In a statement released on Tuesday, Tshabalala-Msimang said she had met with researchers following ”disturbing news” about preliminary results of a study conducted in KwaZulu-Natal.