LANSANA FOFANA, Freetown | Monday 7.30pm. NO Sierra Leonean lawyer appears willing to defend Corporal Foday Sankoh, Sierra Leone’s rebel leader who has been charged with treason in Freetown. Most lawyers contacted by reporters on Monday, and who declined to be quoted, said they would not defend the rebel leader, who is widely regarded as […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abuja | Monday 6.30pm. NIGERIAN leader General Abdulsalam Abubakar on Monday confirmed that the government is currently investigating several corrupt officials thought to have siphoned billions of dollars off the national coffers under the regime of Abubakar’s predecessor, the late General Sani Abacha. Abacha’s statement comes after media speculation last month that former […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kuala Lumpur | Monday 9.30PM. ATHLETES who test positive for cannabis may be tipped off in advance by Commonwealth Games organisers to give them time to flee Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has some of the toughest drug laws in the world, punishable by the death. Dr Geoffrey Haigh, the Games’ honorary medical chief, said […]

LEWIS MACHIPISA, Harare | Monday 11.00pm. A CONFERENCE will be held in Zimbabwe this week to raise money from the donor community for its controversial land reform programme. The conference, to be held from September 9 to 11, was originally planned for July, but was postponed amid speculation that few donors are willing to subsidise […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Arusha | Monday 10.30PM. FORMER Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda has appealed against his life sentence for crimes against humanity handed down by the war crimes tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha on Friday. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda registry in Arusha confirmed that the appeal was filed on Monday morning. Kambanda’s legal […]

MUNGO SOGGOT in Johannesburg | Monday 1.30pm. THE Johannesburg High Court on Monday dismissed, with costs, the R7-million defamation suit brought by Liberian politician Emanuel Shaw II against the Mail & Guardian. Deputy Judge President Monis Fleming threw the case out of court and ordered Shaw to pay the M&G’s costs, which are expected to […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 7.00pm. SOUTH African business confidence fell to its lowest level in 12 years during August as the fragility of emerging markets was exposed in the global market instability, figures released by the South African Chamber of Business on Monday indicated. Business confidence fell 4,1 points during the 4,1 points over […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 7.00pm. WINNIE MADIKIZELA-Mandela and former President PW Botha are among 200 people who have received written warning that the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission could “damage” them. Deputy Defence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, President Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife and Botha were among those TRC notices about the potentially damaging […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 6.00pm. SOUTH African oil-from-gas producer Mossgas on Friday signed a R2,2-billion alliance agreement with United Kingdom-based Dresser-Kellogg Energy Service to develop the EM gasfield in the Bredasdorp Basin. The companies have formed what is known as the Bredasdorp Alliance which is the largest contract ever in South Africa using alliance […]

SARAH BULLEN in Johannesburg | Friday 5.30pm. LOCAL stock toasted the end to a turbulent week by ending firmer on Friday, leaving gold pundits smirking as the all gold index gained 11,71% on the day. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s rise came despite an overnight fall in the New York stock market which was expected to […]