Former minister of population development Jac Rabie has died at the age of 69, Beeld reported on Thursday. According to Rabie’s family, his death was the result of ”protracted pain and suffering”, which he endured after he saw his wife, Sandra (47), murdered two years ago.
Police battled demonstrators in Istanbul as tens of thousands of workers rallied on World Labour Day on Thursday while soaring food prices brought large crowds on to the streets of some Asian capitals. In Istanbul, police used pepper gas and water cannon to disperse workers outside Turkey’s main left-wing labour confederation.
A United States air strike killed an Islamist commander thought to be al-Qaeda’s leader in Somalia and at least a dozen other people on Thursday, the insurgents and witnesses said. Aden Hashi Ayro died in the latest of several US bombings in recent months to have targeted Somali rebel leaders.
Mozambican police on Wednesday denied recent accusations by Amnesty International of having a ”mandate to kill” in regard to policing the country. Police spokesperson First Deputy Police Commissioner Carlos Rungo said that accusations of the police killing and torturing citizens with near total impunity were completely untrue.
President Hugo Chávez is raising Venezuela’s minimum wage by 30% as inflation continues to soar in the oil-producing nation. The socialist leader has signed a decree that will fix the monthly minimum wage at , starting on May 1, International Workers’ Day. Chávez says the move will give Venezuela the highest minimum wage in Latin America.
Ajax Cape Town’s hopes of winning the Absa Premiership were dealt a massive blow at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Wednesday night when defending champions Sundowns crushed the Urban Warriors 2-0. Sundowns led the match 2-0 at half-time.
South Africa’s Coastal Sharks face a moment of truth against the toughest team in rugby’s Super 14 when they put their chances of a home play-off on the line against the Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday. The Sharks are feeling the effects of five demanding weeks on the road in Australia and New Zealand.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) request to attend closed sessions of the Ginwala inquiry into suspended National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli was rejected on Wednesday. The party requested permission from President Thabo Mbeki in March to attend the closed session into Pikoli’s fitness to hold office.
Hillary Clinton branded rhetoric by Barack Obama’s former pastor ”outrageous” on Wednesday as her Democratic foe tried to recover from his latest campaign crisis with two vital primaries looming. Clinton made her most expansive comments yet on the latest uproar sparked by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
Zimbabweans are bracing for a bloody second round of elections after government sources on Wednesday said a recount of the presidential vote held a month ago showed that President Robert Mugabe lost to Morgan Tsvangirai, but that neither won an outright majority.