World powers will receive a ”serious response” from Iran if they adopt a new United Nations resolution imposing more sanctions over its atomic drive, top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned on Wednesday. ”If they go ahead in an extreme manner and issue a resolution, they will receive a serious answer …,” Larijani was quoted as saying.
Violence against women continues unchecked "in every continent, country and culture" because it is frequently concealed or tacitly condoned, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday. In a message to mark International Women’s Day on Thursday, the UN secretary general said violence "takes a devastating toll on women’s lives".
Bangladesh pulled off a major shock on Tuesday when they defeated New Zealand by two wickets in a World Cup warm-up match. Pace bowler Mashrafe Mortaza proved to be the hero with bat and ball. After taking 4-44 to limit the Black Caps to 224 all out, he then smashed two successive sixes off the hapless James Franklin to secure victory in the 49th over.
It was not the most romantic of honeymoons. Police said a groom is in jail, accused of trying to run over his new wife after a weekend wedding in Las Vegas. ”We have a wedding certificate for [March] 4th. They were still -honeymooning when he ran her over,” said Lieutenant Paul Jaroscak.
The bitter rivalry between Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the country’s leading elder statesman has erupted into a public struggle for control over economic policy. Hashemi Rafsanjani set the scene for a power struggle by telling Iranian journalists that Ahmadinejad’s "trial period is over".
The JSE remained modestly firmer in noon trade on Wednesday helped by a positive performance on United States markets overnight. Dealers remained unconvinced by the JSE’s gains, however, and believed more weakness was in store. By 11.52am, the all-share and all-share industrial indices added 0,4% and 0,88% respectively.
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, also the head of Interpol, told delegates at the Interpol Symposium in Kempton Park that security forces from around the world will be deployed in South Africa during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Tuesday.
Pupils at an Eastern Cape school are doing a choreographed set of movements to Bok van Blerk’s controversial song De la Rey, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday. A number of songs have been choreographed as part of the school’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
Budget constraints have forced the Western Cape provincial government to reduce the budget at Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals, Business Day newspaper reported on Wednesday. The provincial health department has had to cut 90 beds at the hospitals in order to boost primary healthcare services in townships.
Hundreds of striking Autopax bus drivers were congregating at Johannesburg’s Park Station ahead of a march to Beyers Naude Square on Wednesday morning, their trade union said. The workers are protesting against a lack of transformation at Autopax, saying there are still no black people or women in top management.