Israel and South Africa carried out a nuclear test on an offshore platform in the northern Antarctic in 1979, according to a newly disclosed United States document, <i>Yediot Aharonot</i> newspaper said on Friday. The document says a mystery explosion detected on September 22 1979 by a US satellite was a nuclear test.
Polio has returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the first time in six years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Friday. WHO spokesperson Fadela Chaib told reporters that a two-and-a-half year old girl had been paralysed by a strain of the polio virus that had been carried from India via Angola.
The Wellington Hurricanes became the first team to qualify for the Super 14 rugby final when a massive 50m penalty by Jimmy Gopperth secured a tough 16-14 win over the New South Wales Waratahs on Friday. They must now wait for the outcome of Saturday’s match between defending champions the Crusaders and the Bulls to determine who they will play in the final.
Zimbabwe immigration authorities on Friday barred top South African labour leader Zwelinzima Vavi from entering the country, immediately putting him back on a South African Airways plane that had brought him to Harare International airport. Vavi, who is general secretary of the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), is an outspoken critic of President Robert Mugabe’s controversial rule.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has donated 100 computers to 10 schools in Harare ahead of a parliamentary by-election in a key suburb, reports said on Friday. Voters in the low-income suburb of Budiriro are due to go to the polls on Saturday to fill a parliamentary seat left vacant by the death of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change MP Gilbert Shoko.
Italian football is in meltdown with the World Cup less than a month away. Four Serie A clubs stand accused of match-fixing, a referee and his assistants have been pulled off the World Cup list while being investigated for corruption, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon may also miss the tournament as a result of a betting scandal, and the national organising body is in administration.
Three policemen, a reservist and another man were arrested this week for dealing in ammunition without a licence, police said on Friday. A police reservist, Inspector Craig Brendon Sacke (31) and 33-year-old Stephen Grippa were arrested on Monday, said Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sue Van der Merwe has concluded discussions about economic co-operation with her Iranian counterpart. Sheikhattar Alireza, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Cooperation, is in South Africa for a working group meeting, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said in a statement on Friday.
Thierry Henry has decided to stay at Arsenal and is expected to sign a new four-year contract with the north London football club on Friday, Britain’s Sun newspaper said. ”I hope to stay as long as I can keep running,” the tabloid quoted the club’s 28-year-old captain as saying.
Pension fund trustees from seven states and New York City demanded to meet with Exxon Mobil’s independent directors to discuss what they called the oil company’s failure to consider how concern over global warming could affect energy companies.