Ethiopian authorities have ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to pull out of the volatile Ogaden region for allegedly interfering in political issues, officials said on Wednesday. ”We have asked the ICRC to leave the region within seven days because they have been meddling in the region’s affairs,” said Jema Ahmed Jema, the vice-president of the region.
A woman (73) faces eviction from a retirement home in Halifax in eastern Canada for, among other things, her salty language, it was reported on Tuesday. Mary Vaughan told the <i>Globe and Mail</i> newspaper she was once offended by profanity, but learned to cuss a generation ago when she lived in the northern Yukon territories.
A 28-year-old man is expected to appear in court in connection with the hijacking of Judy Sexwale outside a school last week, Gauteng police said on Wednesday. Police spokesperson Sergeant Sanku Tsunke said the man would appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. He faces charges of armed robbery and hijacking.
Negative sentiment saw a sell-off across world markets at midday on Wednesday, adding to profit-taking on the local bourse. At 12.04pm, the all-share index was 0,97% lower than its close of 29Â 590,811 on Tuesday. It was trading at 29Â 303,960 at midday on Wednesday.
Defence parastatal Denel reduced its net loss from R1,363-billion to R549,1-million for the year to the end of March — a 60% improvement. This was achieved on the back of a 17,8% growth in revenue from R2,773-billion to R3,268-billion. Gross profit for the 12 months rose to R754-million — a 675% improvement on the previous year’s profit of R131,1-million.
The world’s biggest Aids conference closed on Wednesday with a call for the development of child-specific drugs to ensure millions of HIV-infected children not only survive to adulthood, but also live without damaging side effects from their treatment.
Zimbabwe is to import 200 000 tonnes of the staple maize from Tanzania to avert widespread food shortages following a poor harvest, state television reported. The report said efforts were under way to bring in another 200 000 tonnes from Malawi.
The Tour de France, which began with such high hopes when millions turned out to cheer its grand départ in the south of England two and a half weeks ago, was in disarray on Tuesday night after an annoucement that the pre-race favourite, Alexandr Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, had tested positive for blood doping.
The increase in South Africa’s consumer price index excluding mortgage-rate changes (CPIX) for metro and other areas, which is used by the South African Reserve Bank for its inflation target, was at 6,4% year-on-year in June, the same as in May, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Wednesday.
Iran warned on Tuesday that it would consider taking ”illegal” steps, including possible abrogation of the non-proliferation treaty, if further United Nations sanctions are imposed because of its nuclear programme. The warning was given by a senior Iranian official in an increasingly fraught war of nerves.