The University of Edinburgh confirmed on Monday that it had withdrawn an honorary doctorate awarded to Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe in 1984 because of concern over his human rights record. The decision was the first time the British institution has taken such a step since it was founded in 1583.
Africa needs a ”green revolution” to double agricultural output and end chronic food insecurity in the world’s poorest continent, former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan said on Monday. The former top diplomat is the chairperson of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, set up last year with a -million grant.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Monday once again came out in favour of a basic income grant. ”I hope our government can rethink the need for a basic income grant,” said Tutu, addressing the South African Council of Churches triennial conference in Johannesburg.
Ernie Els believes he has eventually found some form going into the Open Championship on Thursday at Carnoustie in Scotland. Els, who has had a disappointing last 18 months by his standards, fired a closing-round 65 to finish third at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on the weekend.
Attackers targeting Somali police and government soldiers killed at least four people in Mogadishu on Monday, witnesses said, a day after mortar attacks punctuated the opening of a much-delayed peace meeting. In one incident, grenades were lobbed at police patrolling the central Bakara market.
Does Harry Potter die? Fictional or not, the question of what happens to the boy wizard at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is on millions of lips five days before it goes on sale. Security measures in place to protect the contents of book seven sound like something from a heist movie.
President Robert Mugabe has saluted the security forces in Zimbabwe for supporting his government’s controversial campaign to slash prices of all goods and services in the country, reports said on Monday. The 83-year-old leader was speaking on Sunday as he gave out prizes after the President’s Medal shooting competition in the capital, Harare.
The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson as their new cricket coach on Monday. Board chairperson Nasim Ashraf told a news conference that Lawson had been preferred over two other short-listed candidates, Dav Whatmore and Richard Done.
Residents of state-subsidised housing in Cape Town are to march to Parliament on Tuesday, protesting against the poor quality of their homes, the Anti-Eviction Campaign said. Residents have nicknamed the N2 Gateway housing project the ”gateway to hell” and were planning to march to Parliament to protest directly to Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.
Water containing some radioactive materials leaked from a nuclear power plant in Japan after a strong earthquake on Monday, a spokesperson for the firm running the facility said. "We have confirmed that water containing a slight amount of radioactive materials leaked out of the facility," said Shougo Fukuda, a spokesperson for Tokyo Electric.