A British stag-party reveller nearly missed his wedding after getting into deep water with Slovakian authorities when he swam naked in a city centre fountain. Stephen Mallone (25), who is due to get married in a few days, was sentenced to two months in prison at the end of May by a Bratislava court.
All levels of government have to work towards more balanced economic growth in South Africa, Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi said on Thursday. Mufamadi was speaking at a conference for local government representatives to meet provincial and national government figures.
African, especially Southern African, nations must link tuberculosis (TB) testing and treatment with HIV-prevention programmes if they are to win the Aids battle, a top World Health Organisation (WHO) official said on Thursday. Dr Kevin de Cock, head of WHO’s HIV/Aids department said that traditional treatments for Africa’s rampant TB problem could worsen the Aids pandemic.
Kenyan police tore through a Nairobi slum on Thursday, firing rifles and tearing down shacks in the third day of a crackdown on a stronghold of the Mungiki criminal gang blamed for a wave of beheadings, witnesses said. Hundreds of police and paramilitary officers carrying automatic weapons and clubs thronged the Mathare slum.
South African Ray Mali was named as acting president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday following the death of Percy Sonn last month. Mali, president of Cricket South Africa since 2003, will take on the role for 13 months until the ICC’s 2008 annual conference, the world governing body said in a statement.
Construction of Cape Town’s R2,9-billion Green Point Stadium, being built to host a 2010 Soccer World Cup semifinal, is five weeks ahead of schedule. The city’s 2010 spokesperson, Pieter Cronje, told a media briefing in Cape Town on Thursday that contractors had completed phase one, which was excavation and laying foundations.
Benedict McCarthy was not included in the 20-man South Africa squad that is preparing for a crucial African Cup of Nations qualifier clash against Congo in Pointe Noire on June 17. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira refused to answer questions about the Blackburn Rovers striker, who he called up for the game against Chad last Saturday in Durban.
South Africa are serious contenders to win this year’s tournament, according to 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning skipper Francois Pienaar. ”We have the best chance to win a World Cup since 1995,” Pienaar told BBC Sport. ”There is tremendous talent in South Africa, the squad is really impressive and there is a real sense of optimism.”
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Thursday asked Parliament to extend the window period of the Small Business Tax Amnesty by another month, to June 30. He made the request while tabling the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill that will, among other tax policy changes, provide over R8,8-billion-worth of personal income-tax relief.
A contestant on the latest series of Big Brother was thrown off the show on Thursday for racially abusing another housemate, just days after bosses were forced to apologise for a racist row on the show’s celebrity version. Student Emily Parr was removed from the house after she was heard to say ”Are you pushing it out you nigger?” to black contestant Charley Uchea.