More than 30 years after his death, a ”new” book by JRR Tolkien goes on sale on Tuesday which may well be the author’s last complete work to be published posthumously. Tolkien’s son and literary executor Christopher, now in his eighties, constructed The Children of Hurin from his father’s manuscripts.
The United States urged Sudan on Monday to accept United Nations troops as part of a hybrid peacekeeping force for Darfur as the world body awaited word from the African Union (AU) on reports Khartoum had agreed to a joint deployment. The Saudi state news agency reported that Sudan had signed a deal with the UN and the AU on deployment of African and UN forces.
In 2005, she was named best newcomer, and on Saturday, Simphiwe Dana made good on that promise by walking away with four awards at the 13th annual South African Music Awards (Samas). Dana was named best female artist and her album The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street was chosen as album of the year.
The Freedom Front+ has laid a formal complaint over the destruction of a Great Trek memorial at Standerton, party leader Dr Pieter Mulder said on Sunday. Mayor Queen Radebe-Khumalo ordered the destruction of the memorial, which was in front of the municipal offices, apparently with the approval of the Mpumalanga African National Congress.
Marat Safin carried his clay-court momentum from last weekend’s Davis Cup victory into the opening round of the Monte Carlo Masters as he ousted Finn Jarkko Nieminen 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday. The former world number one from Russia was joined in the second round by Frenchman Julien Benneteau a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 winner over Benjamin Balleret.
The World Bank’s future is in ”crisis” over the pay scandal involving Paul Wolfowitz and his girlfriend, according to an influential European minister, as the embattled bank president accused critics of spreading ”misleading information”. The Dutch Development Minister, Bert Koenders, told Reuters on Sunday night that he had ”grave concern” over the controversy.
Even superheroes get the blues, as Spider-Man discovers in this latest sequel during which he confronts a mutant made of sand, a vengeful former friend and, ultimately, himself. In the sequel, Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, is finally enjoying life with the beautiful Mary Jane Watson, played by Kristen Dunst, when he discovers a mysterious black suit that gives him special powers.
Kings and royalty from South Africa’s many different tribes will gather on Monday to witness the grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela reclaim the family’s position as traditional leaders. Mandla Mandela (32) will be installed as head of the Mvezo Traditional Council by the King of the AbaThembu, Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo.
Riot police wielding batons beat, kicked and chased anti-Kremlin protesters through the heart of St Petersburg on Sunday, a day after Russian authorities snuffed out a similar rally in Moscow. In the last few months police tactics against opposition marches have been to forcefully clear them off the streets after a certain period of time.
Concern was mounting on Sunday night for the safety of the kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston after a group in Gaza issued a statement saying he had been killed. It was impossible to verify the claim, which was made in Arabic and sent by email to Palestinian journalists in Gaza from a previously unknown group.