Hard-pressed Iraqi government forces were forced to strike a truce with Shi’ite militia fighters on Tuesday, as fierce fighting followed by a pipeline explosion left 155 people dead. Officials said that 81 people died in Diwaniyah in Monday’s clashes between security forces and militiamen and that on Tuesday a fire at a fuel pipeline outside the town killed 74 more.
Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is breaking the law by making unproven claims about the effectiveness of alternative ”treatments” for Aids, according to the South African Medical Association. She has been dubbed ”Dr Beetroot” because of her advocacy of a beetroot, garlic and lemon diet for people with Aids.
The tobacco industry is ”on top of things” when it comes to the government’s proposed tougher anti-smoking legislation, according to the Democratic Alliance’s former health spokesperson, Dianne Kohler-Barnard. She also said she will ”fight to the death” for smokers’ rights. She made these statements last month in a series of e-mails.
Turffontein Racecourse is to be transformed into a premier night-racing venue. ”The money will see Turffontein become a luxurious racing venue with about 70 weekend and night race meetings being held there annually. Additional race meetings may also be held at Randjesfontein,” a statement said.
Controversial legislation placing an outright ban on any form of South African involvement in mercenary activities was approved in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Introducing debate on the measure, Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota said mercenaries are the scourge of poor areas of the world, especially Africa. ”These are killers for hire,” he said.
Nigeria announced on Tuesday that state and presidential polls ushering in a new government to succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo will be held in April next year. The former army general, who came to power in May 1999 to end more than 15 years of military rule, has vowed to organise credible, free and fair elections when his two terms expire in May 2007.
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance on Tuesday as a deadline neared for Iran to halt work the West fears is a step toward building nuclear bombs, and challenged United States President George Bush to a televised debate. ”Peaceful nuclear energy is the right of the Iranian nation,” he told a news conference.
Police helicopters are to be fitted with airborne surveillance systems from Denel, the state-owned arms company said on Tuesday. ”This virtual ‘eye in the sky’ system will allow the South African Police Service to deploy their helicopters for all-weather and day and night crime prevention,” said Sam Basch, Denel’s spokesperson.
Two men and a woman appeared briefly in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of fraud involving about R25-million, the National Prosecuting Authority said. Anton de Bruyn, his wife Debra and Mynderd Jacobus Hendrickz were arrested in the Randfontein area earlier on Tuesday, NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said in a statement.
Nasa moved the Atlantis shuttle off its Florida launch pad on Tuesday to protect it from Tropical Storm Ernesto, a change that threatens plans to lift off this month. The storm began intensifying on Tuesday as it left Haiti, where it killed two people, and Cuba to head over open water toward south Florida.