Japanese researchers have developed a new type of pillow talk — a cushion that offers pointers on how to get a good night’s sleep. The pillow called Sleep Doctor analyses slumber patterns and subsequently provides 40 kinds of advice and encouragement on a miniature screen.
Thousands of Liberian refugees in the state of Minnesota will have a chance to share their harrowing stories on Thursday when the United States branch of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission is launched at the state capital. Participants will be able to build a record that will reveal both sides of the Liberian civil war.
For a Mogadishu port worker, an Islamic group’s takeover of most of southern Somalia means he can haul cargo without fear of rampaging militiamen. At the other end of the economic scale, a Coke executive is just as eager to grasp a chance at normalcy in a country that has known little but violence for more than a decade.
Swaziland’s education minister on Wednesday dismissed a threat by school teachers to expel more than 69Â 000 orphaned or poor students in Swaziland because the government had not paid their fees. ”There is nowhere in law where such a provision exists … It is government’s policy that they should all go to school,” Constance Simelane said on local television.
Mining magnate Roger Kebble has appointed new auditors to look into five counts of fraud being brought against him, the Johannesburg Regional Court heard on Thursday. Kebble has also appointed a new legal representative, Max Hodes, SC. ”I am confident charges will be withdrawn,” Hodes told the court.
Zimbabwean police have arrested more than 280 bakers and shopkeepers for defying a state-imposed ceiling on bread prices meant to combat inflation, a newspaper said on Thursday. "At least 282 bakers and shopkeepers have been arrested in Harare for charging more than Z$85Â 000 (US83c) for a standard loaf of bread," the state-controlled <i>Herald</i> reported.
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Another 2-0 deficit wasn’t enough to stop orange-clad Côte d’Ivoire from stomping away in its elephant dance. Taking advantage of two handballs by Milan Dudic, Côte d’Ivoire beat Serbia-Montenegro 3-2 on Wednesday night through Bonaventure Kalou’s penalty shot in the 86th minute.
Judgement is expected in the Durban High Court on Thursday in an urgent application by 15 Westville Prison inmates to expedite their access to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment. Judge Thumba Pillay heard that according to the prison’s operational plan prisoners had to undergo four sessions of counselling before receiving ARV treatment.
Durban is being touted as the next city to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Launching the city’s Durban Beach Africa festival on Wednesday evening, the city’s deputy mayor, Logie Naidoo, said: ”We believe that the 2016 Olympic Games should come to Durban. Cape Town has had its chance. It’s time for Durban to bid for this biggest of events.”
A protracted strike by security guards will hopefully end with the signing of a new pay deal at noon on Thursday. South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) secretary general Randall Howard said on Wednesday that the deal would be accepted.