Former champion Ernie Els, yet to win this year, moved into a seven-way tie for the early lead with a four-under-par 68 in the British Open first round on Thursday. Determined to shake off a loss of form following a knee injury last season, the big South African rattled up six birdies and two bogeys in near-perfect scoring conditions at Hoylake.
A three-day strike by Solidarity members came to an end on Thursday after they settled with synthetic fuels group Sasol for a 6,5% wage increase. Solidarity had been demanding a 10% wage increase. The strike was called off following discussions between Sasol chief executive Pat Davies and Solidarity’s general secretary Flip Buys.
A Nigerian national was arrested on an Air Zimbabwe flight to Harare after he threatened other passengers, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported on Thursday. The man, who was not named, was arrested on Wednesday at Kamuzu International airport in Lilongwe, Malawi, for behaving in a manner that compromised the safety of other passengers, said the newspaper.
Twenty-four people are now known to have died in the collapse of a four-storey residential building in the Nigerian commercial capital, Lagos, the Nigeria Red Cross said on Thursday. ”Three bodies were pulled out today [Thursday], while one injured person died in the hospital last night [Wednesday],” said Red Cross disaster officer Umar Maigira.
A private member’s Bill intended to compensate victims of violent crime has been submitted by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at Parliament. Crime was a national crisis and ”everyone knows a victim, or is a victim” of violent crime, said DA safety and security spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard.
A singer who wore a police uniform to front the Village People disco-era band pleaded no contest to cocaine possession charges on Wednesday, according to prosecutors. Victor Willis, who led his costumed band mates in dance-club hits such as Macho Man and YMCA, faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison as a result of the plea bargain.
Survivors of the Java coast tsunami tried to return to normal life amidst the rubble of disaster on Thursday despite aftershocks that continued to spread fear and anxiety. Tens of thousands displaced by the disaster were housed in temporary shelters.
Japan and the United States announced a plan on Wednesday to deploy advanced Patriot interceptor missiles and boost troop numbers at US bases in Japan as a top government spokesperson called for more action on North Korea over its recent missile tests.
Horn of Africa power Ethiopia said on Thursday it was tracking military movements by Somalia’s newly powerful Islamists and would ”crush” any attack on President Abdullahi Yusuf’s interim government. ”We will use all means at our disposal to crush the Islamist group if they attempt to attack Baidoa, the seat of the transitional federal government,” said Ethiopian Information Minister Berhan Hailu.
The conservative Afrikaner enclave of Orania in the Northern Cape is to launch two support groups abroad, a spokesperson said on Thursday. Eleanor Lombard said an Orania member in The Netherlands, Koos Kooy, recently registered an association called the Buitelandse Vriende van Orania (Friends of Orania Abroad).