The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is suffering a haemorrhage of key staff officials, in part because of the federation’s stand on African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma. Among the spate of senior leaders who have resigned from the federaÂtion, or are planning to do so soon, is senior economist Neva Makgetla and organising secretary Mncedisi Nontsele.
Oleg Kharitonov of Russia has won the 81st Comrades Marathon ”up run” from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on Friday. The 38-year-old captured his first Comrades Marathon in a time of five hours, 35 minutes, 16 seconds — nearly 10 minutes outside the record time of 5:25,33 set by Vladimir Kotov in 2000.
Twenty one people have died from tetanus in the aftermath of last month’s earthquake in Indonesia’s central Java island, the health ministry said on Friday. They were among 60 people infected with tetanus after they were injured by rubble when the quake destroyed their homes, the ministry said in a statement. Thirty seven of those are still in hospital, it said.
Bird flu may have become more virulent, increasing the risk to humans, Hong Kong’s health chief warned on Friday following the latest infection in a neighbouring Chinese city. China on Thursday confirmed its 19th human case of bird flu, a 31-year-old man from the southern economic boom town of Shenzhen, bordering Hong Kong, who is critically ill in hospital.
A suicide bomber attacked a Shia mosque in northern Baghdad on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounding another 18, police said. The bomber, wearing an explosives belt, struck just before Friday prayers at the Buratha mosque, where at least 85 people were killed on April 7 in an attack by three suicide bombers.
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Angola’s coach called for African nations to cooperate to improve their football after a winless opening week for the continent at the World Cup. Four of the five African teams lost their first games with only Tunisia registering a draw against lowly Saudi Arabia.
President Thabo Mbeki laid wreaths at the Hector Pieterson memorial site in Soweto on Friday as part of the 30th anniversary of the June 16 1976 student uprisings. Mbeki was accompanied by Minister in the Presidency Dr Essop Pahad, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo.
MOVIE OF THE WEEK: The King is mesmerisingly watchable, despite the occasional desire to avert one’s eyes, writes Shaun de Waal.
Former South African president FW de Klerk was on Friday being gradually taken off a ventilator following respiratory problems after an operation to remove a cancerous tumour, his spokesperson said. ”He is responding well to treatment. He is being taken off sedation and being weaned off the ventilator and gradually starting to breathe himself,” David Steward said.
The United Nations appealed for millions of dollars in aid on Friday to help combat possible food shortages in the desert nation of Mauritania. The UN World Food Programme said in a statement its relief operation there "is facing a complete break in supplies at the end of July — exactly the time of year when food needs are at their annual peak".