China carried out 80% of the world’s 2Â 148 known executions last year, while Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States accounted for most of the rest, Amnesty International said on Thursday. The London-based human rights group said in a statement that these countries bucked a steady two-decade trend towards the abolition of the death penalty.
Super 14 rugby coaches will have their calculators out this weekend as the unbeaten Canterbury Crusaders head a congested pack of 12 teams still in with a chance of making the play-offs with four matches to play. In a battle of former All Black coaches, the Crusaders should be far too powerful for the winless Western Force in Perth.
Criminal charges have been laid against five Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital employees as the Gauteng department of health moves to clamp down on irregular practices in hospitals, the department said in a statement on Thursday. ”The employees have also been suspended with immediate effect,” the statement said.
The JSE was slightly stronger in noon trade on Thursday, with a rampant bullion price boosting gold stocks. Selling of resources heavyweights BHP Billiton and Anglo American pared the bourse’s gains, however. By 11.58am, the-all share index was up a marginal 0,09% at 21 118,77. It earlier touched a record high of 21 184,381.
Fewer South Africans are gambling, according to a new study on the socio-economic impact of the practice in South Africa conducted by the Bureau of Market Research at the University of South Africa. The gambling industry now contributed just under 1% of South Africa’s gross domestic product, while only 1,7% of household budgets was spent on gambling.
Soldiers and police patrolled Nepal’s capital on Thursday as thousands of protesters from surrounding areas marched toward the city limits, where troops had orders to shoot on sight anyone breaking a curfew. Demonstrators were marching toward Kathmandu from several directions.
At least 51 people were killed on Thursday when an overcrowded bus taking them to a wedding skidded off the road and slid into a pond in north-east India, police said. "We have extricated 51 bodies so far. There could be some more people in the pond and divers are at work," a police official told Agence France-Presse.
Tuesday’s match between India and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi marked a significant moment in the career of Emirates Elite Panel umpire Rudi Koertzen as it was his 150th one-day international. By standing in the game, the 57 year-old has become only the second umpire in history to officiate in that number of ODIs, joining the now-retired David Shepherd in that very select club.
The race to reach the Vodacom Cup final has been narrowed down to the top three teams on the log — all of which face tricky encounters this weekend. The Wildebeest, Blue Bulls and Falcons have opened up a significant gap between themselves and the rest of the competition’s sides.
It has been labelled the ”Cup of Dreams” by the sponsors’ enterprising marketing department. And, after a succession of ”dream draws” for earlier rounds of the competition, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Wednesday produced a couple of ”dream venues” for the Absa Cup semifinals.