More than 60 journalists in Zimbabwe who were touring areas affected by the government’s controversial Operation Murambatsvina — a slum-clearance programme that left thousands homeless — were on Tuesday denied entry to check on conditions at the Hopley farm settlement for Murambatsvina victims in Harare.
Thousands of Somalis on Wednesday demanded an end to deadly violence that has rocked their lawless capital, denouncing a United States-backed warlord alliance that has been battling Islamic militia. More than 2 000 Mogadishu residents rallied to call for a full halt to the bloodiest fighting the city has seen in 15 years.
The spectre of violent anti-caste demonstrations loomed over India on Tuesday night after the government vowed to press ahead with plans to reserve almost 50% of seats in colleges and universities for lower-caste and other disadvantaged Indians.
Zinedine Zidane scored in his final game for Real Madrid on Tuesday, a consolation in a season-ending 4-3 loss to Sevilla. Madrid conceded all four goals to the newly crowned UEFA Cup champion in a 17-minute spell before halftime after David Beckham had given Real a 2-0 lead.
A cholera epidemic in war-devastated Angola has claimed 1 246 lives with more than 35 000 people ill with the disease, the World Health Organisation announced on Tuesday. Cholera, a highly infectious waterborne disease that causes severe diarrhoea, is present in large swathes of Angola.
Making their third appearance in the World Cup finals this summer, Iran will be desperate to please their passionate supporters back home and the large Germany-based expatriate population by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time.
A Bulgarian engineer arrested in Libya in 1999 with five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, now on retrial for ”knowingly” injecting Libyan children with HIV/Aids-contaminated blood, said on Wednesday he saw the six tortured in detention.
Asia’s standing as a reputable footballing continent will be on the line at the World Cup, and AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam on Wednesday rallied regional teams to stand up and be counted. Five Asian Football Confederation teams will be in action — Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, with plenty at stake.
Business Unity South Africa (Busa) said on Wednesday it views the Congress Of South African Trade Unions’ call for national protest action on Thursday as very unfortunate. " … We believe that our economy … requires all of us to work towards ensuring that we avert any action that may have a negative impact on … creating jobs and halving unemployment by 2014," said Busa CEO Jerry Vilakazi.
Discovery, one of South Africa’s fastest-growing financial-services companies and a leader in the life and health sectors, has once again broken new ground with the opening of a franchise-distribution facility in Soweto. The Discovery Consulting Services branch will service the needs of financial advisers in greater Soweto, through Discovery’s unique franchise model.