The Zimbabwe government on Tuesday said it would discuss the case of former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam with Addis Ababa only, rejecting calls by the opposition and civic groups to hand him back to his country for trial. Mengistu, who has lived in exile in Zimbabwe since fleeing an armed rebellion that ended his rule in 1991, is wanted in Ethiopia to stand trial.
France will commit around R2-billion to South Africa for development in infrastructure, productivity and environment and energy, French Minister for Co-operation and Development Brigitte Girardin said on Tuesday. Girardin announced this in Johannesburg after meetings with President Thabo Mbeki and Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Continued decline in Zimbabwe’s tobacco production could bring the tobacco industry "to its knees" if unchecked, a Zimbabwe Parliamentary committee has been told. According to the country’s state-owned <i>The Herald</i> newspaper, the tobacco industry painted a gloomy picture on the state of preparedness ahead of this year’s season because of "numerous challenges" faced.
Nintendo said on Wednesday it would launch its "brain-training" software, a megahit in Japan, in the United States and Europe in hopes of winning customers who do not like video games but worry about aging. The software is billed as checking the ages of players’ brains by quizzing them on maths, reading and other simple tasks.
Filippo Inzaghi refuses to relent — neither to injuries nor a late-game deficit. The striker scored two goals, including an 88th-minute winner, to advance AC Milan to the Champions League semifinals with a 3-1 win over Lyon on Tuesday. In October, Inzaghi returned from a slow-healing left ankle injury, which has required two operations.
Landmines laid in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s five-year civil war have killed almost 1 800 people since the end of the conflict, the United Nations anti-landmine centre in DRC said on Tuesday. The centre’s director, Harouna Ouedraogo, said that landmines kill people every month in the vast African country.
Ernie Els is hoping it will be 13th time lucky when he tees off in The Masters in Augusta on Thursday. The big South African has carved out an impressive record at Augusta since his first appearance in 1994 with six top 10 finishes, including runner-up slots in 2000 and 2004.
Tiger Brands and Nestle announced on Wednesday that an agreement in principle has been reached for the acquisition by Tiger Brands of the sugar confectionery portfolio of Nestle in South Africa. The sugar confectionery portfolio of Nestle includes such well-known brands as "Jelly Tots" and "Wilson’s".
Police fought running battles with rioters in central Paris on Tuesday night as youths attacked officers with bottles and concrete at the end of a mass demonstration against a youth employment law that has caused a political crisis for President Jacques Chirac’s ruling party.
The World Short-Course Swimming Championships suffered the loss of yet another top athlete as Australia and the United States dominated the opening heats on Wednesday. Double world champion Roland Schoeman, the top draw here in the absence of swimming greats Michael Phelps, Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett, was a late withdrawal citing a lack of fitness, organisers said.