The human rights organisation Amnesty International said on Friday a dissident general is recruiting large numbers of children to fight in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) conflicted North Kivu province, affecting programmes to reunify children formerly associated with armed groups with their families.
"There’s too much space. I put the last piece of luggage in and even though there’s five of us, there are vast areas of nothing just waiting to be filled. Something’s missing. It has to be. Then it hits me. There’s no cooler box, no Weber, no bedding, pillows, no trolley-loads of food, no kitchen sink …," writes Sharon van Wyk.
The foul-smelling white substance cakes lamp posts, covers sidewalks and park benches and stains the bushes and trees. Parked cars become spattered in a matter of minutes along ”bird poop alley”. Thousands of cormorants are making a stinking mess around Florida’s Lake Eola, a recreation area in downtown Orlando.
The United States has offered aid to Iran after a devastating earthquake but also kept up pressure over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme. The powerful earthquake struck western Iran, leaving at least 70 dead and 1 265 injured. The area of Brujerd was hit hardest.
He stood out as one of the African imports into the Premier Soccer League (PSL)firmament who was a credit to South African soccer — both on and off the field. Former Zimbabwean international central defender and Cape Town Spurs captain Makonese ”Francis” Shonhai has died after battling meningitis and tuberculosis for some time.
Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius marked his return to action with two conversions and a drop goal as the Lions drew 24-24 with Griquas in their Vodacom Cup match in Kimberley on Friday night. In Friday’s other match, Pumas fullback Casper Steyn kicked his team to a 15-9 win over the Mighty Elephants in Port Elizabeth.
Even with one brief lapse, Roger Federer needed only 59 minutes to beat David Ferrer 6-1, 6-4 and reach the Nasdaq-100 Open final on Friday. His opponent on Sunday will be sixth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic, a Croat who advanced to his first final in the United States by beating number three David Nalbandian 6-1, 6-2.
Jenson Button earned his third career formula-one pole position on Saturday after recording the fastest time in qualifying for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. It was the first pole since last year’s Canadian Grand Prix for the Honda driver, who is yet to win a race in more than 100 grands prix.
If a religious person offers to pray for you next time you fall ill, you may wish to ask them politely not to bother. The largest scientific study into the health effects of prayer seems to suggest it may make matters worse. Two-thirds of Americans and more than a quarter of British people say they pray regularly.
General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the former communist leader of Poland, is to stand trial for ”communist crimes” 25 years after he tried to crush the Solidarity trade union, declared a ”state of war” in Poland and jailed tens of thousands. Jaruzelski has always argued that his decision to impose martial law was the lesser of two evils.