Sixty-five journalists were killed in 2005 — 13 less than the previous year — and freedom of the press was still under threat in many countries, according to the International Press Institute’s annual report. Iraq, where 23 journalists were killed last year, was still ”the most murderous country for journalists to report from”, the media watchdog said.
Brazil’s first astronaut, Marcos Pontes, was launched into space aboard a Soyuz space craft from the Russian base at Baikonur in Kazakhstan early on Thursday along with his Russian and United States colleagues. The Soyuz FG rocket took off at 2.30am GMT on its way to the International Space Station with Pontes, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and US astronaut Jeffrey Williams aboard.
The rate of violent deaths in war-ravaged Northern Uganda is three times higher than in Iraq, and the East African country’s 20-year insurgency has cost ,7-billion, according to a report released on Thursday. There are now about 146 deaths a week among Northern Uganda’s estimated population of five million, or 0,17 violent deaths per 10Â 000 people per day.
Sundowns’ striker Manqoba Ngwenya became the hero for Mamelodi Sundowns when he scored a brace against a depleted Bush Bucks in a Premier Soccer league in East London on Wednesday night. The visitors led 1-0 at halftime. The victory sees Sundowns move to the top of the log, one point clear of Kaizer Chiefs, and they still have a game in hand.
Jomo Cosmos added to the woes of Tembisa Classic when they beat them 2-1 in a Castle Premier League soccer match clash played at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday night. The visitors led 1-0 at the interval. Cosmos’ goals were scored by Christopher Katongo and Bhamuza Sono while Classic benefited from an own goal by Tapelo Tshilo.
Police escorted schoolchildren and teachers home on the Cape Flats this week after gang violence that left three people dead, the Cape Times reported on Thursday. Its website said residents in Hanover Park were also afraid to leave their homes.
A severe tropical cyclone packing winds of up to 235kph battered a major oil and mining region of Western Australia on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and the lock-down of key industries. Emergency officials said torrential rains and a storm sea surge of up to 10m driven by Cyclone Glenda would bring widespread flooding to the region.
Angola became the top source of crude imports to oil-hungry China last month, replacing Saudi Arabia, a Swiss-based analyst said. The former Portuguese colony shipped 2,12-million tonnes of crude to China in February, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s 1,98-million tonnes, Petromatrix Gmbh, a trade advisory and risk management company, said in a statement received on Thursday.
Africa’s largest steel group, Mittal Steel South Africa, on Wednesday expressed disappointment at the decision by Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa to scrap the 5% import tariff on steel. Mpahlwa announced the removal of the 5% import tariff on certain primary carbon and stainless steel products with immediate effect.
The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday issued a formal demand for Iran to drop its uranium enrichment efforts, which the West suspects is a cover for a nuclear weapons programme. The statement, passed unanimously, called on the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to report back in 30 days on Tehran’s compliance.