The United States ambassador fled a central Afghan town after a Taliban suicide bomber killed 10 people and wounded 50, further stoking fears of an Iraqi influence on the escalating insurgency. Ronald E Neumann was not hurt when a man exploded a landmine strapped to his body about one and a half kilometres from the governor’s office in Tirin Kot, capital of Uruzgan province.
Coverage of Aids in Africa typically focuses on the dire situation in countries south of the Sahara, which are home to almost two thirds of people infected with HIV globally, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids. But what of the countries that lie further north and along the Mediterranean? In the case of one of these nations, Algeria, concern about the pandemic is mounting.
Swazi police have arrested a 14th opposition activist for treason related to a spate of petrol-bomb attacks against courthouses and police officers late last year, officials said on Friday. Bonginkose Dlamini, the secretary general of the opposition People’s United Democratic Movement, was arrested on Thursday evening.
For the second time in two weeks, the United Nations mission monitoring the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea has reported movements of troops on both sides of the border on Friday, despite an earlier order from the UN Security Council to pull back or face sanctions.
A female husky dog saved the life of a Taiwanese newborn by snatching him from the toilet after his mother gave birth alone at home and collapsed, a social worker said on Friday. The 24-year-old single mother, identified only as Huang, did not feel well on Sunday and went to the bathroom without realising she was in labour.
Yao Wenyuan, the last surviving member of the Gang of Four, who has died aged 74, was a literary polemicist whose pen, under Mao Zedong’s patronage, launched the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-76). His vitriolic essays provided ammunition for Mao and his wife, Jiang Qing (Madam Mao) in their campaign to destroy senior communist leaders.
The pace of China’s economic growth poses a dire threat for the planet unless Beijing and other industrial countries change their outdated model of production and consumption, an environmental activist warned. ”Our global civilisation today is on an economic path that is environmentally unsustainable,” said Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute.
The JSE moved higher on Friday due to steady international equity markets and improved commodity as well as metal prices, brokers said. By 11.56am, the all-share index added 0,17%, the all-share industrial index climbed 0,46%, the financials index rose 1,19% and the banks index surged 2,74%.
Roger Federer’s preparation for an attempt at recapturing the Australian Open title gathered momentum as he reached the semifinals in defence of his title at the Qatar Open on Thursday. The world number one from Switzerland showed signs of developing rhythm and improving movement during a 6-4, 6-3 win over Marcos Baghdatis.
Wal-Mart Stores is shutting down the system that creates movie recommendations on its shopping website after it linked a Planet of the Apes DVD to films about famous black Americans, including Martin Luther King Jr. Under a ”similar items” section, the DVD set’s page linked shoppers to four films about the lives of King, actress Dorothy Dandridge, boxer Jack Johnson and singer Tina Turner.