Two organisations came out against a merger of the Scorpions and the police in oral submissions at the Khampepe commission in Pretoria on Friday. The Foundation for Human Rights held that incorporating the Scorpions into the police service would be detrimental to South Africa’s ability to combat crime.
Adam Gilchrist plundered the fastest limited-overs international 100 by an Australian to steer the world champions to a series-clinching 55-run win on Friday over the World XI. Gilchrist reached 100 off 73 balls, five balls fewer than the record he already owned. Australia have answered their critics, Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.
The recent burning of train coaches by angry commuters might not be the last, the United Association of South Africa (Uasa) said on Friday. At about 8pm on Thursday, angry commuters burnt eight coaches at Germiston station and set two offices alight, causing damage to the coaches estimated at R60-million.
Evidence is being prepared by William Nkuna’s defence in his trial for the murder of missing police constable Frances Rasuge, after an application for his acquittal was refused on Friday. Judge Ronnie Hendricks ruled against the defence’s application to acquit Nkuna on the grounds that the state had no prima facie evidence linking him to Rasuge’s murder.
Developers announced plans on Friday to open a multimillion-pound sexual ”theme park” near London’s Piccadilly Circus, home to the much-photographed statue of the Greek god of love. Backers say the London Academy of Sex and Relationships, due to open next spring, will not be a sleazy sex museum.
Indonesian police came close on Friday to arresting one of Asia’s most-wanted terror suspects, a police source said, as the hunt for the Bali bombing masterminds intensified. The suicide bombers could prove hard to trace, police said, because they come from a new generation of attackers.
Hundreds of thousands of people lured back to southern Sudan have high hopes of peace after a 21-year civil war, but there are warnings of chronic food shortage, poor infrastructure and desolate homelands peppered with landmines. To date, at least 200 000 people have returned to south Sudan in the wake of a peace accord.
Water levels on Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-deepest lake, have dropped more than 1,5m, creating problems at Burundi’s main port and raising concerns among environmentalists. An environmental specialist said climate change and deforestation are contributing to the lower lake levels.
Zambia’s opposition on Friday decided against defying a police ban and called off a planned protest over severe fuel shortages that have disrupted transport and mining operations in the Southern African country. ”Police had planned to beat up innocent people at the demonstration,” said an opposition spokesperson.
Chief nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei said on Friday he feels ”humbled” after winning the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, and said it sends ”a very strong message” about the importance of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role. However, criticism over the choice of ElBaradei and the IAEA flooded in from around the world.