The African Union has accused Sudanese government forces of attacking civilians in Darfur, committing acts of ”calculated and wanton destruction” that have killed at least 44 people during the past two weeks. It gave four instances of Sudanese troops conducting ”coordinated offensive operations” with the Janjaweed militia in Darfur.
A banned Algerian Islamic group with ties to the al-Qaeda network has rejected a government amnesty for Islamic militants in a statement on its website. The Salafist Group for Call and Combat issued the statement in an internet posting on Friday, a day after Algerians voted overwhelmingly to approve a government peace plan.
More than 1 000 people fled their homes and stiff rains sparked flooding along main streets of the Mexican resort city of Cabo San Lucas on Saturday as Hurricane Otis swirled off the coast of western Mexico. Forecasters expected Otis to move ashore along a sparsely populated stretch of desert far north of the city on Sunday.
The latest bombings on Bali are believed to be the work of three suicide bombers and bore the hallmarks of the Jemaah Islamiyah extremist network, Indonesia’s anti-terrorism chief said on Sunday. Powerful explosions ripped through three crowded restaurants on Bali late on Saturday, killing at least 26 people.
The family of jailed murderer Mark Scott-Crossley say they have ”substantial ammunition” to justify the granting of leave to appeal his conviction and life imprisonment for the killing of farm worker Nelson Chisale. His brother said the family have concerns about a number of procedural irregularities during the trial.
Italian speedster Valentino Rossi kept his word by winning the Qatar MotoGP in dramatic fashion on Saturday to further hammer home his superiority in motorcycling’s premier class. Rossi, who had claimed the title with four races to spare, denied fellow Italian Loris Capirossi a third successive MotoGP victory.
A burst of four tries that included a hat-trick in 14 minutes to flying Western Province right wing Egon Seconds blew away the 2005 Absa Currie Cup hopes of the Natal Sharks as they succumbed 45-21 to Western Province in a rugby match of great intensity in Durban on Saturday.
Boland and the Leopards produced a spectacle seldom seen on a rugby field by playing suicide rugby that produced a nine-try thriller in their Currie Cup clash at Wellington on Saturday. Boland won the match 39-26. The two premier-division minnows made their intentions clear early on with a high-tempo exhibition of daring rugby.
The Falcons were pushed all the way by the Mighty Elephants before emerging 35-31 winners in a pulsating Currie Cup first-division semifinal played at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Saturday afternoon. Their reward is a final in Brakpan on October 14 where they will meet the Pumas.
The Lions edged the Cheetahs 37-36 in a thrilling Currie Cup encounter played in front of a small but appreciative crowd at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday evening. Nine tries were scored in all — five by the visitors — as both teams threw caution to the wind in their bid to qualify for the semifinals.