More than 15 000 pupils from South Africa are being taught through performance how to be their best without the use of alcohol or drugs and while abstaining from sex. This yearly event is called the Be Your Best Rock Challenge and is held in five different cities in South Africa in October.
A woman died and a man survived in a nine-hour hostage drama at George Mukhari hospital in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria, on Tuesday, police said. The siege began when the two were held by a third man who had arrived at the hospital’s nurses’ residence at 6.30am, said police spokesperson Inspector Anton Breedt.
South Africa is developing a three-pronged approach to fight the scourge of rape, with a national strategy on course to be piloted in at least three provinces by June next year. The interdepartmental strategy will develop a tri-pillar plan, focusing on prevention, responses and support interventions.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma questioned on Tuesday the wisdom of ”smart sanctions” imposed on the Zimbabwean government by Western countries, particularly the European Union. She said South Africa’s much-maligned quiet diplomacy is the correct stance to take.
Egypt said on Tuesday that most of the suspects behind a string of bomb attacks in the Sinai peninsula have been arrested after a series of raids in the area. ”The intensive efforts exerted recently have led to the capture of most suspects and yielded details on the terrorist attacks in the Sinai,” an interior ministry statement said.
An Anglican bishop who is a strong supporter of autocratic President Robert Mugabe has been brought before an ecclesiastical court investigating charges ranging from inciting murder to besmirching the church. On Tuesday, Jeremy Lewis, acting as prosecutor, postponed pursuing the most serious incitement-to-murder charge.
Exchange-rate fluctuations and crime are the two biggest challenges for businesses in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, a survey revealed on Tuesday. The exchange-rate fluctuation is ”quite a serious problem”, a Regional Business Climate Survey spokesperson said.
Heavy rains triggered severe flooding in southern Germany overnight and authorities warned on Tuesday that worse is still to come. The city of Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the first to ring alarm bells after flooding near the nearby town of Eschenlohe prompted police to evacuate people from their homes in boats.
<i>Spin</i> magazine has built a veritable rock-star Frankenstein, composed of Michael Stipe’s skull, Elvis Presley’s pelvis and Madonna’s bellybutton. Madonna’s navel tops the list of the 25 "most incredible" rock-star body parts in <i>Spin</i>’s September issue, now on newsstands.
The African Christian Democratic Party says that larger parties — in particular the ruling African National Congress — will benefit from the upcoming floor-crossing period for MPs and the nine provincial legislatures. The ACDP opposes floor-crossing because it undermines the will of the voter as expressed in an election.