Thousands of people were killed when the Boxing Day tsunami struck Sri Lanka because poachers had removed coral reefs that would have shielded the coastline from the worst of the waves. Scientists from the United States and Sri Lanka who have surveyed the area say the pattern of destruction onshore matches the illegal mining of coral offshore.
A black maid who was executed in 1945 for killing the white man she claimed had held her in slavery and threatened her life is to receive a pardon from the state of Georgia. Lena Baker, the only woman executed in Georgia’s electric chair, was sentenced to death by an all-white, all-male jury after a trial that lasted just one day.
Australia is planning its biggest global recruitment drive since the ”£10 pom” campaign of the 1950s by trying to lure 20 000 skilled workers to the country with promises of shorter hours, a better climate and a lower cost of living. The government says there are shortages in many areas and that recruiting from abroad is the only way of shoring up key industries.
Vodacom has led the charge in Parliament among cellular network companies arguing before a parliamentary committee that the National Credit Bill should not be made applicable to cellular telecommunication service contracts. Vodacom said the respective rights and negotiating powers between cellular operators and consumers are "to a considerable extent" balanced.
An Israeli woman suffered serious burns on Wednesday after setting fire to herself and running towards a police checkpoint to protest against the historic pull-out of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, police said. The 54-year-old Russian was an immigrant settler from the northern West Bank.
Up to 90 people are missing and presumed drowned after a Nigerian river ferry sank in floodwaters near where a bridge was washed away last week, officials and witnesses said on Tuesday. The overcrowded boat capsized on Monday as it carried traders across the Lamurde river near Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state.
Food security experts in Malawi are keeping a close watch on maize prices in local markets as the country braces itself for another year of chronic food shortages. Humanitarian groups estimate that up to 4,6-million Malawians could face hunger this year after a dramatic drop in maize production.
Telecoms group Telkom has announced the appointment of Transnet group executive Leapeetswe (Papi) Molotsane as its new chief executive officer. Molotsane, whose appointment is effective from September 1, replaces current CEO Sizwe Nxasana.
KwaZulu-Natal’s public prosecutions director Shamila Batohi is working closely with police investigating the recent klebsiella outbreak that killed 22 babies at Mahatma Gandhi hospital in Phoenix. Batohi said: ”Once investigations are complete, I will take a decision on whether to prosecute or not.”
British Airways resumed hundreds of flights at one of the world’s busiest airports, while pleading for continued patience from thousands of passengers stranded by a ground-crew walkout. The airline said 420 out of its 500 scheduled flights were taking off on Saturday from London’s Heathrow airport.