It hardly seems fair to describe Makoto Nishio and Mayuko Suzuki as social miscreants. They are well-educated and ambitious, work hard and spare as much time as they can for family and friends. But they have helped set in motion a demographic time-bomb because, in their thirties, they choose to remain single and childless.

There is about 30 000 child soldiers in the DRC, 12 500 of them girls. The Commission of Africa’s report warns that without decade-long aid for countries that have suffered conflict, the former child soldiers — now young adults — may return to conflict and in turn recruit a new generation of child warriors

The empowerment company accused of funneling millions of rands of taxpayers’ money to the African National Congress defended itself against new claims on Saturday after it came up in Parliament that the company had given money to the relatives of government ministers.

An Indian government official, hailed by Time magazine as a flood disaster hero, has disappeared after he was accused of stealing millions in aid money. Police have launched a nationwide hunt for Gautam Goswami, who was commended for ‘his brilliant’ co-ordination of rescue and relief work where floods last July claimed 800 lives and left millions homeless.

South African game ranger Sibusiso Vilane has summited Mount Everest for the second time. Vilane, who was the first black African to reach the top of Everest in May 2003, summited with fellow mountaineer Alex Harris, said Harmony Gold, which helped sponsor the expedition.

After 14 weeks and more than 130 witnesses, the jury in the Michael Jackson trial finally retired on Friday to decide whether the singer was a naive victim of con artists or a predator who groomed a child for sexual acts. The 46-year-old pop singer is to wait for the verdict at his Neverland ranch, 45 minutes from the court.