A fierce critic of President Robert Mugabe, Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, on Wednesday lashed out at his ”criminal” government for refusing to ask for food aid to help at least two million needy Zimbabweans. His remarks came amid reports in Harare that Mugabe is ready to meet with the head of the United Nations World Food Programme.
A man who released snakes in a Johannesburg bank last year was on Wednesday acquitted on one charge of attempted murder, with the other reduced to assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Abel Manamela’s bail has, however, been increased because the prosecutor revealed to the court three previous convictions against him.
The last surviving member of the Stander gang of bank robbers, who was released from Krugersdorp prison on Wednesday, has asked not to speak to the media, the Department of Correctional Services said. ”The general rule is that offenders who are released on parole are not allowed to speak to the media,” a departmental spokesperson said.
A German woman in her 80s said on Tuesday she has been ordered by her pension fund to produce a certificate to prove she is still alive. Martha Kruse telephoned the Bundesknappschaft fund after her payments were suddenly stopped, only to be told by an employee: "Don’t get upset, but you died on January 28."
The Israeli government was looking on Wednesday to accelerate its preparations for the pull-out from the Gaza Strip as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon voiced concern about the state of readiness. Sharon was chairing a meeting of a committee specially formed to prepare for the pull-out.
Claiming invasion of privacy and humiliation, a staff attorney for a United States senator has filed suit against a woman who published details of their sexual relationship on her blog, or web log. Robert Steinbuch, a counsel for Republican Senator Michael DeWine, filed the civil suit on Monday.
British authorities said on Wednesday they have received more than 500 calls to help them identify a mystery piano player who was found wandering on an English beach last month, but have still not found out who he is. The young, blond-haired man was found soaked to the skin but fully dressed in an elegant black suit.
A woman was found shot dead and three children died in a fire after an attack on their Mitchells Plain home on Wednesday, Western Cape police said. An unknown number of people allegedly set the house in Chrysler Street, Beacon Valley, on fire after trying to gain entry to it at about 4am.
A magistrate dropped assault charges against Kenyan First Lady Lucy Kibaki after the attorney general said neither police nor prosecutors have had time to investigate whether she had slapped a television news cameraman on World Press Freedom Day. ”I’m so disappointed,” the cameraman said after hearing the ruling.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson doesn’t want to talk about Malcolm Glazer, the club’s new American owner. But Ferguson does want to make one thing clear: he’s still in charge of the team. Appearing at a news conference on Wednesday, Ferguson avoided questions about the £790,3-million takeover.