Flocking to St Peter’s Basilica in their tens of thousands, in families, clutches of friends or organised busloads, pilgrims said on Wednesday the crush of crowds and the interminable wait are all part of saying goodbye. About a million pilgrims were massed early on Wednesday in the area around St Peter’s Basilica.
The success of the first mass immunisation campaign against cholera in Mozambique’s port city of Beira has prompted calls for greater access to an oral vaccine. Needle-administered cholera vaccines have generally provided about 50% protection for just two months, but the oral vaccine has proven far more effective.
A New Zealander, held captive for almost a month by Ivorian rebels on suspicion of being a mercenary working for the government, has died in a rebel jail, Red Cross and rebel officials said on Tuesday. Brian Hamish Sands (36) was found dead in his prison cell in the northern town of Korhogo on Monday night.
The safety of a Japanese neighbourhood was on Wednesday put in the hands — briefly — of a robot, which became police chief for the day in a campaign to promote safe driving. T63 Artemis, named after the Greek moon goddess Artemis, helped its subordinate human officers distribute fliers on traffic safety at the train station
Arsonists set fire to a Zanzibari opposition leader’s home and protesters attempted to raid a voter registration centre, as violence flared months ahead of elections in the semi-autonomous archipelago, and the Zanzibar Electoral Commision suspended a voter registration drive on Monday.
A former maid in Michael Jackson’s house told the jury at his child molestation trial on Tuesday she had seen him having a shower with a young boy. Blanca Francia, the mother of the man who testified that he had been molested by Jackson more than 15 years ago, said she had seen Jackson in bed with young children.
Tributes flooded in from around Europe for Monaco’s Prince Rainier III, who died on Wednesday. French President Jacques Chirac hailed the prince’s ”courage and tenacity” in the face of his failing health. In a message of condolence to Rainier’s successor, Prince Albert, Chirac praised Rainier for helping to modernise once-sleepy Monaco.
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas expressed satisfaction on Wednesday after United States President George Bush warned Israel against expanding any of its settlements in the occupied territories. Bush warned Israel that there could be ”no expansion” of settlements in Palestinian territories under the US-backed road map to Middle East peace.
The JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) was flat in noon trade on Wednesday, with firmer world markets offsetting the negative effects of a stronger rand. Trade was brisk — about R1,7-billion-worth of shares had changed hands. By 12.04pm, the all-share and all-share industrial indices were both flat.
The South African Revenue Service is targeting a total tax revenue cake of R372,8-billion in the 2005/06 financial year, with corporate tax representing a slightly lower figure than the provincial outcome for the 2004/05 financial year, according to figures provided on Wednesday to Parliament.