Ireland has massively endorsed its government’s plans to strip African and eastern European children and their parents living in the republic of Irish citizenship. The electorate appeared on Saturday to have backed the removal of the right of parents of Irish-born children to become citizens.
The United States government, in conjunction with key allies, is running an ”invisible” network of prisons and detention centres into which thousands of suspects have disappeared without trace since the ”war on terror” began. The disclosure of the shadowy system will increase pressure on the Bush administration.
New Zealand ended England’s short-lived reign as rugby union’s number one with a crushing 36-3 win on Saturday over the World Cup champions. Flyhalf Carlos Spencer and wingers Joe Rokocoko and Doug Howlett scored first-half tries as the All Blacks shattered England’s confidence and reputation on the way to a 30-3 half-time lead.
Nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova looked anything but a 47-year-old as she won her first round of qualifying at the Eastbourne tournament in London on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over world number 78, Mara Santangelo of Italy.
Olympians such as Gert Potgieter, Penny Heyns, Llewellyn Herbert and Marianne Kriel were all in the mix as Olympic fever hit the Mother City since early Saturday morning. Icon met symbol when for a few brief moments former president Nelson Mandela became the proud bearer of the Olympic flame.
The Group of Eight’s (G8) meeting this week in the United States will spew forth promises for Africa that will amount to nothing, say its critics. The involvement of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development with the G8 — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US — is meant to be a partnership.
Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park offers some wild moments. Zambian safari guide Jody Higgins lowered his voice as though making a confession: "I have this unusual ability," he said. "I can call lions." Higgins is also the assistant manager at Kasaka River Lodge, a bush lodge serving the park.
A meeting of more than 187 church leaders from across Africa has highlighted the role of female clergy in fighting the Aids pandemic that has swept the continent. The four-day gathering, which ended on Friday, was organised by the All Africa Conference of Churches to explore ways of stepping up efforts to curb the spread of HIV.
The Cabinet is to be asked to approve an African Union request to South Africa to send military observers to monitor a ceasefire in Sudan. A defence spokesperson said the AU requested 10 observers from South Africa earlier this month and Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota will soon be taking the request to the Cabinet.
Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has defended his gift of timber to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe several years ago, and said he is prepared to be prosecuted if the act is deemed an abuse of his power while in office, reports said on Saturday.