The number of deaths from monsoon rains across South Asia reached 1 238 on Wednesday as Bangladesh remained awash in the worst floods in six years and water-borne diseases began taking their toll. Diarrhoea caused by drinking dirty water has killed 46 people and afflicted about 80 000 this month.
Hundreds of farmers near Mount Kenya blocked a major highway for three hours this week, protesting against an invasion of their farms by elephants, a news report said on Wednesday. The farmers said the authorities had done nothing to help them get rid of four elephants that had terrorised their fields for weeks.
The chairperson of the Road Accident Fund has resigned to take up a position on the board of directors of a black empowerment company, a joint statement from the fund and William Huma said on Wednesday. The statement said that Huma has been ”relieved of his duties”, but not because of allegations of corruption or dishonesty.
At least 68 people were killed and scores wounded on Wednesday when a suicide bomber blew up a car outside a police station in Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, police and the Interior Ministry said. The power of the bomber’s deadly charge fired flesh and shrapnel on to neighbouring rooftops.
The head of the defence team for 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has withdrawn from the case, his associates said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the leader of the 70 suspected mercenaries pleaded guilty on Wednesday to violating Zimbabwe’s security laws.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=119410">Will Zim 70 be sent to E Guinea?</a>
Government-backed Arab militiamen chained and burned alive civilians in a raid on a market in Sudan’s Darfur region in violation of a ceasefire signed in April, African Union (AU) monitors said Wednesday. ”The attackers looted the market and killed civilians, in some cases chaining them and burning them alive,” said a report released by AU ceasefire observers in the region.
Sudan to face ‘genocide’ inquiry
Botswana, with the highest per-capita rate of HIV infection in world, is struggling to cope with the demand for treatment.
Namibia is bringing in new regulations to force supermarket chains and other importers, most of which are South African-owned, to buy local fruit and vegetables, the government said on Tuesday. From October 1, wholesalers and importers of fruit and vegetables will have to buy three percent of their supplies from Namibian farmers, said the Namibia Agronomic Board.
About 400 bus passengers were stranded on the snowbound Kingscote Pass between Underberg and Swartberg in southern KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, SABC radio news reported. Four buses, two trucks and two buses were trapped in the snow on the R617 road.
South Africa’s CPIX inflation (headline inflation excluding mortgage costs) was up 5% year-on-year (y/y) for metro and other urban areas in June compared with 4,4% y/y in May, April and March; 4,8% y/y in February; 4,2% y/y in January; and 4% y/y in December, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.