MOVIE OF THE WEEK: I think I’ve just seen the best film of 2004 so far. And I don’t think many to come will match Wayne Kramer’s funny, melancholy and wise Las Vegas comedy-drama The Cooler, writes John Patterson.
The government of Nigeria put extra police and soldiers on the streets of several major cities across the country on Thursday to prevent any further outbreaks of religious violence between Muslims and Christians. The city of Kano remained tense but calm after two days of religious riots that claimed at least 30 lives.
Several hundred youth supporters of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo staged a peaceful demonstration against the United Nations in Abidjan on Thursday as the UN prepared to publish a report on the security forces’ bloody repression of an opposition protest in March.
Explosions and gunfire erupted inside the Shiite Muslim holy city of Najaf on Friday as United States forces sought to crush the last major insurgency in Iraq ahead of the June 30 return of sovereignty. Meanwhile, more allegations of torture surfaced at the infamous US-run Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad.
US forces taught torture techniques
Millionaire farmer and coup plotter Lourens du Plessis on Friday told the Boeremag treason trial in Pretoria he does not think blacks are the problem in the country ”because our fight is not against flesh and blood but against evil spirits in the air”. Du Plessis said he has undergone a religious change after being arrested for treason.
The Eastern Cape health department on Friday launched its provincial anti-retroviral roll-out to HIV-positive patients in that region. Eastern Cape minister of health Dr Bevan Goqwana was at the launch of the province’s ”comprehensive” rollout plan at Settlers hospital in Grahamstown.
The Namibian government has told a first group of farmers they must sell their property under land reforms that some fear could wreak as much havoc with agriculture as a similar programme did in Zimbabwe. Land Minister Hifikepunye Pohamba this week sent letters to about 10 white farm owners.
The trial of Zambia’s former president Frederick Chiluba — who is accused of stealing -million in state funds — was adjourned on Friday because one of his co-accused has fled the country. The state said it was still trying to arrest Atan Shansonga, a former Zambian ambassador to the United States.
Oil prices eased on Friday, a day after rocketing to the highest close with markets fretting about terrorism fears in the Middle East and tight stocks of United States gasoline. The price of benchmark Brent North Sea crude oil for June delivery fell 11 cents to ,38 in early London trading.
Kidnap victim Jameel Pandor is back at his parents’ Durban home after being treated in hospital following his release, his father said on Friday. Pandor senior, a wealthy businessman, said his son had been kept blindfolded and handcuffed throughout his ordeal, but had otherwise been treated quite well.