AT least seven people in southern Nigeria’s Benin City have been killed and others seriously burnt after cooking fuel that had been mixed with petrol exploded. The majority of those burnt were women and children, NTA television said in its evening bulletin, showing some of the victims recovering in hospital. Those injured said they suspected […]

SAM OLUKOYA, Port Harcourt | Thursday MINORITY rights campaigners in Nigeria have accused global oil giants Royal Dutch/Shell of years of systematic human rights abuses, saying the company had frequently used police and the military to defend its operations and crush local opposition. Ledum Mitee, the president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni […]

THE AIDS virus is striking hardest in New York City today among young black men, a new survey has found, with 33% of gay or bisexual black men ages 23 to 29 testing positive for HIV. The study conducted by the city’s Health Department found that young black New Yorkers are experiencing a larger burden […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abidjan | Thursday HUNDREDS of people have taken to the streets in Abidjan to protest against Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade’s comments this week about the harsh treatment of Burkina Faso nationals in Ivory Coast. About 500 demonstrators gathered in front of Senegal’s embassy in Abidjan, yelling “Senegalese get out” and carrying banners which […]

POLICE have seized more than 3 000kg of dagga, estimated to be worth more than R2m, in the Vaal Triangle. The drug was found at Orange Farm, Sebokeng and Evaton. Another 17 people were arrested in connection with crimes ranging from dealing dagga and burglary to assault and possession of suspected stolen property.

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki has reached across party political lines in his first cabinet shuffle since taking office with the appointment of Azapo leader Mosibudi Mangena and IFP MP Musa Zondi – but the opposition says he missed a golden opportunity to clear out some dead wood. Mangena, a highly regarded […]

THE IMF has urged authorities in Malawi to tighten monetary policy and curb government spending to combat sluggish growth and the prevalence of poverty. But International Monetary Fund executive directors also pledged financial support for a poverty reduction and growth strategy drafted by Malawi authorities. The IMF-backed program calls for growth of three percent this […]

CAPE Town will host an international conference on conservation of the southern hemisphere’s threatened seabirds at the end of January, environmental affairs and tourism ministry officials said. Over 50 delegates and observers from 17 countries are expected to attend the seven-day gathering which will be sponsored by the governments of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand […]