A TOTAL of 354 Sierra Leonean rebels and 255 fighters from a state backed militia had handed-over their weapons by the third day of a disarmament pact in the war-ravaged north of the country, a UN representative said. Rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) disarmed at several collection points over the past few days […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Monday TWO of nine club rugby players charged with murdering a black teenager in South Africa were refused bail in the Pretoria High Court on Monday, while four others were granted it. One of the remaining three accused did not apply for bail, another was granted bail earlier by the High […]

BRITAIN has pledged $10m over the next five years to support Nigeria’s slow-moving privatisation programme, officials of both countries said on Wednesday. Talks were still under way over how the money will be spent, with no direct grants but funding to be made available for seminars, skills training and capacity building, they said. “The assistance […]

THE South African bourse sprinted to a record high on Thursday powered by strong overseas markets and a firmer gold price, dealers said. Shortly after the open the all-share index had surged 2.02% to 9,456.6 on brisk demand across the board, dealers said. The index has risen around 36% from levels seen in April 2000. […]

A WOMAN told police that she bit the testicles off a man attempting to rape her, Chicago media reported over the weekend. The 42-year-old woman from the suburb of Evanston appeared at a police station, reported that she was attacked, and handed over the evidence. Police stored the testicles in a biohazard evidence container. When […]

OIL has been struck offshore from Mauritania, in northwest Africa, Australian exploration company Woodside Petroleum Ltd. announced here on Wednesday. Woodside, operator and 35 percent stakeholder of the Mauritania Area B joint venture, said the Chinguetti-1 exploration well, 80km offshore, intersected several oil-bearing sandstones. A shallower secondary objective contained gas-bearing sandstones, it said. Woodside said […]

A RESPECTED maths teacher has been arrested for allegedly being in possession of 1 000 ecstasy tablets which police believe he was selling to schoolchildren, The Sunday Times reports. Mohamed Essop, who previously taught at an exclusive Christian private school in Johannesburg and now gives private lessons, appeared in court this week on charges of […]

BRENDAN BOYLE, Johannesburg | Monday MINING resumed last night at Gold Fields Beatrix operation in the Free State after a methane gas explosion killed 12 people two weeks ago. Chief Inspector of Mines Mavis Hermanus said the Beatrix Number One and Two shafts had begun a staged resumption of operations on Friday night after accepting […]