Ethiopia’s crackdown on opposition members and students has spread outside the capital, while thousands of detainees are at increasing risk for abuse, a leading human rights group said on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch has obtained reports of mass arrests in at least nine cities outside of Addis Ababa.
Police in New Zealand broke down the door to an Auckland home after receiving an emergency call from the building, only to find that the call had apparently been made by the resident cat. It seems Tabby the cat had rung the 111 emergency number while taking a stroll across a telephone.
Most single Britons regard a holiday romance as an essential part of a summer vacation, but most will fizzle out within a week of returning to the British drizzle, a survey revealed on Wednesday. Nearly half of those polled said the heady mix of sun, sea and sand made falling in love all the easier.
Lawyers representing black economic empowerment company Imvume Management have declined to provide the Democratic Alliance with information regarding its transactions and contract with state oil and gas company PetroSA and Glencore International. This follows a report in the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> on the "Oilgate" scandal.
Roger Federer, having endured another French Open heartbreaker, returns to more friendly Grand Slam surroundings next week, bidding to take another step closer to smashing Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles. Injured Andre Agassi has pulled out of Wimbledon for the second straight year.
South Africa’s introduction of cellphone number portability — an environment that will enable cellphone subscribers to keep their numbers irrespective of which network they use — has been put on hold until at least next year, it emerged on Wednesday after a stakeholders’ meeting.
Surprise World Cup group leaders Togo, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola face awkward assignments this weekend as they pursue first appearances at the international football showpiece. Group 2 frontrunners South Africa host close challengers Ghana in another crucial clash.
The future of the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, was once more in question on Tuesday after a commission of inquiry revealed it was ”urgently reviewing” a newly disclosed document that cast fresh light on Annan’s role in the ”oil-for-food” corruption scandal.
The number of refugees around the world rose by one million in 2004, to 11,5-million, according to the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. People fleeing Sudan’s troubled Darfur region to Chad and Iraqis crossing into Syria contributed to the increase, the private aid group said in its annual survey.
Martin Bashir, the British journalist whose documentary sparked the controversy that led to Michael Jackson facing charges for child molestation, was on Tuesday waiting to hear whether the pop star would restart legal action against him and his former employers following his acquittal.