Sudan’s Justice Ministry has banned all media reporting on the case of 17 people accused of trying to overthrow the government, the latest in a string of such restrictions. Local papers on Thursday said the Prosecutor General had issued a decree ”banning all media outlets, written or broadcast, from any reporting or comment on the attempted sabotage”.
The water in the Blaauwpan Dam near OR Tambo International Airport — contaminated when jet fuel was spilled in November — is now clean, the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said on Thursday. ”The latest tests conducted on water samples taken from the dam have indicated that the water is clear,” general manager at the airport Chris Hlekane said.
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The most important part of former president Nelson Mandela’s legacy is that our common humanity matters more than our differences, former United States president Bill Clinton said on Thursday. ”Our differences are wonderful, they make life more interesting, but our common humanity matters more,” said Clinton.
Retief Goosen has blasted Gary Player for claiming that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is rife in golf. Goosen, speaking after opening his British Open campaign with a one-under-par 70, said he did not agree with Player and criticised his fellow South African’s judgement in speaking out about the issue without being willing to provide any evidence.
A United Nations-backed Sierra Leone court on Thursday issued its first sentences since the end of the West African nation’s bloody conflict, ordering three rebel leaders convicted of war crimes to prison for between 45 and 50 years each. The three men had been indicted in 2003 and their joint trial began in Freetown in 2005.
A woman who allegedly sent rude SMSs to politician Patricia de Lille — and then refused to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court — was sent for psychiatric observation on Thursday. Lara Johnstone (40) is charged with crimen injuria, and prosecuting authorities are yet to decide whether to add intimidation to the charges.
Tiger Woods got his quest for a hat-trick of Open Championship wins off to a solid start on Thursday, carding a two-under 69 in the first round. The world number one looked comfortable despite the early morning chill and damp that saw him keep a light jacket on for the front nine and pull on thick gloves between shots to keep his hands dry and warm.
Sunni lawmakers ended their five-week boycott of Parliament on Thursday, raising hopes the factious Assembly can make progress on benchmark legislation demanded by Washington. Meanwhile, the United States announced that two American soldiers have been charged with killing an Iraqi.
July is the month most South African employees take sick leave due to influenza, a study released on Thursday showed. The study of 7 000 employees by Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions shows that flu absenteeism hits companies the hardest in the winter months of May, June and July.
Russia announced on Thursday the expulsion of four British diplomats, a visa ban on British officials and the suspension of counter-terrorism cooperation amid a mounting diplomatic row. ”The British ambassador has been officially notified that four British embassy employees have been declared persona non grata,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.