Tiger Woods fired one of the greatest rounds of his career, a seven-under par 63 that missed by an eyelash being the lowest round in Major history, to grab the lead on Friday at the PGA Championship. Woods lipped out a horseshoe heart-breaker on a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to miss setting a record-low Major round.
The Johannesburg High Court on Friday dismissed a procedural application within an urgent application filed by the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) head of legal services, Mafika Sihlali, against the broadcaster. Sihlali was taking the SABC to court in a desperate effort to save his career.
Nigeria has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world, in large part due to unsafe abortions carried out across the country, non-profit health organisation Ipas said on Friday. Between 10 000 and 15 000 deaths out of 100 000 births annually are from unsafe abortions in Nigeria, the group said.
Thousands of people have fled their homes on the southern Philippine island of Jolo as troops pursue Muslim militants blamed for killing more than 20 soldiers, officials said on Saturday. Jolo brigade commander Colonel Anthony Supnet said his troops would continue to hunt the gunmen, even though they had broken up into smaller groups and scattered.
United States home-loan woes caused more turbulence on world markets on Friday despite the tens of billions of dollars released by central banks to stop the problem turning into a global economic crisis. London’s FTSE stock market closed a whopping 3,71% lower and European and Asian shares slumped after losses tied to US subprime mortgages spread.
Under pressure from the United States to take a bigger role in stabilising Iraq, the United Nations agreed on Friday to expand its mission despite unrelenting violence that could complicate its work. The 15-member UN Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1770, which calls for the UN mission to ”advise, support and assist” the Iraqi government.
The African Union on Friday voiced its concern over the deepening crisis in Burundi, where the peace process is floundering and tribal tensions are resurfacing. ”We express deep concern over the stalling of the implementation of the agreement signed by the Burundi government and the National Liberation Forces,” the AU said.
Veteran Cameroon President Paul Biya’s ruling party retained a sweeping majority in Parliament in last month’s legislative elections, albeit with slightly fewer seats, official results showed on Friday. The country’s Supreme Court said Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement had won 140 of 180 seats in the National Assembly in the July 22 polls.
A disciplinary hearing for 13 warders suspected of helping Annanias Mathe escape from prison — or being negligent in the matter — was rescheduled on Friday. The Manelisi Wolela of the Department of Correctional Services said the officials were scheduled to re-appear before a departmental disciplinary committee from next Monday to Friday.
Sudanese security forces have handed 33 suspects accused of trying to overthrow the government to the Justice Ministry for investigation, state news agency the Sudanese Media Centre said on Friday. Security forces last month arrested former army officers as well as members of two leading opposition political parties, accusing them of trying to overthrow the government.