An Iranian minister said he believed the United States had dropped the idea of attacking Iran but wanted to topple its leadership through what he called a ”soft revolution”. Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, a cleric, said Iran’s enemies had waged ”psychological warfare” to prepare for military action against the Islamic Republic.
The South African Cabinet on Wednesday approved the settlement reached with the Richtersveld community on their land claim against Alexkor and the state for land situated in Alexander Bay. The Deed of Settlement, which concludes a protracted court case in which billions of rands were claimed from the state, was signed in April, said government spokesperson Themba Maseko.
The South African Cabinet has effectively vetoed the Soweto monorail project announced by the Gauteng government in May this year. There were major shortcomings in the process leading to the announcement of the project, government spokesperson Themba Maseko told journalists in Pretoria and Cape Town on Wednesday.
A British woman has had her stereo confiscated after neighbours complained about her blasting out Dolly Parton hits at top volume around the clock. Diane Duffin reportedly made life a misery for people living near her in the Armley area of Leeds, northern England, by playing country and western hits at all hours of the day and night.
Pakistan on Wednesday changed venues for two of its one-day international cricket matches against South Africa ahead of a tour next month, officials said. The Pakistan Cricket Board cited a lack of cricket facilities in Peshawar and Rawalpindi as reasons for the change, but sources inside the governing body said the fragile security situation in both cities was the main reason.
The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday acknowledged the government for its efforts to emancipate women. The party would continue to advocate for the empowerment of women, particularly those who remained vulnerable to poverty, disease and violence, it said in a statement ahead of Thursday’s 51st anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March.
Charges of stock theft may be brought against those who slaughtered pigs — or stole them — at an accident scene, the King William’s Town Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said on Wednesday. SPCA spokesperson Annette Rademeyer said the police and the Independent Complaints Directorate had taken statements from SPCA staff.
One of the Boeremag accused applied on Wednesday for his discharge on 33 of the charges against him, saying there was no evidence linking him to crimes committed while he was in jail. Mike du Toit (47) and 20 co-accused denied guilt four years ago on 42 charges.
The decomposing body of the 20-year-old daughter of a prominent South African academic was found in a New York University housing complex this week, the Times of London reported on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Boitumelo ”Tumi” McCallum, was found wrapped in a sheet, the newspaper said.
Ethiopia said on Wednesday it had killed more than 500 rebels and captured 170 in the past two months during an offensive in the volatile but energy-rich Ogaden region bordering Somalia. The Ogaden National Liberation Front dismissed the statement as an attempt by the government to lull oil companies interested in the region into a ”false sense of security”.