A post template

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

Cachalia concerned over police-brutality reports

Gauteng provincial minister of community safety Firoz Cachalia said on Wednesday he is concerned about allegations that police abused their power by threatening and intimidating a prostitute and a photographer in Pretoria. ”In a democratic society everyone is entitled to humane and lawful treatment by the police,” Cachalia said.

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

SA defends vote against UN resolution on Burma

South Africa defended on Wednesday its decision to vote against a United States-led United Nations Security Council resolution urging democratic reform in Burma, saying the measure went beyond the council’s mandate. Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said South Africa would continue to fight for democracy, human rights and freedom in Burma.

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

Ugandan rebels reject Machar as mediator

Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels have rejected south Sudanese Vice-President Riek Machar as chief mediator at talks to end one of Africa’s longest wars. LRA second-in-command Vincent Otti said the rebels would permanently abandon talks with Uganda’s government in Juba if an alternative venue cannot be found.

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

Reuters chief executive criticises Telkom

Telkom came under fire this week after international news agency Reuters criticised the company for high telecommunications prices and low-quality bandwidth. Reuters chief executive Tom Glocer told <i>Business Day</i> newspaper that while his company had been expanding in countries such as India, he was reluctant to do the same thing in South Africa.

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

Somali Parliament ousts dissident speaker

Somalia’s Parliament voted on Wednesday to oust powerful speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, who fell out with the president and prime minister late last year after he made peace overtures to Islamists. ”The speaker is out,” Somali legislator Ali Basha told Reuters by phone from the Parliament, which is in a converted grain warehouse in the interim capital, Baidoa.

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

No decision yet on SA troops to Somalia

South Africa has again stressed that its defence force is over-stretched and is still considering troop contributions to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad told journalists in Pretoria on Wednesday that no decision has been made on possible troop contributions.

No image available
/ 17 January 2007

UK: Broadband overtakes dial-up on price

Broadband internet access has become cheaper than dial-up for the first time, figures show. Consumers with a dial-up connection are now almost certain to make savings by switching to broadband, irrespective of whether they pay per minute or via a monthly fee for unlimited access, according to SimplySwitch.com, the price-comparison service.