A post template

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

The R191m lottery prize that nearly was

The owner of the bookshop in the centre of the small Belgian town of Mouscron would be best advised to keep her head down for a while. For a few hours on Friday night, 29 of her friends thought they had won the best part of â,¬27-million (about R191-million) when their syndicate’s numbers came up in the EuroMillions jackpot draw.

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Govt comes to rescue of Burkinabe ‘soul eaters’

Burkina Faso launched an effort on Sunday to offer identity cards to hundreds of women chased from their village for alleged witchcraft and often forced to live on society’s periphery in abject poverty. ”We are here to tell them, you are citizens,” Burkinabe Human Rights Minister Monique Ilboudo told the country’s TNB public television station.

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Incumbent president re-elected in Madagascar

Madagascar’s incumbent president, Marc Ravalomanana, has been re-elected with 54,8% of the votes, provisional Interior Ministry figures showed on Sunday with all first-round ballots counted. Ravalomanana took 2 430 489 of the votes cast in the first round of the presidential poll across the large Indian Ocean island.

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Somali children bear brunt of disaster misery

Still severely malnourished from a searing drought that struck East Africa last year, thousands of children in the impoverished, lawless nation of Somalia now bear the brunt of devastating floods that have hit the region. Already, the worst floods in 50 years, the crocodiles they have unleashed and waterborne disease have killed about 120 people.

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Life as a city squirrel

Squirrels hit the genetic lottery with their chubby cheeks and bushy tails. It’s hard to imagine picnickers tossing peanuts and cookies at rodents if they looked like rats. But good looks alone don’t get you through Chicago winters. Nor do they help negotiate a treacherous landscape of hungry cats, cars and metal traps. So how do they do it?

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Stars back at top of PSL log

Cinderella club Silver Stars, who have reached next weekend’s Telkom Knockout final against Ajax Cape Town, vaulted back to the top of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) log on Sunday following a goalless draw against Bloemfontein Celtic. Other winners on Sunday were Benoni Premier United, Moroka Swallows, Black Leopards and Lamontville Golden Arrows.

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Chelsea earn draw with Arsenal

Chelsea dropped two points at home on Sunday, needing an 84th-minute equaliser from Michael Essien to earn a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League. The draw gives Manchester United an eight-point lead at the top of the standings, but with one more game played than Chelsea.

No image available
/ 11 December 2006

Mugabe set to rule until 2010

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will not step down at the expiry of his term in 2008 but will rule for an additional two years after three more provincial committees of his ruling Zanu-PF party resolved at the weekend to extend his term to 2010. Mugabe has not publicly commented on the moves by his party to extend his rule.