The peer review system established under the African Union cracks the mould of continental politics. For the first time, African leaders agreed to submit governance to internal and external checks and balances. Recently South Africa tabled its first self-assessment report at a meeting in Kliptown — the venue at which the Freedom Charter was drawn up.
The JSE was slightly higher in noon trade on Tuesday, with stocks such as gold counters bouncing after being sold off in late Monday trade. The market remained nervous, however, which made for light volumes. By 11.59am, the all-share index was up 0,24%. Resources rose 0,29%, the gold-mining index rebounded 1,07% and the platinum-mining index climbed 0,86%.
Skinny-dipping is a hallowed part of Australian culture with five of six states setting aside certain beaches for nudists. The odd one out is Queensland, which used to call itself the ”sunshine state” but now, more implausibly, calls itself the ”smart state”.
Peter Jackson, New Zealand Oscar-winning director of The Lord of the Rings, has denied he is working on a remake of the class 1954 World War II movie The Dam Busters. Jackson’s only two confirmed upcoming movies were Halo this year, of which he is executive producer, and The Lovely Bones, which he would direct next year.
Foreign ministers from world powers held intensive discussions on Iran’s controversial nuclear programme on Monday, but there was no sign whether they made any progress on a unified position. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hosted talks and a dinner for her counterparts from Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union.
Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will unleash their latest video game offerings as they battle it out at a premier showcase of new products in the -billion global gaming market. The United States and Japanese computer game titans were among game-makers from 90 countries converging on the Los Angeles Convention Centre for an Electronic Entertainment Expo which begins on Tuesday.
Former Cape Town city manager Wallace Mgoqi went to court on Tuesday to try to reverse the Democratic Alliance-led council’s refusal to extend his contract. African National Congress councillors and functionaries turned out in support of Mgoqi at the Cape High Court.
Union leaders are to seek a mandate from striking security guards to return to work on Thursday, the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said. ”Once the employers are willing to come back to the negotiating table, we are willing to send our workers back [to work],” said Satawu security coordinator Jackson Simon.
Madagascar’s Parliament on Monday sacked Speaker Jean Lahiniriko for misconduct after he spoke approvingly of Iran’s controversial nuclear programme during a visit to Tehran, officials said. The motion was submitted by the ruling TIM party of which the speaker had been a member until being expelled last week.
Aid workers and United Nations peacekeepers are trading food and other goods for sex with children in camps housing Liberians uprooted by fighting during the West African nation’s war, an international charity says. Save the Children says the situation for children has not improved since the 1998-2002 civil war ended.