Western researchers have called for tighter curbs on Indian clinics making ”extravagant claims” over the use of embryonic stem cells after a Delhi doctor this week said she had treated 100 terminally ill patients with the therapy. Experts in Britain expressed concern and scepticism on hearing that Geeta Shroff (41) who runs a genetics research laboratory and hospital in south Delhi, had produced and purified stem cells from human embryos.

Walking home with her two classmates after a morning’s lessons, Mirjana looks dumbfounded when asked if she has any Muslim friends. Ask a silly question, her expression says. The 16-year-old Bosnian Croat girl has grown up in a country at peace.

The Democratic Alliance has changed its selection procedures for local government candidates in Cape Town after discrepancies in membership lists were discovered in a number of branches in the city. Branches send delegates to an electoral college in accordance with membership size. But a recent federal audit of the party’s structures found variations paid for by other members to boost numbers.

Teachers spend less than half the working week actually teaching, with administrative tasks taking up more than half their time. And more than three-quarters of teachers say their workload has increased ”a lot” since 2000, with 90% ascribing this increase to the demands of the new curriculum.