Sudan prepared on Saturday to bury the late vice-president and ex-rebel chief John Garang, who led southern Sudanese in a 21-year war against the government in Khartoum before sealing a historic peace deal in January.
Zimbabwe has not been informed of a visit next week by a United States ambassador to examine the humanitarian situation in the Southern African country. Secretary for foreign affairs Joey Bimha said he would have to verify whether ambassador Tony Hall had been granted a visa.
Ethiopia will hold rerun voting in 14 additional constituencies where fraud and irregularities occurred in disputed May elections, bringing to 29 out of 523 the number of precincts where repeat polls will be held. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia said on Friday the decision was made after reviewing fraud complaints from 69 of 74 constituencies where results have yet to be released.
The United States justice department has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DaimlerChrysler-owned Mercedes paid bribes to foreign officials. The investigation was sparked by a former Chrysler accountant, who has alleged in a lawsuit that the German carmaker kept secret bank accounts to bribe officials in Africa and Latin America.
The Freedom Front Plus has raised concerns about falling standards in the training of pilots in the South African Air Force, saying this may lead to accidents. ”Earlier the minister said trainee pilots are allowed to fail all their exams and to fail two repeat exams. Previously trainee pilots were allowed to only fail three subjects and then to pass a repeat exam with a pass mark of 60%,” said a spokesperson.
Free State health officials have closed the operating theatres at the Katleho hospital in Virginia after three patients were infected with klebsiella. Provincial health department spokesperson Elke de Witt said on Friday three outpatients had suffered post-operation wound sepsis at clinics in Virginia and at the Katleho District hospital.
The main European powers on Friday called an emergency meeting of the United Nation’s nuclear authority to try to chart a way out of an escalating crisis with Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The 35-strong board of the International Atomic Energy Agency is to meet on Tuesday in Vienna.
The United States is negotiating the transfer of nearly 70% of the prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay back to their home countries in an attempt to dramatically reduce the number of ”enemy combatants” in US custody, it emerged on Friday. Earlier this week the Bush administration formally agreed to the transfer of 110 detainees from the prison camp in Cuba to Afghanistan.
Human rights experts and a radical Islamic group have blasted a raft of new powers to combat terrorism in Britain unveiled by Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday, while mainstream Muslims applauded them. The measures include the banning of certain hard-line Islamic groups.
Convicted kidnapper and killer Donovan Moodley is not receiving any special treatment, the Department of Correctional Services said on Friday. On Thursday, Moodley was given a life sentence for the murder of Leigh Matthews, 15 years for kidnapping her and a further 10 years for extorting money from her parents.