Britain and the United States are betraying the cause of human rights in pursuit of their ”war on terror”, Amnesty International says in its annual report published on Wednesday. Irene Khan, Amnesty’s general secretary, launching the report, accused the two governments of condoning torture while trying to keep their consciences clear.
Health campaigners on Wednesday dismissed claims by the Indian government that the country had shrunk the growth rate of new HIV infections by 95%. About 526 000 people were infected in India in 2003, but the latest official figures showed an increase last year of just 28 000.
Click on image for full-size view.
In the high-stakes nuclear game, will a radioactive waste-management policy be foisted on an unsuspecting public or will ”transparency, consultation and stakeholder participation” be a reality? A draft policy containing those words remains ungazetted while the government looks at prototype pebble-bed nuclear reactors for commercial use.
The president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Moss Mashishi, announced on Wednesday that Sascoc has appointed a three-member committee to run the affairs of rugby until the extraordinary meeting of the general council of the South African Rugby Union on June 17.
Anyone who claims vitamins are a cure or treatment for Aids is a charlatan, United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAids) director Peter Piot said in Johannesburg on Wednesday. ”It’s really unfortunate that there will always be people who try to make money out of the misery and suffering of others,” he said.
The City of Johannesburg will spend about R1,4-billion over the next four years to prepare for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, executive mayor Amos Masondo said on Wednesday in presenting the city’s budget for the 2005/06 financial year. R675-million will go to City Power to upgrade the city’s ageing power network.
Western Province’s Koos Basson has become the fourth South African Rugby Union management committee member to resign on Wednesday. This follows the resignations of fellow members Andre Markgraaff, Mike Stofile and Theunie Lategan.
The Bafana Bafana squad for their crucial 2006 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifier match against the Cape Verde Islands was announced on Wednesday. Bafana, who top the group-two log table, will be hoping to maintain their number-one spot against the second-placed Cape Verde Islands.
The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany met the top Iranian negotiator in Geneva on Wednesday in a final bid to stop Iran pressing ahead with plans to resume its uranium-conversion activities. Iranian negotiators warned that the meeting was heading for deadlock amid plans to reopen a nuclear plant in central Iran.