Assailants armed with guns and swords shot and hacked to death 22 people, mainly women and children, from a rival clan in northeastern Kenya on Tuesday, officials said. Security forces later killed 12 suspects during an operation to restore order in Mandera, a district troubled by clashes between the Garre and Murule clans.
The setting of medicine prices came under intense scrutiny at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday. The court is being asked for leave to appeal a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that the new medicine-pricing regulations invalid are invalid. Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told journalists the case is all about access to safe and affordable medicines.
Officials and religious leaders are disputing claims by a Cambodian man that his cow is possessed by a magic healing spirit that emigrated from Thailand. The animal’s owner claimed on Monday that excrement and urine from his cow could miraculously cure diseases since it became possessed by a heavenly entity last week.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo called on Monday for Western countries to make good on promises of debt relief to poor nations, saying failing to do so would destroy their credibility. Poor countries, especially in Africa, have long complained that repaying massive debts is draining away funds that could be spent on better roads and schools.
A top United Nations anti-drug official has predicted cocaine prices in the United States and Europe will rise next year, reflecting the fruits of a six-year, US-funded effort to eradicate drug production in Colombia. ”Considering Colombia supplies 80% of the world cocaine market, we think prices are going to rise starting in 2006,” the official said.
Twenty-three people, including three top leaders of Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaeda-linked Islamic group, were killed on Tuesday when Philippine police stormed a maximum-security prison to end a day-old revolt, officials said. The Philippine military has said it is preparing for possible retaliatory attacks by Abu Sayyaf.
African Union officials discussed sending troops to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to forcibly disarm thousands of Rwandans linked to their country’s 1994 genocide. At a meeting, officials said they were considering three options for disarming an estimated 10 000 to 14 000 Rwandan rebels in the DRC.
Hong Kong’s acting Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, said on Tuesday he is prepared to face a legal challenge over the decision to let the territory’s new leader serve only a two-year term. Tsang said the government is determined to see a new leader installed on July 10 following chief executive Tung Chee-hwa’s early resignation last week.
One of four Waterkloof youths accused of killing a man in a park in 2001 has denied stabbing the man. Christoff Becker (19) also denied in his Pretoria Regional Court trial on Tuesday that he or co-accused Gert van Schalkwyk was involved in an assault on another man the same day.
Black economic empowerment in agriculture (AgriBEE) will also benefit white farmers and companies who become involved with it, the National African Farmers’ Union (Nafu) said on Tuesday. ”AgriBEE is voluntary and incentive-driven. This will benefit farmers and companies which choose to get involved by helping black farmers,” said Nafu’s BigMan Maloa.