North Korea nuclear test ‘possible’ in new year

A North Korean Scud-B missile (centre) and South Korean Hawk surface-to-air missiles are seen at the Korean War Memorial Museum in Seoul, on December 24, 2010

North Korea could carry out a third nuclear test next year to strengthen the credentials of its young leader-in-waiting, Kim Jong-un, a research report from a South Korean Foreign Ministry institute said yesterday.

The report came a day after Pyongyang vowed a nuclear “sacred war,” using its nuclear deterrent, after the South vowed to be “merciless” if attacked again and held a major military drill near the border.

The North, which carried out nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, has yet to show it has a deliverable weapon as part of its plutonium arms programme, but a third test would raise tensions further on the divided peninsula and rattle global markets.




South Korean media reported earlier this month that the North was digging a tunnel in preparation for a nuclear test.

“There is a possibility of North Korea carrying out its third nuclear test to seek improvement in its nuclear weapons production capability, keep the military tension high and promote Kim Jong-un’s status as the next leader,” the report said, referring to ailing Kim Jong-il’s youngest son.

“Tension between the two Koreas will remain high with chances of additional North Korean attacks on the South staying high,” the Foreign Ministry-run Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security said.

“US ENTIRELY TO BLAME”

Tension on the peninsula is at its highest since the 1950-53 Korean War, after a deadly naval clash in March and the North’s artillery attack on a South Korean island last month which killed four people. The two Koreas are technically still at war as their civil conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty.

The North’s KCNA news agency, which regularly threatens total destruction of the rich capitalist South, yesterday lay the blame on Washington and called South Korea one of its “shock brigades.”

“The US is entirely to blame for the alarming developments on the peninsula this year as it used the peninsula for realising its strategy to dominate East Asia,” KCNA said in a commentary.

Analysts said recent tensions have managed to turn back the clock on ties between the rivals by more than a decade.

“In the South, impatience with Pyongyang is growing, and there are demands from the right in Seoul for more robust terms of military engagement in the event of future clashes,” said Daniel Pinkston of the International Crisis Group.

Still, the risk of all-out war is low, and the North’s threats of destruction are seen as largely rhetorical.

A North Korean Scud-B missile (centre) and South Korean Hawk surface-to-air missiles are seen at the Korean War Memorial Museum in Seoul, on December 24, 2010

Pyongyang’s tactic of boasting about nuclear advances is a ploy aimed at restarting talks between itself, the South, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, from which it hopes to wring concessions, analysts say.

The Foreign Ministry report said six-party talks, which North Korea walked out of two years ago, will likely resume in 2011 but progress on reining in the North on its nuclear programme will remain elusive.

China, the North’s only major ally and vital financial backer, sees the forum as the best place to begin dialogue, but Seoul, Washington and Tokyo say they first need proof that Pyongyang is committed to dismantling its nuclear facilities.

North Korea could carry out a third nuclear test next year to strengthen the credentials of its young leader-in-waiting, Kim Jong-un, a research report from a South Korean Foreign Ministry institute said yesterday.

Amazing images of rare pink hippopotamus captured in Masai Mara

Wading through the muddy waters this rare pink-o-pottamus stands out from the crowd.

British brothers and wildlife photographers Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas captured these images of the brightly coloured hippo in the Masai Mara, Kenya, last week.

Visiting the African country on the hunt to photograph the legendary wildebeest migration the Londoners were in for a treat when rumours of a pink hippo surfaced.

Shy guy: As soon as the hippo notices the brothers snapping away on their cameras, he hides in the water behind his mother

'Our guide had mentioned that he had heard rumours of this rare hippo from a fellow guide, however, he was not told where it lived and he had never come across it before,' explains 26-year-old Will.

'After a rather uneventful morning, we stopped on the banks of the Mara River for a picnic breakfast.

'After a while, to our great surprise, we spotted the pink hippo emerge on to the far bank of the river.

'We dropped everything and reached for our cameras!'

Racing up to a bank on the river, the brothers positioned themselves a few hundred yards from the young hippo, so not to disturb it.

'It was a young one as it is much smaller than the other hippos and always stayed close to its mother,' said Will.

'It was nice to see the other hippos treated it no differently to any other.

'The pink hippo seemed perfectly happy as it bumbled around on the shore and other than its skin, was no different to any other hippo.

'It was out on the shore for 10 minutes or less. After that we spotted his pink head surface above the water every few minutes as he came up for air.

'It was also very shy and after spotting us it hid behind its mother before disappearing into the water.'

Excited by their discovery the brothers returned to the UK this week, eager to find out more about the rare hippo.

Will continued: 'On returning to the UK I have spent a morning researching the condition in order to find out how rare this creature really is and what caused the extraordinary coloration.

'I found just a handful of recorded instances of pink hippos in Uganda but never in the Mara.

'It turns out the hippo is "leucistic" [a condition characterised by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans], and not an albino since it does have some pigmented spots and dark eyes.

'Usually leucistic and albino animals do not survive in the wild as they are very visible to predators and they get serious sunburn.

'However, once hippos are large enough they are rarely attacked by predators, and uniquely, their sweat acts as a sunscreen which means a pink hippo can survive perfectly well in the wild!'

For Will though, the encounter proved how wildlife can continue to surprise and amaze.

'It was very exciting, particularly in Africa, where it seems that every animal has been photographed to death,' he added.

'As we were taking the pictures were not sure if anyone else had already photographed the animal or how rare a pink hippo really is, so it wasn't until we got back to the UK and did some research that we realised how special our pictures really were.

'This was obviously a unique encounter but it never ceases to amaze me how often wildlife surprises us... no matter how much time we spend photographing animals.

'When we are out in the field there is seldom a day that goes by where we don't observe some surprising aspect of behaviour or a unique individual that we have never come across before.

'Ultimately this is one reason why we find watching and photographing wildlife so fulfilling.'

Pink to make the boys wink: The rare pink hippopotamus was spotted last week in the Masai Mara in Africa

Pretty in pink: Brothers Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas stumbled across this rare pink hippopotamus in Kenya

Rare: The pink hippo is 'leucistic' - a condition characterised by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans

Camera crew: The Burrard-Lucas brothers shown on the other side of the lens for once

Nelson Mandela's daughter and grandchildren held up at gunpoint after former leader's 92nd birthday party

Victim: Nelson Mandela's daughter Zindzi Mandela (left) and her children were attacked just hours after this photo was taken at his 92nd birthday party

Nelson Mandela's daughter and grandchildren were held up by gunmen after returning from the former South African president’s 92nd birthday party, it emerged today.

Mr Mandela’s daughter, Zindzi Mandela, and her children were attacked by two men as they arrived by car in the driveway of their home in Johannesburg.

They were ordered to lie down, but then the men decided to leave.





Best wishes: Mr Mandela cuts his cake while family members look on

Frail: Mr Mandela was confined to his chair as candles were lit on his cake

However, they returned and searched the group, but then one of the men suddenly fired a shot. The victims' driver returned fire and the men, both said to be black, fled.

No one was hurt in the exchange on Sunday.

It is unknown whether the attackers hesitated because they recognised Miss Mandela, 49.
The family is still coming to terms with the death of Zindzi's grandchild Zenani, who died in a car crash ahead of the World Cup, hosted in South Africa in June.

Mourning for her death led Nelson Mandela to cancel his appearance at the opening ceremony.

Police said Mr Mandela's grandchildren were returning to their Johannesburg home from Mr Mandela’s estate across the city at 6.30pm on Sunday when the attack took place.
Gauteng police spokesman Brigadier Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said: ‘The driver was taking the children (home) and as they were getting into the gates

‘As they entered the yard and were getting out of the car, suddenly two armed black males approached them. They ordered them to lie down,’ he said.

‘One suspect fired a shot and the driver returned fire. They then fled the scene,’ he said.

A car with bullet holes in it and fitting the description of the one used by the attackers was later recovered.

Nelson Mandela celebrates 92nd birthday-World pays tribute to Mandela at 92

N.Korea leader in Beijing for talks with Hu.Willing to talk about Nuclear .

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has visited China four times since 2000


North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is making his first trip to China since 2006



North Korea is under tough UN sanctions over its refusal to halt its atomic drive



North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il arrived in China on May 3

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il was reportedly in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of summit talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, on his first trip abroad in years to secure much-needed economic aid.

The 68-year-old Kim, who arrived in China on Monday, is expected to offer Beijing reassurances that Pyongyang will return to nuclear disarmament talks it abandoned more than a year ago, in exchange for economic aid and investment.

North Korea is under tough UN sanctions over its refusal to halt its atomic drive, and its economy suffered a new blow last November when a currency reform backfired, wiping out people's savings and sending prices soaring.



China is Pyongyang's sole major ally and its main source of finance, food and fuel. It is also seen as the only country with any ability to put pressure on Kim's hardline regime.

Kim arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with Hu after apparently visiting the port city of Tianjin southeast of the Chinese capital, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing unnamed sources.

An AFP photographer saw a convoy of cars believed to be carrying Kim entering the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing -- where he has stayed in the past and was expected to stay again this time.

It was unclear when the reclusive leader would meet Hu. Yonhap reported that what appeared to be the same motorcade was later seen coming out of Diaoyutai, heading towards the Great Hall of the People where talks often take place.

This prompted speculation Kim might be meeting Hu Wednesday evening, although sources had earlier told Yonhap summit talks between the two leaders would take place on Thursday.

Before his stop in Tianjin, the North Korean leader visited dock and industrial facilities in Dalian in the northeast -- suggesting he wants to learn how to boost his country's port cities as a way to increase trade.

"By visiting industrial sites, Kim is trying to learn about China's economic development," Kim Yong-Hyun, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University in Seoul, told AFP.

"The main and open goal of Kim's trip is to strengthen economic cooperation and secure more economic assistance from China," he added.

"In an attempt to overcome (economic) difficulties, Kim may tell China that North Korea is willing to resume six-party talks."

Cheng Xiaohe, a professor of international politics at Renmin University in Beijing, agreed, saying any aid given to Kim would be "aimed at getting him to return to negotiations".

The North has said it will not return to the six-party disarmament talks grouping the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States until UN sanctions are lifted and the US agrees to talks on a formal peace treaty.

US and South Korean officials have said the sinking of a South Korean warship in March -- which was ripped apart by an external blast, killing 46 sailors -- has made an early resumption of negotiations less likely.

Seoul has hinted the Cheonan incident could be Pyongyang's fault. The North has denied all responsibility.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said the next move on disarmament was up to North Korea.

"There are five countries on the same page with respect to the six-party process. There's one country that is not -- North Korea," Crowley said Tuesday, adding that China was in a prime position to make some headway with Kim.

"We would trust that if there are meetings with high-level Chinese officials that they will stress, as we do, that the only route forward for North Korea is through the six-party process."

Cheng said Kim would have to raise the Cheonan incident with Hu, as it was "slowly turning into a crisis that will impact China-North Korea economic exchanges and affect relations between China and South Korea".

Kim's trip to China -- his first in four years -- has not been officially confirmed by either Beijing or Pyongyang. An official at North Korea's embassy in Beijing told AFP Wednesday he had no information.

Both governments often refrain from comment until Kim, who reportedly suffered a stroke in mid-2008, is safely back home.

Kim, who is said to dislike air travel, has visited China four times since 2000, each time by train. It was not clear when this trip would end, but Hu is scheduled to begin a visit to Russia at the end of the week.

"His current trip to China appears to have a strong political and diplomatic motive, compared to his previous trips," said Kim, the expert at Dongguk University.

"North Korea now needs a breakthrough as its isolation from the international community has deepened, with its economic troubles worsening."

World Cup fans warned over S.Africa fever outbreak

South Africans queue to buy tickets as the final round of sales begins for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup in Soweto township, near Johannesburg, April 15, 2010.

Tourists in South Africa including soccer fans heading to the World Cup must guard against mosquito bites and avoid contact with raw meat due to an outbreak of Rift Valley fever, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

Officials in South Africa, the host of the 2010 World Cup from June 11 to July 11, have reported 172 human cases of the animal viral disease this year, including 15 deaths, it said.



Many tourists visit South Africa's game parks and the WHO warned visitors to avoid contact with dead animals -- another way of catching the disease.

"People should be aware there is Rift Valley Fever in several provinces and should take precautions when visiting areas where they could be exposed to animals that could be infected," WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi told Reuters.

A female German tourist who visited game reserves was confirmed as having the disease upon return from South Africa last month, the WHO said in a statement. Three other travelers fell ill with similar symptoms but all four have recovered.

The virus usually causes relatively mild flu-like symptoms and neck stiffness in people, progressing sometimes to hallucinations, dizziness or even coma, according to the WHO.

A small percentage of victims develop a hemorrhagic form which causes them to vomit blood, pass blood in feces, or bleed from the nose, gums, or skin. Half of such patients die.

Human cases have been confirmed in Free State Province, Eastern Cape Province, Northern Cape Province, Western Cape and North West Province, most after contact with infected livestock.

MOSQUITO BITES

The WHO, a United Nations agency, said it was not advising any international travel restrictions to or from South Africa.

"However, WHO recommends that visitors to South Africa, especially those intending to visit farms and/or game reserves, avoid coming into contact with animal tissues or blood, avoid drinking unpasteurized or uncooked milk or eating raw meat."

"All travelers should take appropriate precautions against mosquito bites (use of mosquito nets, insect repellents)," it said.

Most human infections result from contact with the blood or organs of infected animals, according to the WHO.

It can also be caught from the bites of infected mosquitoes or other flies.

There is also some evidence that humans may become infected with Rift Valley Fever by drinking the unpasteurized or uncooked milk of infected animals, it said.

The virus can be transmitted through the handling of animal tissue during slaughtering or butchering, assisting with animal births, veterinary procedures or from disposing of carcasses.

Herders, farmers, slaughterhouse workers and veterinarians are at higher risk of infection.

A vaccine for humans has been developed but is not licensed and is not commercially available, according to the WHO.

South African bus crash kills 28 ahead of World Cup

Towing company employees inspect the wreckage of a bus



A South African police officer climbs in the wreckage of a bus


A South African police officer climbs through a roof emergency exit in the wreckage of a bus


South African policemen remove personal effects on the site of a bus accident

Transport officials in South Africa said they are confident about the safety of the country's roads ahead of next month's World Cup despite a bus accident that killed 28 people Wednesday.

"With 36 days to go to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, safe, efficient and reliable public transport, for South Africans and visitors alike, is a priority," said transport minister Sbu Ndebele.

"As government, we will not compromise the safety of innocent commuters," he said.

Ndebele was speaking after at least 28 people, including four children, were killed when an unroadworthy bus overturned northeast of Cape Town, in one of the country's worst-ever road accidents.

Between 20 and 30 people were injured in the crash, said Western Cape community safety spokesman Xenophone Wentzel.



The accident happened near Worcester, around 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Cape Town, as the bus travelled from the Eastern Cape province with around 80 passengers. It was meant to carry 64 people.

"The driver lost control of the bus, it then went through a barrier, overturned and then landed in the opposite direction it was travelling," Wentzel told AFP. "There was no other vehicle involved."

"This is one of the worst road accidents in the region and the country," he added.

A Western Cape traffic official said the privately owned bus had been suspended as unroadworthy last year.

Police have opened an investigation into culpable homicide against the driver, who is in critical condition in hospital.

Twenty-two people died at the scene, three at hospital and three bodies were found under the bus in the afternoon.

"Of the 28 people that died, four of them were children," Wentzel said.

Ndebele said his department would deploy mobile traffic control centres on major routes and around the nine World Cup host cities to ensure road safety during the June 11 to July 11 tournament.

"Mobile control centres will be in operation during peak traffic flow periods and match days. There will also be high visibility traffic patrols along key routes," he said.

South Africa's roads are among the world's most dangerous, with around 16,000 people killed every year -- an average of 45 a day.

A World Health Organisation study last year ranked South Africa ninth in the world in traffic fatalities, despite the country's relatively small vehicle fleet of 9.2 million.

The government has spent 2.6 billion dollars (1.9 billion euros) on transportation infrastructure ahead of the World Cup, including billions of rands to upgrade roads and poor public transport systems.

But some transport analysts say fans will still find travel difficult in a country more than three times the size of Germany.

Authorities said the bus in Wednesday's accident, which was registered to an individual, should not have been on the road.

"It was not supposed to be ferrying passengers. We do not know why it managed to get on the road," said provincial transport spokesman Solly Malatsi.

"This is blatant disregard for the law and we will ensure that there are serious consequences for the bus company or the owner concerned."

Several foreign embassies advise citizens to be cautious while driving in South Africa.

"Road conditions are generally good in South Africa," says the website of the US State Department.

"However, excessive speed, poor lighting on rural roads, and insufficient regulatory control of vehicle maintenance and operator licensing have resulted in a high and increasing number of traffic fatalities."

The British foreign office warns of inconsistent driving standards and many fatal accidents, which the French attributed to speeding, driver inexperience, pedestrians on roads, and drunk driving.

Ahmadinejad condemns 'satanic pressures' on Iran and Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe (2nd L) introduces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) to unidentified Zimbabwean army chiefs


Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe (R) welcomes Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad


Zimbabwean greet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his arrival at Harare Airport

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday condemned "satanic pressures" on Zimbabwe and his own country which he said were fighting to maintain their sovereignty, during a visit to Harare.

"Iran and Zimbabwe are two countries that continue the effort to maintain their sovereignty and freedom," Ahmadinejad said at a dinner with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.

"Of course, our strength had provoked the hostility of expansionist countries," he said. "Here, I condemn all pressures, all satanic pressures, pressures on the government and people of Zimbabwe."

"We believe victory is ours and humiliation and defeat for our enemies," he said.



"Of course, they have failed to reach their objectives and results. They had imagined they could change the directions of our nations. Our nations stood firm."

Both Ahmadinejad and Mugabe are known for their controversial policies and anti-Western rhetoric.

Both men have also clung to power through elections marred by violence and allegations of fraud -- Ahmadinejad after a bloody presidential election last year and Mugabe after sharply criticised polls in 2002 and 2008.

Ahmadinejad currently faces the threat of new United Nations sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, while Mugabe is accused of not honouring a power-sharing agreement reached last year after the controversial elections.

Mugabe backed Iran's nuclear programme and joined Ahmadinejad in denouncing the sanctions.

"Be also assured, comrade president, of Zimbabwe's continuous support of Iran's just cause on the nuclear issue," Mugabe told Ahmadinejad at a dinner in Harare.

"Because of the principled positions we have taken at both the domestic and international level, Zimbabwe and Iran have been unjustly vilified and punished by Western countries," Mugabe said.

Ahmadinejad arrived in Zimbabwe Thursday for trade talks with Mugabe, a visit denounced as a "colossal political scandal" by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Mugabe's partner in a fractious unity government.

"Inviting the Iranian strongman to an investment forum is like inviting a mosquito to cure malaria," the party said in a statement.

"Ahmadinejad?s visit is not only an insult to the people of Zimbabwe, but an affront to democracy and to the oppressed people of Iran."

Ahmadinejad's trip is part of an Africa tour also scheduled to include a visit to UN Security Council member Uganda, where he will discuss Iran's nuclear programme, according to Iranian state television.

The trip gains significance as world powers have stepped up pressure for a new round of UN sanctions against Iran.

Uganda currently holds one of the rotating seats on the Security Council.

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said Tehran plans to open talks with all 15 Security Council members in an effort to break a deadlock on a nuclear fuel supply deal that has put it at odds with Western powers.

In Zimbabwe, the Iranian leader is also due to sign various trade agreements and launch a series of joint ventures between the two countries in the agriculture, manufacturing and mining sectors.

On Friday he is set to open an international trade fair in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe enjoys good relations with Iran as well as several east Asian countries after Mugabe launched a "Look East" policy in response to isolation by the West following Harare's controversial land reforms and disputed 2002 elections.

SAfrican ANC: No singing of 'polarizing' songs

People sing and dance after the suspect in the murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche is led out of court in Ventersdorp, South Africa, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Whites and blacks have faced off angrily in song in front of a heavily guarded courthouse where a teenager and another farm worker who allegedly confessed to killing a white supremacist leader in a wage dispute have appeared.


Supporter of slain white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche hold a placard reading, Afrikaners on the march to freedom, outside the court in Ventersdorp, South Africa, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Whites and blacks singing competing national anthems from South Africa's racist past and its democratic reality faced off angrily Tuesday in front of a heavily guarded court preparing for the first hearing of a teenage boy and older farm worker who have allegedly confessed to killing the country's white supremacist leader.





Followers of slain Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) leader Eugene Terreblanche scuffle with police outside the courthouse in Ventersdrop, 140 km West of Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday April 6, 2010, as the two alleged killers are brought to court. Whites and blacks faced off angrily in song Tuesday in front of a heavily guarded South African courthouse before the first hearing of a teenager and another farm worker who have allegedly confessed to killing a white supremacist leader.


One of the suspects, center, with his face covered, in the murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche, is lead out of the court by police in Ventersdorp, South Africa, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Whites and blacks have faced off angrily in song in front of a heavily guarded courthouse where a teenager and another farm worker who allegedly confessed to killing a white supremacist leader in a wage dispute have appeared.


South Africa's governing party said Wednesday it has asked all its wings to stop singing controversial songs including one with lyrics that encourage people to shoot white farmers which some blame for the slaying of a white supremacist leader.

The African National Congress has rejected any link between the song and Saturday's killing of Eugene Terreblanche, but nevertheless made the decision at a meeting Tuesday as leaders seek to calm racial tensions and quell fears ahead of the first World Cup soccer tournament to be held in Africa.



Terreblanche's slaying has drawn attention to South Africa as one of the world's crime hotspots, with some 50 murders a day in a population of nearly 50 million and a rising number of car hijackings and rape.

Members of Terreblanche's extremist Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging movement, better known as the AWB, have blamed ANC youth league leader Julius Malema and his singing of the song with the lyrics "shoot the boer" for inciting the killers.

Boer means farmer in Afrikaans, the language of descendants of early Dutch settlers, but also is used as a derogatory term for whites.

ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe told a news conference his party wanted "to clarify the hullabaloo about us gagging Julius Malema." Beeld newspaper Wednesday quoted Mantashe as saying that he and President Jacob Zuma had ordered Malema to stop singing the song.

"In view of the environment currently prevailing in our country, all of our structures, all our structures, not Julius, not so and so, all the structures of the ANC must restrain themselves," Mantashe said. He said he also spoke with the heads of the Women's League and the Veteran's League, though neither is known for singing the song.

"The structures were also asked by the officials to be circumspect in singing liberation songs that have words that can be seen and be interpreted to be contributing to racial polarization of society," said a statement issued at the conference.

It was not clear if the new directive would apply to President Zuma's signature anthem from the apartheid era — "Bring me my machine gun" — which also has offended some South Africans.

For months the ruling party had resisted calls by opposition parties to reign in Malema.

Malema has fueled controversy by refusing to abide by a court's temporary interdiction on his singing of the song, which the court ruled was hate speech and unconstitutional.

The ANC still is challenging that ruling in court with its argument that the song is part of its cultural heritage and that the lyrics — which also speak of white farmers as thieves and rapists — refer to those who supported apartheid and now oppose democracy.

The new directive came Tuesday, the same day a magistrate's court charged a 15-year-old and a 28-year-old farm worker with Terreblanche's murder.

The accused were not asked to plead and the case has been adjourned to April 14.

A racially charged standoff outside the courthouse ended peacefully, in what many consider a victory for democracy in South Africa.

Still the older suspect was feted by blacks outside the court who hailed him as a hero when he walked out of the courthouse and into a police van, celebrating the death of the man who once was convicted of beating one of his farm workers so badly the man was left brain damaged.

Terreblanche's AWB initially threatened to avenge his death but on Monday retracted, saying it renounces all violence.

South Africa's Sharpeville recalls 1960 massacre

---------------


"We were shot at in cold blood - there was no warning," recounts Ike Makiti, a survivor of the Sharpeville massacre, as he stands by the graves of the township cemetery.

It's being hurriedly spruced up in time for Sunday's 50th anniversary and the arrival of VIPs.

Mr Makiti, was just 17 at the time of the shooting, a schoolboy and an active member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

He was heading back to school just after lunch on Monday, 21 March 1960, when he heard the sound of gunfire.

"We thought it was just firecrackers at first, then it became clear when we saw the blood that they were shooting at the people. Most of them were shot in the back, as they were trying to run away. It was clear that this was something serious."

Fifteen minutes of shooting transformed the massacre into one of the most iconic moments of the liberation struggle.

It marked the start of armed resistance and the banning of both the PAC and the African National Congress (ANC).

Unemployed survivors

Thousands of protesters had gathered in Sharpeville, just south of Johannesburg, to protest at the use of the infamous passbooks, or "dompas", that every black South African was expected to carry and produce on demand.


It governed a person's movement, was a tool of harassment and was one of the most hated symbols of the apartheid state.


Sixty-nine men, women and children were gunned down on that day, killed when police officers opened fire on the crowd.

The police station - where they had gathered - is now a memorial to the dead.

As South Africa prepares to remember Sharpeville's 50th anniversary with Human Rights Day, there is unease in this run-down township.

People like Ike Makiti who subsequently served five years in jail on Robben Island for being a member of a banned organisation, are disappointed that the promises of the new democratic government are not being fulfilled.

"Most of the people who survived that massacre are not working," he says. "I'm not saying they should be fed sitting down, but they should be provided with work."

Sharpeville's small shopping precinct is in a dilapidated state and many of the buildings have been boarded up. What remains is a small fashion shop, a hair salon, a butcher and a modest bar.

Soured mood

But two schools have closed recently and there are no sports facilities for the youth.

Tsoana Nhlapo, who represents an organisation called Sharpeville First, speaks for the younger generation - descendants of those who witnessed the Sharpeville Massacre.

She is pushing for the township to be recognised as a national heritage site, for an apology from the state for what happened here and, as in many other poor areas in South Africa, for delivery of better infrastructure and services.

"When apartheid was still rife we were complaining that the four-room houses were like kennels, they're not of good quality, but what happens now they're in power is that they're building even smaller ones.

"Are we missing the point somewhere? Do we remember what we fought for?"

South Africa's ruling party, the ANC, is accused of not delivering the basics like housing and jobs to the very people who fought for liberation.

The row has soured the planned celebrations for the 50th anniversary in Sharpeville, with some events even cancelled for fear that they could spark riots.

It mirrors the mood in a society dubbed the most unequal in the world and serves as a reflection of a new type of struggle South African politicians are having to face.

Two protesters shot dead in clashes with police after fire at Kasubi Tombs

--------

Protesters dive for cover as a Ugandan soldier fires into the air at Kasubi Tombs


Two protesters were shot dead in clashes with police prompted by a fire at the Kasubi Tombs on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

The blaze at the 128-year-old tombs, sacred to the Baganda tribe — and a Unesco World Heritage Site — consumed the thatched-roof mausoleum and many royal artefacts. At least two people died when security forces clashed with protesters who were angered by claims that the fire was caused by arsonists linked to the Government of President Museveni.

Supporters of Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the traditional ruler of the Baganda, had fought battles with police throughout Tuesday night. Matters came to a head when they tried to prevent President Museveni visiting the tombs yesterday, chanting and brandishing placards and setting up barricades when his motorcade approached.

Police began firing into the air after being confronted, according to Lieutenant- Colonel Felix Kulayigye. Two protesters were killed and five were injured.

Despite the protests, Mr Museveni continued to the site with extra security from four lightly armoured vehicles and hundreds of soldiers riding on pickup trucks. “I am suspicious. This could be arson,” he told the tomb caretakers as he toured the charred site. “The problem is, the place has been tampered with. We are going to investigate.”

Unesco said that it was dismayed by the event.

Businesses in the centre of Kampala remained open, but shops closed in the suburbs after youths converged on main roads, watched closely by security forces.

Peter Mayiga, a spokesman for the Buganda kingdom, described the fire as “an attack on Buganda” after a number of recent clashes with government forces, including battles with police in the streets of the capital in September. “This fire is very strange, given what we have been going through,” Mr Mayiga said.

BBC is caught up in a row over Nelson Mandela and Jeremy Clarkson ‘the astronaut’

Blunder: Clarkson says he was nervous and 'acted like a fool' after upsetting the former South African president

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257782/BBC-caught-row-Mandela-Clarkson-astronaut.html#ixzz0iAo0HdSs


The BBC has been dragged into an embarrassing row involving Nelson Mandela after Jeremy Clarkson revealed that the former South African president had mistaken him for an astronaut.

Senior aides of the 91-year-old were so upset by the Top Gear presenter’s decision to publicise the misunderstanding that they threatened to reject £70,000 which Mr Clarkson raised for the Nelson Mandela Foundation at a charity auction.

The mix-up occurred when the two men were introduced at a reception in Johannesburg.
Mr Mandela had been due to meet a group of American astronauts on the same day and became confused about who Mr Clarkson was.

When he asked him what the Moon was like, the star of the hugely successful BBC2 car show could not bring himself to correct the legendary leader, so he replied: ‘It’s rocky and dusty and there’s not much gravity.’
A source who was at the reception said: ‘Mr Mandela’s people were extremely annoyed.’

Last night, Mr Clarkson declined to apologise but issued a statement via the BBC, saying: ‘I was incredibly nervous and acted like a fool.’

He and his co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May were in South Africa for a series of Top Gear Live shows and to raise money for good causes. A number of arena shows are presented each year in countries where the programme has a big following.

The confusion over Mr Clarkson’s identity might have remained a private matter had the ‘motormouth’ TV host not later recounted the story in a newspaper column.

Mr Mandela’s aides were so annoyed at what they claimed was a breach of confidentiality that they said they would refuse the money.

His personal assistant, Zelda le Grange, told Paul Edmonds, director of Brand Events, the promotions company that organises the Top Gear Live tours on behalf of the BBC: ‘We do not want your money.’

Mr Edmonds is understood to have told colleagues after the heated meeting with Ms le Grange that ‘it was one of those times when you shut up and take your medicine’.

Mr Clarkson wrote in his newspaper column after meeting the former president: ‘I should explain at this point that these days Mr Mandela spends a lot of his time meeting people who are passing through Johannesburg... And when you are sitting in an office all day, meeting an endless stream of

people you don’t know, it’s easy to get them a bit muddled up.’

Last night, the foundation tried to play down the row and indicated that it would, after all, accept the money. Spokesman Sello Hatang said: ‘We have not rejected the donation. We are in discussions at the moment about the process of receiving it. There is no bad blood between us and Mr Clarkson.’

Asked if the foundation would work with the same promotions company again, Mr Hatang said: ‘I am not sure what will happen in the future. We will cross that river when we get there.’

This is not the first time that Mr Clarkson has caused offence. He had to apologise last year after calling Gordon Brown ‘a one-eyed Scottish idiot’, while in 2005 he gave the Nazi salute on Top Gear while discussing a German-made Mini.

He has also accused TV bosses of being obsessed with having ‘black Muslim lesbians’ on shows to balance out white heterosexual men.

A BBC Worldwide spokesman said: ‘During downtime for the Top Gear Live tour in South Africa recently, Jeremy had a private meeting with Nelson Mandela. The newspaper columns that followed the meeting are not a matter for BBC Worldwide.

US calls for quick return to democracy in Niger-African Union suspends Niger after military coup

Niger's polling officials wait for voters


It is believed President Tandja is being held at a military barracks in Niamey


The United States on Friday called for a "speedy return to democracy" in Niger, including transparent elections after a coup in the western African nation.

"The United States continues to call (for) Niger's speedy return to democracy and the rule of law, as well as prompt, fair and transparent elections," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.

Crowley said that the United States was "gratified" by the strong international reaction to the coup, including a "strong statement" by the European Union.

"We will obviously work closely with our international partners and do everything we can to see democracy returned to Niger as rapidly as possible," he said.

However, Crowley said that the United States was still assessing the situation and would not yet formally declare that Niger had undergone a coup.

Such a determination would trigger an immediate cut off in US assistance, but the United States already suspended millions of dollars in aid in December on concerns that President Mamadou Tandja was consolidating power.

The army on Thursday stormed a cabinet meeting, seizing Tandja who had forced through a new constitution last year.

"We have, on the one hand, expressed our concern about the suspension of the constitution," Crowley said.

"On the other hand, no one should resort to political violence to resolve political tension," he said.

The African Union has suspended Niger following Thursday's military coup, in which President Mamadou Tandja was deposed and the government dissolved.

The organisation said it had imposed sanctions on the country and demanded a return to constitutional rule.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the coup, and appealed for calm and respect for human rights.

Earlier, the new military council announced it was lifting a curfew and re-opening borders.

Col Abdul Karimou said the situation was "under control" and that there was "no single voice of dissension" in the West African state.

Thousands of people took to the streets on Friday in support of the takeover.

Ten people are said to have died when the junta seized power.

Tandja 'safe'

Troops stormed the palace during a cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon, seizing Mr Tandja and his ministers before announcing that they were suspending the constitution and dissolving all state institutions.


Calling themselves the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), the coup leaders promised to turn Niger into an example of "democracy and good governance" and save its people from "poverty, deception and corruption".

A senior army officer, Col Salou Djibo, was named head of a military government.

The US said it believed the coup had been triggered by Mr Tandja's actions last August, when he held a controversial referendum to abolish limits on presidential terms of office.

The opposition Co-ordination of Democratic Forces for the Republic (CFDR) - a coalition of political parties, trade unions and human rights groups formed last year to protest against the constitutional changes - welcomed it.



In a statement, the group condemned "President Tanja's stubbornness in power", and called on the junta to respect its pledge to restore democracy.

Mr Tandja, a 71-year-old former army officer, was first elected in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004.

His second term in office expired in December, but was extended to allow him to complete major investment projects.

A junta spokesman, Col Goukoye Abdul Karimou, told the BBC on Friday that the president was "safe and well".

"We are taking care of him - remember he is one of our elder soldiers," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

The colonel said most of the cabinet ministers captured along with the president had been released and had gone home.

The three still being held would be free in a couple of days, he added.

It is believed they are being held at a military barracks in Niamey.

'Zero tolerance'

The international community has been quick to condemn the coup.

The European Union followed former colonial power France in calling for all those involved to "engage immediately in a democratic process allowing for rapid establishment of the constitutional order".

The chairman of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping, said there should be "zero tolerance" of those taking power by force.

The regional organisation later announced that it had suspended Niger and called for its citizens to be allowed to elect the leader they wanted.

"Niger is suspended from all activities of the AU. Meanwhile, we will continue with the process of helping them return to constitutional order," said Mull Sebujja Katende, the chairman of the AU Peace and Security Council.

International deals

In New York, the UN's secretary general reiterated "his disapproval of unconstitutional changes of government as well as attempts to remain in power through unconstitutional means".

Mr Ban noted the CSRD had said it intended to restore constitutional rule and called on it "to proceed swiftly with these efforts through a process that is consensual and that includes all segments of Nigerien society".

Niger has experienced long periods of military rule since independence from France in 1960.

It is one of the world's poorest countries, but Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power has brought a measure of economic stability.

Under his tenure, the French energy firm Areva has begun work on the world's second-biggest uranium mine - ploughing an estimated $1.5bn (£970m) into the project.

China National Petroleum Corporation signed a $5bn deal in 2008 to pump oil within three years.






---