S. Sudan factions sign ceasefire deal

2014-01-24 08:34:21

The South Sudanese government and rebels signed a cease-fire agreement on Thursday to end weeks of fighting that has killed thousands and displaced half a million civilians.

5 policemen shot dead by militants in Egypt

2014-01-23 16:40:43

At least five policemen were shot dead and two others injured early Thursday morning in an armed attack on a checkpoint in Egypt's Beni Sweif governorate south of the capital Cairo, official Al-Ahram Online reported.

Platinum producers to be hit by S. African strike

2014-01-23 15:05:29

Half of world platinum production is set to grind to a halt on Thursday as South Africa's hardline Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) vowed to press ahead with a strike over pay under the battle cry of a "living wage".

Longevity is 'grace of God': Mugabe

2014-01-22 10:49:19

Zimbabwe's aging President Robert Mugabe, who turns 90 next month, said at his sister's funeral Tuesday that his longevity is "the grace of God".

29.6 carat blue diamond found in S Africa

2014-01-21 20:29:21

A 29.6 carat blue diamond, one of the rarest and most coveted in the world with a possible price tag of tens of millions of dollars, has been discovered at a South African mine by Petra Diamonds.

Strike looms in S. Africa platinum mines

2014-01-21 15:51:45

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) on Monday issued to the world's top three platinum producers a 48-hour notice of its intention to down tools over salary disagreements.

EU to send troops to Central African Republic

2014-01-20 21:37:28

European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to send up to 1,000 soldiers to help stabilise Central African Republic, the EU's first major military operation in six years, a diplomatic source said.

Egypt president expected to call for elections

2014-01-18 17:52:52

Egypt's president will announce that presidential elections will be held in March, in a statement expected to come hours after the final results of a constitutional referendum are made public.

At least 4 killed in clashes across Egypt

2014-01-18 10:58:50

At least four people were killed as clashes between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and police flared up across Egypt on Friday, security sources said.

China to step up efforts to find peace in South Sudan

2014-01-18 00:54:54

China is to intensify mediation efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in strife-torn South Sudan.

South African AIDS death rate falls by a third: UN report

2014-01-17 21:38:46

The number of the AIDS deaths had decreased by nearly 30 percent in South Africa since 2004, said a UN official in a report.

When the crowd bays for blood

2014-01-17 09:30:50

Renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou has found himself in deep water. Not only has he been fined 7.48 million yuan ($1.24 million; 907,000 euros) for violating the family planning policy, but many Chinese want even harsher punishment. The tidal wave of malignancy as displayed online is nothing short of unsettling. It's like a virtual lynching.