Mandela makes ‘dramatic’ progress, says daughter
Nelson Mandela has made “dramatic progress,” and may be going home “anytime soon,” said his daughter Zindzi on the eve of his 95th birthday.
Mandela is gaining “energy and strength,” said his daughter. “I should think he will be going home anytime soon.”
The latest description by Zindzi — who is one of Mandela’s daughters by his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela — is a significant improvement from court documents filed by the family earlier this month which said he was on life support and near death.
Mandela has been in a Pretoria hospital since June 8.
Victims to participate in trial of ex-Chad ruler
More than 1,000 people who suffered abuse under former Chad dictator Hissene Habre have submitted applications to participate in his trial on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture, lawyers said Wednesday.
Five of those who submitted applications spoke in Senegal’s capital about the abuse they endured under Habre’s regime, including food deprivation, electric shock and being forced to dig graves for hundreds of prisoners who died in detention.
Habre has been charged by a special court in Senegal.
Long backlog for godless wedding services in Ireland
Traditionally Catholic Ireland has allowed an atheist group to perform weddings this year for the first time, and the few people certified to celebrate them are overwhelmed by hundreds of couples seeking their services.
Demand for the Humanist Association of Ireland’s secular weddings has surged as the moral authority of the once almighty Catholic Church collapsed in recent decades amid sex abuse scandals and Irish society’s rapid secularisation.
Until now, those who did not want a religious wedding could have only civil ceremonies. Outside of the registrar’s office, only clergy were permitted to perform weddings.
Madagascar presidential candidate arrested
Madagascar presidential hopeful Laza Razafiarison was arrested Tuesday after holding an unauthorised rally, the security forces said.
Razafiarison, who is considered an underdog in the country’s upcoming presidential election, held a protest late Monday that police broke up with tear gas.
The presidential election — meant to end a four-year political crisis — has repeatedly been put on hold amid controversy over the candidacy of the three front runners.
The Indian Ocean island has been in political limbo since Rajoelina, a former disc jockey and ex-mayor of the capital Antananarivo, seized power.
20 hurt in Bulgaria protests
Twenty people including three police officers needed hospital treatment in Bulgaria after long-running protests against the government in the EU’s poorest country turned violent overnight, medical sources said Wednesday.
Others received medical attention at the scene after riot police broke up a blockade of parliament by around 2,000 protesters that only ended at around 3:30am.
Around 100 ministers, MPs and journalists were trapped inside for more than eight hours. The building was emptied by 5am and protesters’ barricades made of park benches, garbage containers and paving stones were dismantled.