Showing posts tagged south africa
BREAKING: Oscar Pistorius granted bail in murder caseSouth African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day.Updates on BreakingNews.com: http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/oscar-pistorius-charged-with-murderPhoto: Oscar Pistorius appears at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 19, 2013. (Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images)

BREAKING: Oscar Pistorius granted bail in murder case

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day.

Updates on BreakingNews.com: http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/oscar-pistorius-charged-with-murder

Photo: Oscar Pistorius appears at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 19, 2013. (Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images)

Prosecutor charges Pistorius with premeditated murder CBS News, AP: Olympian Oscar Pistorius fired into the door of a small bathroom where his girlfriend was cowering after a shouting match on Valentine’s Day, hitting her three times, a South African prosecutor said Tuesday as he charged the sports icon with premeditated murder. In an affidavit revealed during the bail hearing, Pistorius said he was “absolutely mortified” over his girlfriend’s death, and that he shot through the door thinking it was a burglar on the other side who had broken into his home through the bathroom window. He claims he then broke down the door with a cricket bat. Photo: Oscar Pistorius awaits the start of court proceedings in the Pretoria Magistrates court on Feb. 19, 2013 (Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters) View high resolution

Prosecutor charges Pistorius with premeditated murder

CBS News, AP: Olympian Oscar Pistorius fired into the door of a small bathroom where his girlfriend was cowering after a shouting match on Valentine’s Day, hitting her three times, a South African prosecutor said Tuesday as he charged the sports icon with premeditated murder.

In an affidavit revealed during the bail hearing, Pistorius said he was “absolutely mortified” over his girlfriend’s death, and that he shot through the door thinking it was a burglar on the other side who had broken into his home through the bathroom window. He claims he then broke down the door with a cricket bat.

Photo: Oscar Pistorius awaits the start of court proceedings in the Pretoria Magistrates court on Feb. 19, 2013 (Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters)

South African police join hunt for 10,000 crocodiles on the loose South Africa has called in police to join the hunt for as many as 10,000 crocodiles on the loose after they escaped from a farm during floods and were washed into one of southern Africa’s biggest rivers. The Guardian reports the flood gates at the Rakwena Crocodile Farm, close to the Botswana and Zimbabwe borders, were opened on Sunday because it was feared that rising flood waters would crush the reptiles, but this released some 15,000 crocodiles into the Limpopo river. Photo: Duncan Willetts/Sportsphoto Ltd

South African police join hunt for 10,000 crocodiles on the loose

South Africa has called in police to join the hunt for as many as 10,000 crocodiles on the loose after they escaped from a farm during floods and were washed into one of southern Africa’s biggest rivers.

The Guardian reports the flood gates at the Rakwena Crocodile Farm, close to the Botswana and Zimbabwe borders, were opened on Sunday because it was feared that rising flood waters would crush the reptiles, but this released some 15,000 crocodiles into the Limpopo river.

Photo: Duncan Willetts/Sportsphoto Ltd

Nelson Mandela hospitalized in South Africa Former South African President Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital today for medical tests, although the government said there was no cause for alarm. NBC News reports that a statement from President Jacob Zuma’s office gave no details of the condition of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader. “Former President Mandela will receive medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age,” the statement said. Photo: Nelson Mandela attends the inauguration of his successor Thabo Mbeki, left, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 16, 1999. (Odd Andersen / AFP - Getty Images)

Nelson Mandela hospitalized in South Africa

Former South African President Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital today for medical tests, although the government said there was no cause for alarm.

NBC News reports that a statement from President Jacob Zuma’s office gave no details of the condition of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader.

“Former President Mandela will receive medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age,” the statement said.

Photo: Nelson Mandela attends the inauguration of his successor Thabo Mbeki, left, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 16, 1999. (Odd Andersen / AFP - Getty Images)

Dwarf ‘vampire’ dinosaur was a plant eater BBC: A bizarre dinosaur described as a cross between ‘a bird, a vampire and a porcupine’ has been identified from fossils in South America. The species, which was about the size of a domestic cat, lived between 100 and 200 million years ago. It had a parrot-like beak with two stabbing canines at the front and tall teeth tucked behind for slicing plants. An analysis of the dinosaur has been published in the journal Zookeys.

Dwarf ‘vampire’ dinosaur was a plant eater

BBC:

A bizarre dinosaur described as a cross between ‘a bird, a vampire and a porcupine’ has been identified from fossils in South America.

The species, which was about the size of a domestic cat, lived between 100 and 200 million years ago.

It had a parrot-like beak with two stabbing canines at the front and tall teeth tucked behind for slicing plants.

An analysis of the dinosaur has been published in the journal Zookeys.

South Africa police fire on striking miners, several dead Reuters: South African riot police opened fire on striking miners armed with machetes and sticks at a platinum mine Thursday, killing at least a dozen men. The incident is the deadliest in a week of union violence. It is not immediately clear whether police were fired upon. The police themselves opened fire on a group of men who burst out from behind a vehicle. There has been no official confirmation of the death toll yet. Photo: A policeman fires at protesting miners outside a South African mine in Rustenburg, 62 miles northwest of Johannesburg on Aug. 16. (Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters) View high resolution

South Africa police fire on striking miners, several dead

Reuters: South African riot police opened fire on striking miners armed with machetes and sticks at a platinum mine Thursday, killing at least a dozen men. The incident is the deadliest in a week of union violence.

It is not immediately clear whether police were fired upon. The police themselves opened fire on a group of men who burst out from behind a vehicle. There has been no official confirmation of the death toll yet.

Photo: A policeman fires at protesting miners outside a South African mine in Rustenburg, 62 miles northwest of Johannesburg on Aug. 16. (Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters)

South African athlete becomes 1st amputee to compete in Olympics “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius of South Africa became the first amputee to compete on the track at an Olympics, running in a men’s 400-meter heat. The 25-year-old runner was born without fibulas and his legs were amputated below the knee before he was a year old. He runs on carbon-fiber blades. Read more from AP.Photo: Oscar Pistorius starts in a men’s 400-meter heat at the 2012 Summer Olympics. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

South African athlete becomes 1st amputee to compete in Olympics

“Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius of South Africa became the first amputee to compete on the track at an Olympics, running in a men’s 400-meter heat.

The 25-year-old runner was born without fibulas and his legs were amputated below the knee before he was a year old. He runs on carbon-fiber blades. Read more from AP.

Photo: Oscar Pistorius starts in a men’s 400-meter heat at the 2012 Summer Olympics. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)