Two Tourists Kidnapped In Sinai Released

Two tourists abducted by Bedouin gunmen last week have been freed.. Authorities been been negotiating with the kidnappers for their release.

The Israeli man and Norwegian woman, were seized on March 23 while driving between the resort towns of Dahab and Taba on the Red Sea coast.

Bedouin kidnappers have held tourists hostage in the past to pressure the authorities to release fellow tribesmen from jail. Two American female tourists were kidnapped in Sinai in February 2012 but Egyptian authorities negotiated their release a few hours later.

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TV Does Not Breed Badly Behaved Children

Spending hours watching TV or playing computer games each day does not harm young children's social development, say experts.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) team who studied more than 11,000 primary school pupils says it is wrong to link bad behaviour to TV viewing.

Although researchers found a small correlation between the two, they say other influences, such as parenting styles, most probably explain the link.

But they still say "limit screen time".

This cautionary advice is because spending lots of time in front of the TV every day might reduce how much time a child spends doing other important activities such as playing with friends and doing homework, they say.

US research suggests watching TV in early childhood can cause attention problems at the age of seven.

We found no effect with screen time for most of the behavioural and social problems that we looked at and only a very small effect indeed for conduct problems, such as fighting or bullying”

In the US, paediatric guidelines recommend that total screen time should be limited to less than two hours of educational, non-violent programmes per day. There are currently no formal guidelines in the UK.

For the MRC study, published in Archives of Diseases in Childhood, Dr Alison Parkes and colleagues asked UK mothers from all walks of life to give details about their child's TV viewing habits and general behaviour.

Electronic entertainment
Almost two-thirds (65%) of the 11,014 five-year-olds included in the study watched TV between one and three hours a day, 15% watched more than three hours and less than 2% watched no television at all.

Watching more than three hours' TV a day at this age predicted a very small increase in "conduct" problems at the age of seven.

After their seventh birthday, these boys and girls were slightly more likely to get into fights, tell lies or be bullies than their peers, according to their mothers' reports.

Time spent playing computer games bore no such relationship.

And there was no association between TV or any screen time and other issues such as hyperactivity or problems interacting with friends.

Dr Parkes, head of the MRC's social and public health sciences unit in Glasgow, said it was wrong to blame social problems on TV.

"We found no effect with screen time for most of the behavioural and social problems that we looked at and only a very small effect indeed for conduct problems, such as fighting or bullying.

"Our work suggests that limiting the amount of time children spend in front of the TV is, in itself, unlikely to improve psychosocial adjustment."

She said interventions focusing on the family dynamic and the child were more likely to make a difference and that much may depend on what children are watching and whether they were supervised.

Sonia Livingstone, professor of social psychology, at the London School of Economics, said the findings were a "good reason to ask why some children spend so much time watching television".

Prof Annette Karmiloff-Smith, of Birkbeck, University of London, said that rather than focusing on the possible adverse effects of TV and video games, it would be better to look at what positive impact they could have on children.

Prof Hugh Perry, chair of the MRC's neurosciences and mental health board, said: "We are living in a world that is increasingly dominated by electronic entertainment, and parents are understandably concerned about the impact this might be having on their children's wellbeing and mental health.

"This important study suggests the relationship between TV and video games and health is complex and influenced by many other social and environmental factors."

Source: BBC News

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Campaigners Warn On Google Glass Use

Google Glass and other augmented reality gadgets risk creating a world in which privacy is impossible, warn campaigners.

The warning comes from a group called "Stop the Cyborgs" that wants limits put on when headsets can be used.

It has produced posters so premises can warn wearers that the glasses are banned or recording is not permitted.

The campaign comes as politicians, lawyers and bloggers debate how the gadgets will change civil society.

"We are not calling for a total ban," one of the campaign workers called Jack said.

"Rather we want people to actively set social and physical bounds around the use of technologies and not just fatalistically accept the direction technology is heading in," he wrote.

Based in London, the Stop The Cyborgs campaign began at the end of February, he said, and the group did not expect much to happen before the launch of Google Glass in 2014.

However, the launch coincided with a push on Twitter by Google to get people thinking about what they would do if they had a pair of the augmented reality spectacles. The camera-equipped headset suspends a small screen in front of an owner and pipes information to that display. The camera and other functions are voice controlled.

Google's push, coupled with the announcement by the 5 Point Cafe in Seattle to pre-emptively ban users of the gadget, has generated a lot of debate and given the campaign a boost, he said.

Posters produced by the campaign that warn people not to use Google Glass or other personal surveillance devices had been downloaded thousands of times, said Jack.

In addition, he said, coverage of the Glass project in mainstream media and on the web had swiftly turned from "amazing new gadget that will improve the world" to "the most controversial device in history".

The limits that the Stop The Cyborg campaign wants placed on Google Glass and similar devices would involve a clear way to let people know when they are being recorded.

"It's important for society and democracy that people can chat and live without fear that they might end up being published or prosecuted," it said in a manifesto reproduced on its website.

"We are not anti-technology," said Jack. "We just want people to realise that technology is a powerful cultural force which shapes our society and which we can also shape."

In a statement, Google said: "We are putting a lot of thought into how we design Glass because new technology always raises important new issues for society."

"Our Glass Explorer program will give all of us the chance to be active participants in shaping the future of this technology, including its features and social norms," it said.

Already some US states are looking to impose other limits on augmented reality devices. West Virginia is reportedly preparing a law that will make it illegal to use such devices while driving. Those breaking the law would face heavy fines.

In addition, bloggers are debating the influence of augmented reality spectacles on everyday life. Blogger Ed Champion wrote up 35 arguments about the gadget saying it could force all kinds of unwanted changes. He warned it could stifle the freedom people currently have to enjoy themselves because they know they are not being watched.

Source: BBC News

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Cyprus Making Efforts To Reopen Banks

The head of the Cypriot central bank has said that "superhuman" efforts are being made to open the country's banks on Thursday.

Banks in the country have been shut for more than a week as a controversial bailout was negotiated, which will see depositors take losses.

"We have to restore the public's trust in banks," Panicos Demetriades said.

Meanwhile, the BBC has learned that Cyprus is planning to impose a weekly limit on cash withdrawals.

The country's draft capital controls include export limits on euros and a ban on cashing cheques, said Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason.

In addition, fixed-term deposits will have to be held until maturity.

"A superhuman effort is being made for the banks to open on Thursday," Mr Demetriades said. He also confirmed that "temporary" capital controls will be imposed on the island, but he would not spell out the restrictions and how long they would last.

Banks have not been open since 15 March. Their reopening had been ex

pected after Cyprus agreed a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU) that releases 10bn euros in support.

The Cypriot authorities had previously said all that but the biggest two banks would open on Tuesday, but they have remained shut while the finer details of capital controls are handled by the Cypriot central bank.

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Burma Communal Riots Prompt More Curfews

Curfews have been imposed on three more Burmese towns as attacks on Muslim communities spread closer to Rangoon.

Mosques and other Muslim buildings have been attacked by crowds of Buddhists in towns on the road from Rangoon to Pyay, about 200km (125 miles) to the north.

The US has warned its citizens to avoid travel to parts of Burma due to the violence, which began a week ago.

A state of emergency is in force in the central town of Meiktila, where some 40 deaths have been reported.

Soldiers clearing debris from buildings torched by angry mobs retrieved eight more bodies in the town, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

In Bago region to the north of Rangoon, state television said Muslim religious buildings, shops and houses had been damaged.

Residents outside the capital said they did not feel safe.

"The situation is better than the previous day but we can't sleep well at night," one man, a Buddhist, told Reuters. "People are still afraid of buildings being set on fire because there isn't security everywhere."

A Muslim man said: "We are safe during the day, but we cannot go back to our houses because security personnel are only on the main roads. But there has been no more attacking and destroying houses. There are just thieves who steal from burnt buildings."

In a statement on Monday, the US embassy in Rangoon advised US citizens "to avoid travel to the Mandalay region because of escalating violence in that area".

Reports of other attacks on mosques and houses were reported on Monday in towns near Meiktila - Oh the Kone, Tatkone and Yamenthin.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the violence. Details of any casualties in these areas were also unclear.

Trouble broke out after a reported argument at a gold shop in Meiktila in Mandalay region last Wednesday.

At least 12,000 Muslims are thought to have fled their homes in the unrest since then.

The conflict is the worst since violence in Rakhine state last year, where nearly 200 people were killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes.

The conflict that erupted in Rakhine involved Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, who are not recognised as Burmese citizens. Scores of Rohingyas have fled what they say is persecution in Burma in recent months.

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US Justices To Hear Second Gay Case

The US Supreme Court is to review whether to strike down a law denying federal benefits to same-sex couples, a day after weighing a gay marriage ban.

The Defense of Marriage Act denies gay couples access to federal benefits under its definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman only.

On Tuesday California's Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, was scrutinsed by the nine justices.

A ruling in both cases is expected before the end of June.

The Defense of Marriage Act (Doma), signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, has already been overturned by four federal courts and two courts of appeal.

In October, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said the law violated the equal protection clause of the US Constitution.

The case was originally brought by Edith Windsor, 83, who was required to pay more than $350,000 of inheritance taxes to the federal government after the death of her wife, Thea Spyer, in 2009 because, under Doma, their marriage was not recognised.

Married heterosexual couples would have been exempt from that tax.

President Barack Obama took the unusual step in February 2011 of ordering his administration not to defend Doma in court.

But Republicans in the House of Representatives do support Doma, and lawyers acting on their behalf will defend the law instead of the Department of Justice.

Correspondents say that what the court decides on Doma could have wider implications for other laws relating to gay marriage.

On Tuesday the Supreme Court heard arguments in another gay marriage case, on the legality of a California constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions.

Proposition 8 was approved by California voters in a referendum in November 2008, but the state government declined to defend it in federal courts.

Supporters of gay marriage are hoping for a broad decision from the court that could erase bans on same-sex unions nationwide.

However, legal analysts say the justices' comments during Tuesday's hearing did not seem to indicate that they were leaning in favour of a sweeping ruling.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, the closely watched swing vote, compared the court's possible journey in the case to going into "uncharted waters" or even over "a cliff."

And Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative, questioned whether the time was right for judicial intervention on the issue of same-sex marriage, given that he said it was newer than mobile phones or the internet.

Outside the court, hundreds of protesters gathered to express support for and opposition to gay marriage.

Currently, nine US states and Washington DC permit same-sex marriage. Twelve other states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships that provide varying degrees of state marriage benefits.

Recent opinion polls have shown a steady rise in support for same-sex marriage in the US.

The Supreme Court cases follow a flurry of declarations in support of gay marriage by high-profile political figures.

Source: BBC News

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Somalia Refugees Abused And Raped

Internally displaced people in Somalia are suffering sexual violence and other forms of abuse, reports the Human Rights Watch (HRW) campaign group.

The abuse takes place at the hands of armed groups, including government forces, it says.

In the report, women who fled famine and conflict describe being gang-raped in camps in the capital, Mogadishu.

Managers of the camps - often allied to militias - siphon off food and other aid, the HRW report says.

HRW says that even though the new Somali government which came to power in September last year has made some impressive statements, it has done very little to change the situation on the ground.

"Our findings suggested that the people in these camps are often basically kept captive in the camps," said David Mepham, the UK director of Human Rights Watch.

"They are not really able to leave. The gatekeepers who control the camps are themselves very abusive.

"They siphon off some of the international assistance that is intended for people in the camps - people who are in many cases in serious distress, in serious need."

The report, Hostages of the Gatekeepers, focuses on those who have fled to the Mogadishu camps since 2011.

Running camps has become so lucrative, the group says, that managers - known as gatekeepers - refuse to let the inhabitants leave.

Some of the worst abuse involves sexual violence against displaced women and girls - which goes under-reported because women fear stigma and reprisal.

The report contains harrowing quotes from women who say they have been raped, including 23-year-old Quman. She says she was nine months pregnant when she was gang raped by three men in government army uniform.

Another woman, Safiyo, had to have her leg amputated after she was raped and shot.

Sexual violence is under-reported, the report says, because women fear stigma and reprisal.

The recent brief imprisonment of a displaced Somali woman who told the authorities she had been raped will not help matters.

HRW also cites discrimination against those who come from certain clans or ethnic groups.

It says those who complain about abuse are often beaten or even arrested.

A new government backed by the UN came to power in Somalia last September, tasked with ending more than 20 years of conflict in the country.

Source: BBC News

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Zambia's Ex-president Not Guilty

Zambia's former President Rupiah Banda has pleaded not guilty to a charge of abuse of power during his time in office.

The charges relate to an oil deal signed with a Nigerian company, which prosecutors say was meant to benefit Mr Banda and his family.

"No my Lord, I deny the charge," Mr Banda told the court, AFP reports.

The ex-president says the charges are part of a political witch-hunt against him and his allies.

After three years in power, he lost the 2011 election to Michael Sata.

He was arrested and questioned for nearly three hours before being freed on bail on Monday.

Earlier this month the 76-year-old was stripped of presidential immunity.

Prosecutors say Mr Banda instructed his son Henry to stash away the proceeds from the oil deal, which were to be used for the benefit of his family.

Henry Banda left the country shortly after his father lost power and is wanted by Zambian police.

The new government has launched a high-profile investigation into allegations of corruption by members of Mr Banda's administration.

One former minister has been found guilty and is appealing against his conviction.

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N Korea Combat Posture To Hit US

North Korea says it has ordered artillery and rocket units into "combat posture" to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.

The announcement, carried by KCNA news agency, follows days of strong rhetoric from Pyongyang.

The Pentagon condemned the threats, saying the US was ready to respond to "any contingency".

South Korea on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan ship, in which 46 sailors died.

It said there was no unusual activity in the North.

Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of North Korea's third nuclear test on 12 February. The test led to new UN sanctions which Pyongyang strongly opposes.

Joint US-South Korea annual military drills have further angered the communist nation. In recent weeks its habitually fiery rhetoric has escalated - it has threatened the US with "pre-emptive nuclear attacks", as well as strikes on US military bases in Japan.

"From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be putting in combat duty posture No 1 all field artillery units including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units that will target all enemy objects in US invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam," the KCNA statement said.

North Korea is not thought to have the technology to strike the US mainland with either a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile, but it is capable of targeting US military bases in the region with its mid-range missiles.

North Korea's announcement comes as the country carries out large-scale military exercises, and it is not clear whether the order applies to the army as a whole or just to specific units.

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2 Pedestrians Killed, 2 Hurt In Seattle Crash

Police say a driver who may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs struck four pedestrians Monday, killing two and critically injuring two others, including an infant.

Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel said in addition to the infant, a woman in her 20s was also badly hurt. They were taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

Fire officials say the infant required CPR and the woman suffered a head injury. No details were immediately available about the two people who were killed. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened shortly after 4 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in North Seattle. Kappel said the driver of the vehicle was being investigated for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Kappel said detectives from the police department's Traffic Collision Investigation Squad were assisting with the inquiry.

"This remains an active incident," Kappel said in a statement.

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New Jersey Man Claims Winning Ticket In $338 Million Powerball Lottery

A New Jersey convenience store owner has stepped forward to claim the winning ticket in the $338 million Powerball lottery, several media reported on Monday.

Pedro Quezada, 44, walked into a Passaic, New Jersey, liquor store where the winning ticket was sold and handed a ticket over to be validated late Monday afternoon, The Bergen Record newspaper reported.

The owner of the store scanned Quezada's ticket and a message of "Jackpot!" appeared, NBC 4 New York reported.

"I'm very happy," Quezada, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, told reporters in Spanish. He said he is a father of five.

Earlier on Monday, the New Jersey Lottery said the winning ticket had been validated at the New Jersey store but said it didn't know the winner's name.

The winning ticket could be claimed as a lump sum payment of $211 million. Lottery officials said the $338 million pot was the fourth largest in Powerball history.

The winning ticket was sold on Saturday at Passaic's Eagle Liquor store. Manager Ram Yadav said the store sells a half dozen or so winners each year and last year had a $159,000 winner.

"The neighborhood says this store is a lucky store all the time," Yadav said. "I feel good that I made somebody lucky."

Eagle Liquor gets $10,000 as the seller of the winning ticket.
Passaic is struggling economically. Nearly one in three of its nearly 70,000 residents lives in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The record jackpot for Powerball nationally was $587.5 million in 2012, lottery officials said. 

Source: Reuters

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Quake Hits Guatemala, No Initial Reports Of Damage

A powerful earthquake struck Guatemala close to the capital on Monday, though residents of Guatemala City felt little movement from the deep tremor and emergency services said there were no initial reports of damage or injuries.

The epicenter of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake, initially reported as a magnitude 5.8, was only 6 miles southeast of Guatemala City but it was at a depth of 124.6 miles, lessening its effect.

Two Reuters witnesses in the city said they did not feel the quake, nor did they see people running outdoors as is often the case when powerful tremors hit.

There is no reports of damage or victims.

A magnitude 6.2 quake is capable of causing severe damage.

Last November, more than 50 people were killed in a 7.5 magnitude quake in Guatemala in San Marcos state, a mountainous region near the Mexican border.

That earthquake was the strongest to shake the country since 1976, when a magnitude 7.5 quake centered about 99 miles northeast of Guatemala City killed some 23,000 people.

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Bloomberg In $12m Gun Control Drive

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is bankrolling a $12m (£7.8m) advertising campaign for tougher gun control laws.

The television adverts will run in 13 states and urge voters to persuade their senators to back comprehensive background checks for gun buyers.

Mr Bloomberg, a strong supporter of gun control, has said he is cautiously optimistic of winning over Congress, which votes on the issue next month.

But his campaign has been dismissed by the National Rifle Association (NRA).

NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre said Mr Bloomberg was "going to find out this is a country of the people, by the people, and for the people".

"And he can't can't spend enough of his $27bn to try to impose his will on the American public," Mr LaPierre told NBC television's Meet the Press on Sunday.

Mr Bloomberg told the same NBC programme that opinion polls showed there was overwhelming public support for tighter background checks.

"We are trying to do everything we can to impress upon senators that this is what the survivors want and this is what the public wants," he said.

Congress is due next month to consider legislation drafted by the Obama administration in response to last December's shooting at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six adults.

President Obama had been seeking a ban on military-style assault weapons, but this was dropped from the bill last week when it became clear it would not find sufficient support in the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Instead, gun control advocates are now focusing on another of Mr Obama's proposals - to implement wider background checks on people purchasing firearms.

Gun control is a particular issue in the 13 states being targeted by the television advert this week.

Both sides believe the next few weeks - when members of Congress are in their homes states during Easter recess - could be crucial to the gun control debate.

The NRA is planning its own advertising campaign, but despite being one of the best-funded lobby groups in America its spending is unlikely, for the moment at least, to rival that of Mr Bloomberg, he adds.

Source: BBC News

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Chilean Miner Trapped 300m Underground

Rescue workers in Chile are trying to free a man trapped after a mine collapsed in the northern Atacama region.

Mario Torres Lopez, 42, was cut off at a depth of more than 300m (985ft).

Rescuers say they have heard noises that indicate Mr Torres Lopez is alive and trying to communicate with them.

In 2010, 33 miners were trapped in a copper mine in the same region. They were pulled up through a small shaft after 69 days underground.

Rescue workers said they had not had any visual contact with Mr Torres Lopez, but that he had responded to noise signals they had made.

It is not yet clear if he was injured in the collapse at the Victoria mine, some 40km (25 miles) from Vallenar.

Following the rockfall that trapped 33 miners in the San Jose mine in 2010, the Chilean government tightened security measures at mines across the country, but injuries and deaths due to tunnel collapses and rockfalls remain a common problem.

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Italian Court Considers Amanda Knox Retrial

Italy's highest court is due to decide whether US student Amanda Knox should be retried over the killing of her British flatmate Meredith Kercher.

Prosecutors are arguing that the acquittal of Miss Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito on appeal in October 2011 was flawed.

The pair spent four years in jail for the murder of the 21-year-old student in Perugia in November 2007.

They have both always denied any involvement in the murder.

The killing and subsequent trials made headlines around the world.

Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito had been facing 26-year and 25-year jail terms respectively following their initial convictions in 2009.

But they were acquitted after the defence successfully argued that DNA evidence on a kitchen knife, thought to be the murder weapon, could be flawed.

Miss Knox, who now lives in her home town of Seattle, was "very anxious" about the latest hearing, according to her Italian lawyer.

If the court upholds the October 2011 verdict, this protracted case will finally be over and Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito will have their innocence confirmed in the eyes of the law, the BBC's Alan Johnston reports from Rome.

However, if the court rules against the verdict, a new appeals process would be reordered, meaning there would be a retrial, he adds.

Meredith Kercher, from Croydon, south London, had been on a year abroad from Leeds University when she was found semi-naked in her bedroom and with her throat cut in the cottage she shared with Miss Knox in November 2007.

She had also been sexually assaulted, leading prosecutors to believe she was killed in a brutal sex game that went wrong.

Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede was convicted in a separate trial of sexually assaulting and stabbing Meredith Kercher and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He has admitted being at the house on the night of the murder, but denies murder.

Prosecution evidence of Miss Knox's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon, and Miss Kercher's DNA on the blade of the knife, which was found at Mr Sollecito's flat, had been key to the original convictions of Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito.

But the appeal in October 2011 heard an independent review cast doubt over those DNA traces due to concerns about poor procedures in evidence collection and forensic testing and the possibility of contamination.

Prosecutors argue that the October 2011 acquittals failed to take into account other key evidence against Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito.

The judges in Monday's hearing will be considering points of law rather than the evidence, and could deliver their verdict later on in the day.

Meredith Kercher's family told British media this week that they hope the latest hearing will provide some answers to the "many unanswered questions" about her brutal killing.

Neither Miss Knox, who is preparing to publish her memoirs, and Mr Sollecito, a student in Verona, are expected to attend the hearing.

Source: BBC News

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Cyprus Bailout Remarks Alarm Markets

European and US stock markets have fallen despite the agreement of a bailout deal for Cyprus.

The falls came after the head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers suggested that the Cyprus model, which involves a tax on bank deposits, could form a template in any future bailout.

On Monday morning, hopes the deal would solve the crisis lifted shares.

By 15:30 GMT, all major European markets had fallen into negative territory, joined by US stocks.

The president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, later addressed his country in a television broadcast.

The deal was "painful" but the best that could have been struck under the circumstances, he said.

He said that controls limiting restricting the movement of capital would be temporary and he promised to protect the weak, saying that welfare payments would be met.

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US Army Hands Over Bagram Prison

The US has handed over to Afghanistan the only prison still under American control, resolving an issue that has strained ties between the countries.

A transfer ceremony took place at Bagram jail, now renamed the Afghan National Detention Facility at Parwan.

The handover came as US Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit for talks with President Karzai.

Mr Kerry told a press conference they were both "on the same page" regarding peace talks with the Taliban.

President Hamid Karzai recently angered Washington by accusing the US and the Taliban of colluding to prolong the conflict.

But Mr Kerry told reporters: "I am confident (Mr Karzai) does not believe the US has any interest except to see the Taliban come to the table to make peace.''

"So we're on the same page. I don't think there is any disagreement between us.''

Referring to the handover of Bagram prison, Mr Karzai said: "Today was a very good day.''

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13 South African Soldiers Killed In CAR

Thirteen South African soldiers were killed in the Central African Republic as rebels seized the capital over the weekend, President Jacob Zuma has said.

Mr Zuma said the South Africans had died in a nine-hour "high-tempo battle" against the "bandits" in Bangui.

South Africa had about 200 troops stationed in the city to block Seleka rebels from seizing power.

Ousted CAR leader Francois Bozize has fled to neighbouring Cameroon, officials there have announced.


President Jacob Zuma says he is "deeply saddened" by events
Following the rebel takeover, the African Union has suspended CAR and imposed sanctions on Seleka's leaders.

"The council asks all member states to take the measures necessary to completely isolate the authors of this anti-constitutional change of power," said AU peace and security council chief Ramtane Lamamra, adding that this includes travel restrictions and an asset freeze on Seleka's leaders.

Rebel leader Michel Djotodia said he was now in charge but would uphold a peace accord that promised elections in three years.

He also said the existing power-sharing government - headed by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye, an opposition figure - would remain in place.

"We are not here to carry out a witch-hunt," Mr Djotodia told Radio France Internationale (RFI).

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Zambia's Ex-President Rupiah Banda Arrested

Zambia's former President Rupiah Banda has been arrested in connection with a Nigerian oil deal, officials say.

He is accused of stealing more than $11m during his three years in office, Reuters news agency reports.

Mr Banda, who was stripped of presidential immunity earlier this month, was questioned for nearly three hours before being freed on bail.

The former president denies the charges and says he is the victim of a witch-hunt. He is due in court on Tuesday.

Shortly after being released, Mr Banda addressed his supporters, telling them to remain calm and that he would win the case in court.

The former leader lost 2011 elections to Michael Sata, whose government is investigating several high-profile deals made by Mr Banda's administration amid accusations of corruption.

Mr Banda led Africa's top copper producer from 2008 to 2011.

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Bill Gates Offering Up To $1 Million For 'Next-generation' Condom

Philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates is offering start-up funds of $100,000 to anyone who can come up with the “next-generation condom,” according to Grand Challenges in Global Health.

The Round 11 of Grand Challenges Explorations initiative through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is aimed at improving the lives of the world’s poorest people – and a new, innovative condom could do just that.

The condom must be effective at lowering the chance of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases, and offer incentive for men and women to use it.

If chosen, the Foundation would continue to fund the condom up to $1 million.

“To overcome persistent health and development problems, we need new, game-changing ideas,” Chris Wilson, director of Global Health Discovery & Translational Science at the Foundation, said in a press release.  “Inspiration can come from anywhere, and we are hopeful that this new round of Grand Challenges Explorations will uncover innovative approaches to improve lives around the world.”

According to the press release, the new condom will “preserve or enhance the pleasure so as to increase uptake and also promote its regular use.”

The proposals must have a “testable hypothesis . . . an associated plan for how the idea would be validated . . . and would yield . . .an unambiguous data plan in Phase I, to be considered for Phase II.”

Of course, the condom should also be easy to use and include ground-breaking design.

Source: Fox News

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