South African gold miners have ended a five-day strike after reaching a new wage deal with four mining firms. Unions say their workers will receive raises of between 7.5 and 10 percent under the two-year deal, announced Tuesday. More than 100,000 miners went on strike last Thursday after negotiations reached a stalemate. Solidarity, one of […]
UN Appoints Special Sudan, South Sudan Envoy
Posted July 29th, 2011 at 8:10 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations has appointed a special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan to help mediate remaining tensions between the newly-divided nations. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced Friday the position would be filled by Haile Menkerios, who since last year served as the head of the U.N. mission in Sudan. The statement said Menkerios has […]
South Sudan Becomes African Union’s 54th Member
Posted July 28th, 2011 at 9:30 am (UTC-5)
The African Union has admitted the newly independent nation of South Sudan as its 54th member. The AU says it has received the required number of votes supporting the South Sudan’s admission to the Pan-African body. South Sudan gained its independence on July 9 following a referendum that was part of a peace deal that […]
South Korean Cargo Plane Crashes Near Jeju Island
Posted July 27th, 2011 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
A South Korean cargo plane has crashed in waters off South Korea’s southern Jeju island killing two people. The Yonhap news agency quotes the coast guard as saying the Asiana Airlines plane crashed early Thursday. The Boeing 744 plane with one pilot and one crew member was headed from the Incheon International Airport to Pudong […]
Snow Blankets Parts of South Africa
Posted July 26th, 2011 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
Unusually heavy snow fell over large sections of eastern South Africa on Monday and Tuesday, stranding motorists, closing roads and stopping trains. Most areas reported three to five centimeters but heavier amounts were reported in higher elevations. Reuters news agency reports that in some areas, the snowfall reached 60 centimeters. A National Weather Service forecaster […]
South Sudan Accuses Khartoum of ‘Economic War’
Posted July 25th, 2011 at 7:25 pm (UTC-5)
The newly independent nation of South Sudan says the government in Khartoum is engaging in “economic war” by issuing a new currency and by imposing oil transit fees that it says amount to “daylight robbery.” Those accusations Monday by Pagan Amum, the secretary-general of the south’s ruling party came less than three weeks after the […]
South Sudan Accuses Khartoum of ‘Economic War’
Posted July 25th, 2011 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
South Sudan has accused Sudan of launching an “economic war” less than three weeks after the two countries split. South Sudan’s top negotiator, Pagan Amum, said Monday that Khartoum is demanding a fee of nearly $23 per barrel to transport oil through its pipelines. He called the fee “daylight robbery.” Amum also accused Sudan of […]
South Sudan Accuses Khartoum of ‘Economic War’
Posted July 25th, 2011 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
South Sudan has accused Sudan of launching an “economic war” by issuing a new currency less than three weeks after the two countries split. Khartoum began circulating the new Sudanese pound on Sunday, less than a week after newly independent South Sudan introduced its own currency. Speaking Monday in South Sudan’s capital of Juba, the […]
