World News joined 2

[OMEN]

A wave of xenophobic attacks spread through South African townships on Monday and mobs beat foreigners and set some ablaze in scenes reminiscent of apartheid era violence.

Two people were killed and more than two dozen shacks were torched in the Tembisa township near Johannesburg, the South African Broadcasting Corp. said. Police, struggling to restore order, said at least 13 people were killed over the weekend.

Immigrants from African neighbours are accused by many in the townships, among South Africa's poorest areas, of taking jobs and fuelling the high rate of violent crime. Local media report about 20 dead since trouble broke out a week ago.

The unrest is an embarrassment for a country that has vaunted its tolerance since the end of apartheid and an indicator of growing disaffection among South Africa's poor.

President Thabo Mbeki and ruling ANC party leader Jacob Zuma have called for an end to the violence, which threatens a new strain on an economy struggling with rising inflation, power outages and a skills shortage.

Hundreds of immigrants have taken refuge in police stations, churches and government offices.

"At the moment some of the people have been taken to the city hall as a place of safety, but some of them are still running around and do not know where to go," police spokesman Veli Nhlapo told SABC.

Police fired rubber bullets at gangs of youths, who patrolled unruly streets, armed with sticks, rocks and knives. Scores have been arrested in connection with the violence.

South African newspapers carried photos of a man who was set alight by a mob on the weekend. Callers to radio stations urged authorities to impose curfews and bring in the army to restore order in some of the most violent areas.

Among the immigrants are an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans who fled economic collapse at home. The immigrants say they more often the victims of crime than perpetrators.

The Zimbabweans, like others on the continent, have been lured by work in South Africa's mines, farms and homes, and by one of the world's most liberal immigration and refugee policies.

Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said the situation in the townships now amounted to a humanitarian crisis.

Reuters

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[OMEN]

The Iranian authorities has detained six members of the Baha'i faith, an offshoot of Islam considered heretical by Iran's Shi'ite Muslim establishment, members of the religious group have said.

Five men and one woman were detained on May 14 and taken to Tehran's Evin prison, the Baha'i International Community said on its news website.

A relative of 57-year-old Behrouz Tavakkoli, one of those detained, said in an e-mail that intelligence agents who came to Tavakkoli's house took Baha'i books, papers and documents, and also other items such as computers and CDs.

Subsequently, the relative said Tavakkoli's wife obtained a reference number for her husband's case from Iran's Revolutionary Court, which handles cases that include issues considered a threat to national security.

It was not immediately clear what charges were levelled against the six Baha'is, whose members say they face discrimination and persecution in the Islamic Republic.

In Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said any such cases were a judicial matter when asked for details at a news conference. There was no immediate comment from the judiciary.

Baha'is say hundreds of their faith have been jailed and executed since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. The government denies it has detained or executed people for their faith.

The Baha'i faith originated in Iran 150 years ago and Baha'is say the faith has 5 million adherents worldwide, including an estimated 300,000 or more in Iran.

The Baha'i International Community said the six people detained were members of a committee that tends to the needs of Baha'is in Iran. It said a seventh member, a woman, was detained in March in the eastern city of Mashhad.

Reuters

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[OMEN]

FLASH HARRY: Police are investigating claims that Prince Harry was involved in a 160kmh car chase on a British motorway.
A convoy taking Prince Harry to a London nightclub was involved in a 160kmh car chase that placed lives at risk, says a motorist who was "intimidated" by one of the cars.

The Daily Mail reports that police were investigating claims that the Prince and his bodyguards took part in the high-speed chase on the way to Boujis nightclub last Saturday.

A company director, Tim Williams, told the paper the lives of his family, which includes an eight-month-old baby, were put at risk by the convoy's driving.

Mr Williams had been driving in the middle lane of the UK's M4 motorway at about 110kmh when he claims he was tailgated by Royal protection officers, who forced him to accelerate to speeds of 160kmh.

"It was about 8pm on Saturday, and we were driving from Marlborough in Wiltshire to London in the middle lane," he told the paper.

"I was about to pull out when I saw an Audi R8 in my mirrors. It came from nowhere. I let it pass. It was going a hell of a speed at least 100mph (160kmh).

"I then pulled into the outside lane. Immediately a Range Rover came right up behind us.

"It was very close. I thought they were going to nudge me. It was frightening. The middle lane was busy so I couldn't pull back in.

"I accelerated because the Range Rover was so close, ridiculously close. I thought perhaps the Range Rover was racing with the Audi. It really did scare us. It was intimidating.

"He then started flashing his lights, obviously wanting me out of the way.

"Then the blue flashing lights came on. I realised it must be an unmarked police car. I couldn't understand why he hadn't had his blue lights on when I first saw him if it was an emergency.

"I had no option but to accelerate, forcing me well over the 70mph limit to speeds I was uncomfortable with.

"As the Range Rover passed, the angry passenger in the front shook his fist and his mobile phone at me. They were doing well over 100mph."

A short while later, Mr Williams caught up with both cars at a traffic light. He saw Prince Harry in the passenger seat of the stationary Audi R8, he said. In the driver's seat was a man wearing a baseball cap speaking into his mobile phone.

Prince Harry tried to hide his identity by putting on sunglasses and placing his hands over his face, he said.

Later in the same evening, the Prince was seen partying at Boujis nightclub in Kensington until 3.30am, the paper said.

"How dare they put the lives of motorists at risk," Mr Williams told the paper.

"They intimidated me and my family. It was really dangerous and I'm furious that they think they can drive like this just because of who they are.

"Surely if the police have to tail Prince Harry, then that's all the more reason for his mate to drive slowly, or at least within the speed limit."

It was not clear who owned the Audi, but the Royal Family enjoyed a special deal with the car-maker, the Daily Mail reported.

Prince Charles has an Audi A8 limousine and two Audi estate cars, Prince William has an Audi S4 V8 saloon and Harry has an Audi A3 turbo-diesel, the paper said.

Thames Valley Police confirmed it had received a complaint from Mr Williams which had been passed to Scotland Yard, the paper said.

SMH

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[OMEN]

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED: Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been made an honorary member of the Crow Nation and given the name Barak Black Eagle.
Democrat Barack Obama became an honorary member of an American Indian tribe and promised a proactive policy to help tribal people if he wins the White House in November.

The Illinois senator who is leading rival Hillary Clinton in their race for the party's presidential nomination, joined the Crow Nation, a tribe of some 12,100 members in Montana, taking on a native name and honorary parents in a traditional ceremony.

Obama, who would be the first black US president, was "adopted" by Hartford and Mary Black Eagle and given a name which means "one who helps all people of this land."

"I was just adopted into the tribe, so I'm still working on my pronunciation," Obama told a crowd after stumbling over some of the native names.

"I like my new name, Barack Black Eagle," he said. "That is a good name."

Many in the audience wore traditional feather headdresses and some banged drums ahead of Obama's visit, the first by a presidential candidate to the Crow Nation.

Obama held rallies throughout Montana, which holds its primary election on June 3.

The state is home to some 60,000 American Indians, making them a key swing vote, according to Dale Old Horn, 62, a spokesman for the Crow Nation.

Obama said he would appoint a Native American adviser to his senior White House staff if he wins and would work on providing better health care and education to reservations across the country.

"Few have been ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans, the first Americans," Obama said.

Old Horn said the tribal members related to Obama because of his background.

"His heritage of being poor, of being an outsider, you know those two things are the commonalities that he has with us," he said. "We've always been treated like outsiders when it comes to government policy. In addition to that, we all grew up poor.

Reuters

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[OMEN]

An angry Duchess of York has slammed sections of the British media for criticising her daughter Beatrice's body shape, describing some comments as "extremely rude".

The 19-year-old princess was photographed in a bikini during a Caribbean holiday earlier this year.

One commentator in the Daily Mail said: "Can't someone buy that girl a sarong?"

Sarah Ferguson has told BBC Radio that the critical comments are potentially damaging.

"The press has been absolutely outrageous, and really being very mean about the size of her figure, calling her such horrible names," she said.

"I just think they ought to take more responsibility.

"I think her (Beatrice's) comment was, 'Will they be happy if I get anorexia because then they could write about that, wouldn't they?"'

The Duchess said Beatrice was a regular size 10 and fit and healthy.

"I understand freedom of the press but what I don't understand is when it takes a regular, completely healthy girl and tries to completely obliterate her confidence and I think they ought to be accountable."

Reuters

[JohnCenaFan28]

Interesting read, thanks.