Jailed former ministers free

Abuja - A Nigerian court on Tuesday granted bail to two former health ministers and nine officials facing graft charges and who were remanded in prison last on Friday, court officials said.

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Zim NGO head arrested

Harare - Police in Zimbabwe on Tuesday arrested the director of a non-profit election observation organisation that had placed President Robert Mugabe second in last month's presidential elections.

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Bush Backs NATO Membership Process for Ukraine, Georgia

U.S. President George W. Bush has reaffirmed his strong support for initiating the NATO membership process for Ukraine and Georgia.
In comments after talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Tuesday, Mr. Bush praised Ukraine for participating in all NATO international operations.
Both presidents repeated previous assertions that said NATO expansion is not aimed against Russia, and they insisted Moscow will have no veto on the issue when it comes up at this week's NATO summit in Bucharest.

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Pentagon pursues Guantanamo tribunal for embassy bombing suspect

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon charged a Guantanamo detainee with capital murder and terrorism Monday for his alleged role in the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania and his suspected ties to Al Qaeda.The Defense Department's chief military commissions prosecutor filed nine charges against Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, and is seeking the death penalty if the Tanzanian is convicted of playing a central role in planning and preparing the truck bombing that killed 11 people and injured dozens.

A nearly simultaneous bombing of the U.S. Embassy in neighboring Kenya, also blamed on Al Qaeda, killed 213 including 12 Americans on Aug. 7, 1998.The Pentagon's action was sharply criticized by civil rights advocates and some federal law enforcement officials who wondered why the government was pursuing a war crimes tribunal considering that Ghailani was indicted in the bombings along with 10 others nearly a decade ago by a federal grand jury in New York City.

Four of them were tried and convicted in 2001 and sentenced to life without parole. The others had not been captured at the time.

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ANC 'rushing' crucial Bill through

The public has been given just a few days to comment on a crucial aspect of the final version of legislation now before parliament that will have a far-reaching impact on the management of South Africa's environment - and specifically on mining.

Critics say the rush to process this legislation is part of the ANC's attempt to ram a large number of laws through parliament in record time this year - laws that include controversial legislation like the changes required to make the disbanding of the Scorpions legal.

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