The Zimbabwe-ification of South Africa?

The dilapidated state of infrastructure and widespread poverty are the results of the destruction of property rights and the rule of law by the government of Zimbabwe. Yet South Africa's new Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Gugile Nkwinti, clearly has not been to Zimbabwe in recent years. Speaking in parliament late last month, he announced that the ANC government would scrap its current "willing buyer willing seller" land redistribution policy, which allows the government to acquire land only at a market price and only with the consent of the land owner, and replace it with "less costly, alternative methods of land acquisition." The new policy will almost certainly include some form of land expropriation that could spell disaster for the South African economy.


Congo cops 'attack' three journos at demo
Police in the Republic of Congo have allegedly attacked two journalists for France 24 public television and a BBC colleague during a post-electoral demonstration.


Nigerian amnesty could affect 10,000 militants

DRC-UGANDA: LRA torture of civilians continues

Ethiopian minister refuses to return home from US

Sudan oil district smoulders ahead of court ruling


22 Somalis accused of piracy in Yemen trials

Somali pirates release German ship
Somali pirates released a German cargo ship Saturday that they have held since May, the German Foreign Ministry said.

Sharia trial for Somalia hostages
Two French security advisers kidnapped in Somalia will be tried under Sharia law, an official of the Islamic al-Shabab militia says.
Uh-oh.

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Thousands of quarry workers clash with Egypt police

Yemen ban leads to 293,000 seized weapons

In Yemen, journalist sentenced to 14 months in jail


Iraq city hit by suicide bombing
A suicide bomb attack in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi kills at least six people and injures 17 others, local police say.

US military in Iraq says 3 soldiers killed

Two children killed in Iraq bombing
Two children of a senior Iraqi police officer were killed on Friday by a bomb planted in their family's garage in a town near Fallujah, west of Baghdad, a police officer told AFP.


Lebanon army covering for Hezbollah, Israel claims

Russia's Mideast envoy visits Lebanon



Jerusalem police, Orthodox Jews clash again

Israel demands tougher UN action against Hezbollah arms

Rocket lands in southern Israel

J'lem Riots Continue, 10 Injured, Electric Repairs Cancelled

Clinton urges Arabs to make gestures now toward Israel
She didn't say they had to be 'nice' gestures...

Israel may admit 3,000 Ethiopia migrants if Jews

Extra police in Jerusalem after clashes

Ultra-orthodox Jews visit Hamas

Israel's Peres to visit Russia in mid-August



Turkey, Syria reach gas deal

Turkey warns on EU call for Palestinian state deadline

Turkey readies for drastic smoking ban

Abbas arrives in Turkey for talks about Mideast peace efforts

EU wants Turkey, Libya to help fight illegal immigration

Soner Cagaptay on Turkey's EU Accession
Oy.


Car explodes in front of Albanian parliament

Experts: Cyberstrikes originated from Britain, not North Korea
A wave of cyber attacks that crippled thousands of computers in the United States and South Korea could have originated from inside Britain, experts have warned.
Hoo-boy. Not good.

Accounting chamber fears hyperinflation in Ukraine