Ring of fire

Erinvale, a Prestigious Cape golf estate has been slapped on the wrist by a court for charging property owners exorbitant late building penalties in a case that could curb similar clauses of other developments (Sunday Times 2004-05-16).

A former TV presenter is being sued by his former fiancée for R764 000 - because he called off their engagement (Sunday Times 2004-05-16).

Within a month the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) and Monhla Hlahla, its chief executive, are likely to know when they will have to go to the labour court to defend the dismissal of one of airports operator's top executives. Paul O'Sullivan, who was fired as Acsa's group executive for aviation security last year, apparently because of "irreconcilable differences", is fighting to get his job back. He will be suing the company and Hlahla for R20 million in damages for defamation. This action dates back to the daring R125 million heist at Johannesburg International Airport. The case goes to court on March 11 next year (Business Report 2004-05-17).

Three Japanese men were arrested at Cape Town International Airport on Friday with 37 endangered lizards strapped to their bodies under their clothing. This is the latest in a series of poaching incidents by foreigners in what conservation officials have described as "a total onslaught" on endangered Western Cape reptiles and insects, which fetch high prices on collectors' markets overseas (Cape Times 2004-05-17).

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has struck a deal with Equatorial Guinea to extradite the 70 suspected mercenaries held in Harare to the oil-rich country in exchange for fuel worth US1.2-billion (Sunday Times 2004-05-16).

New Zealand
Justice Minister Phil Goff said yesterday that the Government would introduce a bill in June or July creating two exceptions to the rule known as double jeopardy, which prevents the state prosecuting someone already acquitted of the offence alleged (New Zealand Herald 2004-05-17).

Iraq
The president of the Iraqi Governing Council was killed early Monday in a huge explosion set off by a suicide bomber outside the headquarters of the U.S.-led occupation authority here (Washington Post 2004-05-17).

EU
The EU would lift sanctions against the US once it fully repealed a contentious tax law (Business Report 2004-05-13).

Irish Premier Bertie Ahern has been touring EU capitals since early May to try to reach consensus on outstanding wrangles in the charter, seen as vital for the smooth running of the bloc which expanded on May 1 to 25 members from 15 (IOL 2004-05-16).

United States
Six of the defendants in the Abu Ghraib abuse case once all bunked together in a tent in Baghdad. But as the most important military prosecutions since Vietnam unfold, each soldier is struggling alone to explain away seemingly irrefutable evidence captured in frame after frame of disturbing images, and they are pointing fingers at one another, minimizing their roles and blaming the government (New York Times 2004-05-16).