GABORONE: Botswana yesterday called for an independent audit of Zimbabwe’s disputed vote last week, saying the elections could not be considered acceptably free and fair in the regional southern African community.
The statement from the government in Gaborone contrasted sharply with the unqualified endorsement given by South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, of the July 31 polls which re-elected veteran Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, 89.
Mugabe’s main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, is challenging the result as a fraud.
Family dog kills
two-year-old boy
SYDNEY: A two-year-old boy has been mauled to death at his grandmother’s house in a savage attack by a mastiff cross dog, Australian police said yesterday.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday afternoon at Deniliquin in southwestern New South Wales state, with reports that the boy went outside to get an ice-cream from a back fridge and the dog, a family pet, followed.
It was not clear what sparked the attack. The toddler’s mother and grandmother both desperately tried to pull the dog off the child but to no avail, with the boy suffering severe head injuries.
Armed teen shot dead by police
NEW YORK CITY: Police in New York City shot dead a 14-year-old US boy as he was chasing and shooting at another male before dawn on Sunday.
Two rookie officers heard shots around 3am, the New York Police Department said in a statement. The officers went to investigate and saw the teenager armed with a 9mm handgun, pursuing and firing at the other young man.
“Ordered to ‘drop the gun’ by the officers, the male, did not comply,” the statement said. Agencies
