Two Rhino Poachers Shot Dead in South Africa’s Kruger Park

Two suspected Rhino poachers were shot dead on Monday after they opened fire on rangers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a park spokesman said.

Kruger spokesman, William Mabasa said on Monday that poachers had killed a record number of rhinos in 2014 for their horns, which were coveted as an ingredient in traditional medicine in Vietnam and China.

“The rangers were on patrol when they came across a trio of armed men who started shooting,’’ Mabasa said.

However, two of the men were killed while a third escaped.

South Carolina Man Discipline Uncle For Raping His Girlfriend

This is what happened to a South Carolina man after he was caught red-handed allegedly raping his nephew’s girlfriend in a bedroom at a home in Conway, South Carolina on Thursday January 1st.

The nephew, whose identity is being kept from the media, reportedly found 52-year-old William Mattson (pictured above) on top of his girlfriend and he responded by beating the heck out of him. You can see the result of the brutal beat down in the suspect’s mugshot.

The man then pushed his uncle out of the house and called police. Mattson was arrested but the nephew was not charged over the incident. The police said he was “acting in defense for the victim.”

The uncle is now facing charges related to the alleged sexual assault.

Prince Harry Tries His Hand at Cooking, Baking & More during a Charity Visit to South Africa

Prince Harry visited Lesotho, South Africa, recently for his Sentebale charity projects and his trip was documented.

Travelling with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with whom he co-founded the charity in 2006, the prince visited a number of Sentebale’s community partners, among them the Thuso Centre for children with disabilities, where he took part in a cooking lesson.

There were several lovely moments documented during his visit like Prince Harry playing with a three-year-old orphan girl Karabo, learning sign language, his attempts at baking and cooking as well as moments when he had kids in smiles.

70 years after 14yr old boy executed in South Carolina in 1944 exonerated

70 years after 14 year old George Stinney Jnr. was executed for allegedly beating two young white girls to death in Alcolu, South Carolina, a judge yesterday Wednesday Dec 17th threw out his murder conviction.

When George was executed in 1944, he was so small he had to seat on a phone book in the electric chair. He's officially the youngest person to be executed in the U.S. in the 20th century.

George was found guilty of beating the girls, 11 and 8 years old with a railroad spike. His trial lasted only three hours and it took the a jury of all white people just 10 minutes to find him guilty - this was just 3 months after the girls were found murdered. This was back when there was a lot of segregation in America.

George was arrested after he confessed to the crime, but his older sister always maintained that George was coerced into confessing and couldn't have committed the murder because he was with her the day of the murder.

Civil rights advocates have been trying for years to clear George Stinney Jr's name. They managed to get the case reopened and yesterday morning, Judge Carmen Mullins tossed the murder conviction.

Air Canada flight diverted after a South African assaulted passengers

Tyler Anderson/National Post

A flight was diverted to Halifax, Canada, and a South African passenger was arrested after she allegedly assaulted two flight attendants on the plane traveling from London to Toronto.

Air Canada Flight 869 was diverted just after 12 p.m., local time, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to police. The flight resumed its trip with the remaining 239 passengers and crew at about 3 p.m

When the plane landed in Halifax, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers, Canada's national police force, came aboard and arrested the 30-year-old woman, CTV News reported.

South Africa wins Miss World 2014 pageant

Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss has won the Miss World 2014 pageant. Miss Hungary and Miss US were 2nd and third runners up respectively.

        

Update! South Africa Prosecutors Win Bid to Appeal Pistorius Conviction

South African prosecutors on Wednesday won a bid to appeal the culpable homicide verdict handed down to Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

They said they would now seek a murder conviction against the Paralympic athlete.

Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated as a baby, shot dead Steenkamp on Febriary 14th, 2013 by firing four 9mm rounds into the locked door of a toilet cubicle.

He, however, said that he killed Steenkamp out of the mistaken belief that she was an intruder.

During the seven-month trial, the state prosecutor failed to convince Judge Thokozile Masipa, 67, of Pistorius’ intent to kill when he fired the gun at her.

American and South African hostages murdered in Yemen

A British-born American photojournalist and a South African teacher held by Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen were killed today during a failed U.S.-led rescue attempt. The raid was ordered by President Barack Obama because he feared imminent danger to the reporter.

Al-Qaeda had initially posted a video online threatening to kill photographer Luke Somers (pictured above). American forces in conjunction with Yemeni ground troops then launched a second rescue attempt.

 

The South African, Pieree Korkie was supposed to be released tomorrow December 7. The aid group helping to negotiate his release even told his wife; "The wait is almost over."

 

Both Somers and Korkie "were murdered by the AQAP terrorists during the course of the operation," 

 

In a statement, President Obama did not address Korkie by name, only saying he "authorized the rescue of any other hostages held in the same location as Luke." The South African government did not immediately comment on Korkie's death.

Three Miss South Africa contestants disqualified for having visible tattoo,

Three contestants of the 2015 Miss South Africa Pageant earlier shortlisted to partake in the beauty contest scheduled to take place March next year, have been disqualified for having visible tattoos.

The contestants, Kelly Davids, Altina Vries and Aseza Matanzima were disqualified by the pageant organizers for not indicating in their entry forms that they had tattoos.

Speaking on their disqualification, the pageant organizer, Claudia Henkel said that Kelly has a tattoo on the back of her neck which is visible when her hair is up, Altina has a tattoo across her left shoulder blade and behind one ear, while Aseza's tattoo runs across a rib and goes underneath her left arm.

Claudia said although Aseza had declared during her on-camera interview that she had a tattoo, she did not indicate that on her application form.