Nelson Mandela in critical condition
JOHANNESBURG – Nelson Mandela’s health has deteriorated, and he is now in critical condition, the South African government said Sunday.
The office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that he had visited the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader at a hospital on Sunday evening and was informed by the medical team that Mandela’s condition had become critical in the past 24 hours.
Zuma also met Graca Machel, Mandela’s wife, at the hospital and discussed the former leader’s condition, according to the statement.
Afghanistan supports possible peace talks
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghanistan’s government reaffirmed support Sunday for possible talks with its Taliban foes, but demanded full explanations on how the group was allowed to raise its flag in Qatar and display other symbols that have stalled peace talks.
The ongoing dispute over the Taliban compound in Doha – which the Afghan government said appeared as something akin to an embassy in exile instead of a political outpost when it opened – underscore the extreme difficulties in just trying to launch dialogue after nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan.
Zimmerman jurors begin in sequestration
SANFORD, Fla. – The six jurors and four alternates who will hear opening statements today in George Zimmerman’s murder trial are beginning their time together in a sequestered bubble: They won’t return to their homes for weeks, contact with family and friends will be limited, and Internet and phone usage is restricted.
Court officials are keeping mum about the details of the jury sequestration, which begins this week. But if past cases are any example, the Zimmerman jurors won’t be able to tweet or blog. They’ll read only newspapers that have been censored of anything dealing with the case.
They will do almost everything together as a group. In their hotel rooms, TV news channels will be inaccessible and landline telephones likely will be removed. Deputies will keep the jurors’ cellphones and give them back once a day so they can call loved ones and friends.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys say the sequestration is necessary to eliminate jurors’ exposure to outside influences as they consider whether the neighborhood watch volunteer committed murder last year when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. After spending almost two weeks picking a jury, the attorneys will make opening statements today.
Brazil calm, but discontent simmers
SÃO PAULO – After a week of protests at a frenetic pace, a restive calm settled over Brazil on Sunday, though more people were expected to take to the streets in evening demonstrations against corruption.
The protests that began in São Paulo quickly enveloped Brazil; a survey from the National Counties Federation said that every state in the nation had a protest of some sort in 438 counties, with the apex on Thursday when 1 million went to the streets.
Small gatherings occurred Sunday in a few cities – no clashes were reported. On Saturday, a quarter-million Brazilians protested in more than 100 cities, but the gatherings were less violent than those seen earlier in the week. The movement, which arose with a sea of complaints of everything that ails the nation, has coalesced around demands for political reform to attack widespread corruption.
Associated Press
