A Nigerian court on Friday denied bail to three Lebanese nationals charged with terrorism over their alleged links to the powerful Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah.

The South African government said today that ailing icon Nelson Mandela remains in a “critical but stable” condition after more than one month of intensive hospital treatment.

The tri-series thrown wide open by India’s emphatic comeback, the West Indies will miss the services of their captain Dwayne Bravo as they go into their crucial match against Sri Lanka here on Sunday needing a win to secure a berth in the final.

As the world prayed for the speedy recovery of ailing peace icon Nelson Mandela, his former wife said that it was extremely painful to see the anti-apartheid leader’ present state of health but it was “God’s wish”.

West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo is undaunted by the threat posed by a new-look Indian team and said tomorrow’s game between the two sides would be a “cracker of a contest.”

It has not even been a week since India won the Champions Trophy but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the team is done with the celebrations and firmly focussed on the tri-series against West Indies and Sri Lanka starting here today.

Raids by gunmen in ethnically divided central Nigeria and gun battles between soldiers and attackers have killed at least 48 people and left dozens of homes burnt, the military said today.

Ailing democracy icon Nelson Mandela was “very critical” and “anything is imminent”, the anti-apartheid leader’s eldest daughter said, as South African President Jacob Zuma today cancelled a trip to Mozambique.

South Africa’s president visited a gravely ill Nelson Mandela in the hospital yesterday night, and canceled a visit planned for the next day to Mozambique, an indication of heightened concern over the deteriorating health of the man widely considered the father of the country.

Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has been kept on a life-support system following deterioration of his health condition at a South African hospital where the 94-year-old leader was admitted three weeks ago with a recurring lung infection.