Sommaire pour 2024-04-30 de Mercury

THE INDUSTRIAL property market continues to defy the odds with low vacancies and strong rental growth, with the Cape Town area booming and other major industrial areas such as Durban, also showing robust growth. These were the findings of the latest Rode’s Report on the South African Property Market for the first quarter of 2024, released yesterday. “In Cape Town, nominal rentals of industrial space are booming, with the first-quarter 2024 figure up about 20% compared to 2019 – that is before the pandemic. One of Rode’s survey res- pondents said there is a severe shortage of industrial buildings and there have been rental wars because of multiple tenants looking to lease the same space.” The report said that another broker had commented that a tenant was sec- ured for…

Media NGOs have slammed the State Security Agency’s (SSA’s) attempt to vet SABC Head of News, veteran journalist Moshoeshoe Monare, saying it undermines the fundamental principles of media and editorial independence and freedom of the press. The City Press reported at the weekend that Monare is under scrutiny for the broadcaster’s negative coverage of the ANC leading up to the elections. He is understood to have come under focus after a leaked audio recording of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa speaking on the media during a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Ramaphosa said that the party should challenge any negative reporting on the ruling party by media houses. Monare told SABC News that the SSA had called him to take part in a polygraph test just weeks before the election. The…

MY REQUEST some months ago, in this very publication, for comments, photographs, and strange but important incidents that occurred at a fairly unknown railway station, north of Verulam – Canelands – in the early and late Seventies, resulted in so many phone calls and e-mails from readers, for which I am truly grateful. I received lots of encouragement, more of which is still needed to see this documented version of life through the eyes of one of the first few artisan apprentices to crash through the walls of the apartheid-protected citadel of job-reservation those days. The book (tentatively titled Canelands) also records the poverty-stricken lives of exploited black and Indian workers at a famous woodboard factory at this station. Initially, the theme of the book, when I first thought of…

The offer by the giant Australian mining company BHP to buy Anglo American shows how ANC governance has diminished South African mining. Anglo was once the jewel in South Africa’s mining crown. Now a condition of the BHP offer is that Anglo first get rid of two of its three major South African subsidiaries. BHP’s attitude reflects how mining companies and mining investors worldwide view the way the ANC has made doing business in South Africa extremely difficult. The ANC’s greed, incompetence and obstructionism has corroded an industry which should be a world leader and a South African champion. South African mining assets are now seen as toxic. That is why investment is so low in what should be one of the world’s mineral resource treasure houses. BHP’s offer was…

WOW, did our Sharks not perform wonderfully against the Scarlets? Three tries for Werner Kok. Magnifico! The damsels of the Pub With No Name crowded ecstatically from their perches in the rafters to volunteer knicker elastic for a fashioning of catapults for the time-honoured celebratory feu de joie in which the street lights are shot out. And, this Saturday, the Challenge Cup semi-final against Clermont, over in London town. The rugby’s getting better and better. After our dreadful start, happy days are here again! ’Erewego, ’erewego, ’erewego! Avoid walruses DON’T get too close to a walrus – not if you’re in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, that is. A Polish tourist was fined the equivalent of $1 100 (R20 500), according to the BBC, for getting…

Organisations representing magistrates across South Africa are in consultation with their members who are disgruntled over their salaries, which could see industrial action being rolled out by the judicial officers. Research revealed that a Government Gazette of September last year issued by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the determination of salaries and allowances of magistrates in terms of the Magistrates Act pegs the lowest-paid magistrates’ salaries at R1 077 210 per annum as total remuneration. That of a special grade chief magistrate was pegged at R1 567 105 per annum; while a regional court magistrate or a chief magistrate receives R1 406 110. According to the Gazette, a senior magistrate gets R1 165 530. On the other hand, a judge at the high court or the labour court earns almost R2…

THE Skeleton Gorge Fire currently has a number of hot spot areas in the mountain cliffs and behind Kirstenbosch Gardens. This is according to a statement by the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) Fire Management yesterday. South African National Parks spokesperson, JP Louw, said ground crews from TMNP, NCC Environmental Services, Working on Fire, as well as the City of Cape Town Biodiversity unit, had been deployed, with staff presence scheduled for overnight monitoring. “Given the fire’s location in inaccessible terrain, particularly on the cliffs, it poses ongoing risks, especially if wind patterns shift. For safety reasons, we urge hikers to avoid the area until further notice,” Louw said. TMNP also said closed hiking trials included the Newlands Forest access area and surrounding trails; trails from Constantia Nek to Newlands…

A DURBAN judge, faced with an application which could see a mother and her three young children on the streets, says she is entitled to assistance in her “moment of need” from the entity burdened to provide that assistance. The mother and her family have not been named. Transnet, the owner of South Africa’s railway, ports and pipelines infrastructure, wants to evict her from a home, which is owned by the state. Judge Robin Mossop, sitting in the Durban High Court, did not direct his words to Transnet, which is entitled to evict her, but to the eThekwini Municipality. While the municipality was cited as a respondent in the application brought by Transnet to evict the family, the municipality simply ignored the application and did not pitch at court.…

A NEW report on strike trends last year indicated there were more wildcat strikes than protected action. Workers had gone on strike to demand permanent jobs and over wage-related issues. The Casual Workers Advice Office (CWAO) released its latest Strike Barometer yesterday, covering strikes between January 1 and December 31, 2023. According to the barometer, there were 83 strikes last year, a slight decrease over the 86 strikes documented in 2022. “This continues the pattern of a relatively low number of strikes annually since the 165 strikes of 2018,” CWAO said. Forty-one of the 83 strikes occurred in the public sector. This figure excluded at least seven strikes at hospitals, universities, private companies contracted by municipalities, and institutions such as Productivity SA and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA).…

A 34-year-old Eastern Cape businessman is the latest accused to appear in court over allegations of defrauding the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme. Luyanda Brian Vava appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He faces allegations of fraud, forgery and uttering and was arrested in a joint operation between the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The Eastern Cape Hawks said Vava, the sole director of the Widelink Technologies company, is accused of committing the fraud during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. “During the lockdown, employers were encouraged to continue paying their workers and later claim from Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS),” said the Hawks. It is alleged that he unlawfully lodged a claim with the Unemployed Insurance Fund (UIF) on behalf of his employees through his company.…

US top diplomat Antony Blinken said yesterday he was “hopeful” that Hamas would accept the latest proposal for a long-sought Gaza truce and hostage release deal as negotiators from the Palestinian group were due in Egypt. Egypt, Qatar and the US have been trying to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, and a recent flurry of diplomacy appeared to suggest a new push towards halting the fighting. Talks “are taking place in Cairo today”, said Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian intelligence services. It was not clear whether the Hamas delegation had already arrived, but Qatari mediators were also in Cairo. A senior Hamas official said on Sunday that the Palestinian militant group had no “major issues” with the most recent truce plan. Blinken, on his…

At least 45 people have been killed in floods in central Kenya’s Mai Mahiu area after a dam burst early yesterday, and the number of deaths could rise, police said. The police said the flooding was caused by a dam that burst, although two local residents said the water had actually broken through a railway embankment after a tunnel that had channeled the water under the tracks was blocked by an earlier landslide. Earlier yesterday, the Kenya Red Cross said it had taken several people to a health facility in Mai Mahiu due to flash flooding. The latest deaths bring the toll from heavy rains and flooding since last month to more than 140. Excluding the Mai Mahiu incident, government figures show 103 people have been killed and more than…

Turin: G7 energy ministers are close to committing to a common target of shutting down their coal-fired power plants “in the first half of the 2030s”, a source said yesterday. The meeting of the seven leading industrialised nations in Turin is the first big political session since the world pledged at the UN’s COP28 climate summit in December to transition away from coal, oil and gas. Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel and environmentalists have urged the G7, which brings together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US, to lead the way on the pledge. The latest G7 draft wants to phase out existing coal power generation during the first half of 2030s. A fixed time frame to phase out coal would be hailed. | AFP…

Seoul: North Korea has installed land mines on an inter-Korean road within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, a South Korean military official said yesterday, the latest in moves to shut down cross-border roads. The mines were detected on the unpaved road near Arrowhead Hill in Cheorwon, 85km northeast of Seoul. The path was created under a 2018 inter-Korean agreement to connect the South and the North to excavate the remains of those killed near the hill during the 1950-53 Korean War. The latest move comes after the North’s leader Kim Jong-un called for scrapping a decades-long policy of seeking unification between “two hostile states”. | IANS…

RAUBEX Group said yesterday that headline earnings per share (Heps) of between 451.7 cents and 491c was expected for the year to February 29, representing an increase of between 15% and 25%. The group said in an updated trading statement yesterday the full-year results, expected to be released on May 13, would be based on better-than-expected results achieved in February 2024 across all four divisions, as well as finalisation confirmations on a number of outstanding claims submitted. On March 4, in an initial trading statement, Raubex predicted earnings per share and Heps would be between 0% and 10% higher. It said at that time all four divisions had received tender awards from a diversified client base, resulting in a solid order book despite unfavourable macroeconomic conditions. Yesterday, the…

The MK Party says allegations that it forged signatures to contest as a party for the upcoming elections was made by a disgruntled former member, who had ambitions of getting a senior position after the elections. According to reports, Lennox Ntsodo, a former volunteer of the party in the Western Cape, told police in that province in a statement that the party allegedly forged signatures that would see it eligible to appear on the May 29 ballot. The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) required that political parties gather at least 15 000 signatures, while independent candidates needed 1 000 signatures to contest the elections. Ntsodo reportedly told police that the forgery of the signatures to meet the IEC threshold was achieved by a team of 20 people whom he appointed.…

In a normal democracy, a political party governs for two terms. But in Africa, a political party (especially a former liberation movement) stays in power for 20 years and more. In South Africa, the ANC has been in power for 30 years. Is that democracy? It is not only political parties that overstay their welcome on the continent but presidents as well. Yoweri Museveni has been the president of Uganda for more than 30 years. Paul Kagame of Rwanda has also been at the helm for long. Fortunately, South Africa changes its president almost every 10 years. That said, the ANC remains popular with the masses, despite its serious shortcomings – and failure to deliver services in important and critical areas. Yet voters, especially black people, still believe in Cyril…

LORENZO Davids’s article “Vote to unify polarised political cultures”, should be compulsory reading for all politicians (and would-be politicians). The appalling level of identity politics based on “tribes” or groups is hurting our country. The Daily Maverick had a Zapiro cartoon showing people running away and covering their ears while John Steenhuisen was shown singing. I found it deeply disheartening as the implication was that people will only listen if you say what they want to hear, in the way they want to hear it. Whereas Lorenzo is saying we must look past all that, and focus on content, not identity. That is the only way to achieve connectivity, and will be helped by his recommendation of new languages. Fanakalo helped to get disparate miners working together, and tech-speak…

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will be distributing allowances directly to Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students’ bank accounts. NSFAS administrator Freeman Nomvalo confirmed that these payments would take effect from the end of May. This follows an urgent meeting with the leadership of the South African Technical, Vocational Education and Training Student Association (Satvetsa) last week, which dealt with the students’ increased unhappiness with the delays in the payment or non-payment of allowances. University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) students had protested in Pietermaritzburg last week, expressing fears of eviction from student accommodation as they were unable to pay due to not receiving their allowances. Similarly, at the Thekwini TVET College Asherville Campus in Durban two weeks ago, students protested about funding challenges and the non-payment of allowances.…

POLICE believe the net is closing in on a child pornography racket after a series of raids by local officers and officials from the US’s Department of Homeland Security. Two men aged 58 and 62, were arrested in separate take-down operations, led by Major General Mmantsheke Lekhele, in Durban last week. National police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the latest arrests bring to 13 the total number of suspects netted in a series of sting operations between South Africa and the US. Mathe said the pair face charges of possession, downloading, accessing and manufacturing child pornography. "The 12th suspect was arrested on Tuesday. The man, 58, was found in possession of hundreds of images and videos of children in sexual acts. “Included were images and chats with information relating to…

Detectives have seized evidence tied to alleged fraud and other crimes regarding home loan applications. The SAPS investigation continues into an alleged money laundering scheme operating between KwaZulu-Natal, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Provincial detectives from the Western Cape Commercial Crime Investigation unit executed search warrants at two financial institutions in Strand last week. It resulted in the seizure of evidence related to alleged fraud, forgery and uttering, theft, contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121/1998 Section 4 to 6 relating to money laundering as well as the Cyber Crimes Act 19/2020 Section 8 and 9, police spokesperson FC van Wyk said. “The searches, conducted at two financial institutions in Strand, yielded a significant amount of evidence, including documentation relating to bond applications, financial statements, contracts, payslips and various…

The ANC’s alliance partner Cosatu has given the governing party its backing ahead of next month’s elections, saying there were still challenges that needed the trade union federation and “workers to push government led by the ANC to do more”. In a statement on Saturday, Cosatu said it was proud of the country’s democracy where all were equal before the law, “where our progressive Constitution compels the state to address the legacies of the past and the inequalities of today, in our free and fair elections where all views and voices are heard and respected”. On the issue of corruption, Cosatu said countries stumbled at times and so did South Africa during the decade of state capture and corruption. “Yet this could not hold South Africa back. Under the leadership…

A DISPUTE over a cellphone number allegedly belonging to one of the five men on trial for the murder of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, has stalled proceedings in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. As the murder trial of Meyiwa resumed in the high court yesterday, defence counsel requested the proceedings be postponed to afford them time to go through documents supplied to them by the State. Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu told the court that given how counsels had just received the requested documentation, they required time to thoroughly go through them and consult with the accused. The setback came after the defence counsel on Friday requested further documentation from State witness and cellphone data analyst, Colonel Gideon Gouws. The defence had argued that it was not been provided with comprehensive…

THE state of Israel, founded in 1948, has long been a subject of intense debate and controversy. Central to this discussion is the question of its legitimacy and whether it represents an artificial entity imposed on the Middle East. The argument that Israel is an artificial construct revolves around a number of factors, including historical claims, the process of its creation, the displacement of indigenous populations, and the ongoing conflicts that have shaped its existence. Israel’s creation has roots in the late 19th-century Zionist movement, which aimed to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The movement’s ideological underpinnings were based on historical and religious claims to the land, drawing on biblical narratives to justify Jewish settlement. However, critics argue that these claims were selectively used to promote a nationalist agenda…

Tesla received a key security clearance from China during owner Elon Musk’s visit to the world’s biggest electric car market, which wrapped up yesterday. The tech billionaire arrived on Sunday for his second trip to China in less than a year, meeting top officials including Premier Li Qiang as he worked to boost his electric car company’s fortunes in the face of intense competition from local challengers such as BYD. On the same day, Tesla’s locally produced models were listed among the EVs that meet China’s data security requirements for smart cars, clearing a key regulatory hurdle. Musk boarded his private jet at Beijing Capital Airport, with a Chinese flight tracking app saying it was bound for Anchorage, Alaska. Despite the growing market share of domestic automakers, Teslas remain among…

Austria called yesterday for fresh efforts to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in weapons systems, as it hosted a conference aimed at reviving largely stalled discussions on the issue. With AI technology advancing rapidly, weapons systems that could kill without human intervention are coming ever closer, posing ethical and legal challenges that most countries say need addressing. “We cannot let this moment pass without taking action. Now is the time to agree on international rules and norms to ensure human control,” said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. AI is already being used on the battlefield. The US said it was looking into a media report that the Israeli military has been using AI to help identify bombing targets in Gaza.…

NEW DELHI: At least two people have died in southern India’s state of Kerala of suspected heat stroke, reports said yesterday, as the country battles temperatures soaring to record levels. A 90-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man died in Kerala on Sunday, The Hindu newspaper reported, as temperatures soared to 41.9°C, nearly 5.5°C above normal. Temperatures across Kerala, at India’s southern tip, were expected to be higher than normal, causing authorities to issue warnings asking people to take precautions against the heat such as staying indoors. India’s weather department has predicted more heatwave days than normal from now to June. | Reuters…

Stuttgart: Germany yesterday put on trial nine rightwing extremists accused of plotting to attack parliament and overthrow the government, in one of the biggest post-war cases involving far-right militants. The men are among an eclectic group of more than two dozen suspects including a special forces soldier, a former far-right MP and an astrologer, who were led by minor aristocrat and businessman Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss. The hearings in Stuttgart were the first of three trials in three different courts. The alleged putschists were convinced that Germany was ruled by a “conspiratorial sect of paedophilic elites”, prosecutors said. | AFP…

Proteas coach Rob Walters will name his 15-man squad for the ICC T20 World Cup in the US and Caribbean today, and while our cricket writers Zaahier Adams and Ongama Gcwabe mostly agree on who should go, there are some key differences in their teams. Stick to the veterans with the BMT, writes Zaahier Adams The Proteas are blessed with an abundance of top-order batting options. And there will be many calling for the injection of fresh faces such as Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke, and possibly even a wildcard such as Dewald Brevis. But I simply cannot forget the T20I series against Australia in Durban last year in a hurry, when the 2021 T20 world champions wiped a youthful Proteas team 3-0 with white-ball coach Rob Walter stating “our next…

MINING analysts yesterday said the trend of companies making all-share takeover bids for others is set to continue in the near to medium term as South Africa was already a hotbed for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, long before BHP’s bid for selected assets of Anglo American. Although the board of Anglo American has rejected BHP’s $39 billion (R738bn) offer for its assets, excluding Anglo Platinum and Kumba Iron Ore, it is expected that the Australian mining giant will heighten its offer. Mining industry insiders and analysts yesterday said there was also likely to be rival offers for Anglo American from other bigger mining companies, fund holders and global sovereign wealth funds, among others. The BHP bid for Anglo American has put the mining sector under the spotlight, particularly…

a recent study has unveiled some truths about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) that are startling – and vital for every caregiver to understand. In Africa, it is common for infants to sleep in the same bed as their parents, with rates ranging from 60% to almost 92%. South Africa reported about 3.7 cases of Sids per 1 000 live births, Niger had 2.5 and Zimbabwe 0.2. Sids and similar causes were responsible for 2.5% to 21% of infant deaths in South Africa and 11.3% in Zambia. Published in the journal Pediatrics, the study dug through data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) registry spanning almost a decade, and sheds light on the dark corners of infant sleep practices. The bedroom is your inner-sanctum. More than…

THE Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF), a critically acclaimed event celebrating its 21st edition, is expected to boost the tourism, hospitality and associated industries. The popular event was shelved during the Covid-19 pandemic. The CTIJF is set to attract thousands over the festival weekend with the theme “Reset, Connect and Revive Your Rhythm”. CTIJF spokesperson Kaz Henderson said they looked forward to welcoming back festival-goers, or festinos as they are called, to the much-loved and highly respected event locally and globally. “The event has historically generated around 3 000 or sometimes more, additional income opportunities for people who have been directly involved with the festival. While many of these are seasonal and part-time, there are others who go on to find permanent employment. “Audiences can look forward to…

According to political economists, wages and working days are fixed by competition. Fairness seems to require that both sides should have the same fair start on equal terms. But that’s not the case. The capitalist, if he cannot agree with the labourer, can afford to wait, and live upon his capital. The worker cannot. He has but wages to live upon, and must therefore take work when, where, and at what terms he can get it. The working man has no fair start. He is fearfully handicapped by hunger. Yet, according to the political economy of the capitalist class, that is the very pink of fairness. Working people should not be exclusively absorbed in the unavoidable guerrilla fight incessantly springing up from the capitalists’ never-ceasing efforts to cut wages and…

“My parents have both gone off from their original family (us three boys) and married again and have new families and new step-children and so forth – it is quite complicated. “In the meantime the three of us (22, 19, 18) have to make things work for ourselves – two of us have jobs – and now we are living with my our grandmother. Grandmother took us in but this can’t be for too long.” I am sure you are pleased that your grandmother has made a place for you even if it “can’t be for too long”. The time limit is understandable. Feeding and housing three young men when it is not planned is not easy for anyone. As you know, you are all adults. While I am sad…

Police Minister Bheki Cele has disclosed that the SAPS spent R42.6 million on petrol and diesel for vehicles operated by the VIP protection services in the past six years. Cele was replying to parliamentary questions from DA MP Andrew Whitfield after he enquired about the total amount spent by SAPS VIP Services on petrol and diesel from 2018/19 to 2023/24. The breakdown of the cost per province over the period is as follows: National VIP Gauteng raked in R8 689 511. Mpumalanga, R4 826 007. KwaZulu-Natal, R4 796 271. National VIP Western Cape, R4 687 920. Free State, R3 795 287. Gauteng, R3 584 480. North West, R3 203 357. Limpopo, R2 428 091. Northern Cape, R2 283 186. Western Cape, R1 165 781. Eastern Cape, R1 077 173. Whitfield…

Two suspects are expected to appear in the Klawer Magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape this week after they were caught in possession of protected plants with an estimated street value of R2.4 million. The suspects, aged 30 and 38, were arrested last Thursday during an integrated intelligence-driven operation between Klawer and Vanrhynsdorp. The Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk said the operation was conducted by Vanrhynsdorp SAPS and the Department of Nature Conservation. “The members were deployed on the N7 highway to pursue the information due to the ongoing theft of indigenous plants in the area. Their patience was rewarded when they noticed a suspicious motor vehicle on Thursday at about 11pm. “They gave chase and instructed the driver of the silver Toyota Avanza to stop. When…

The Mkhondo Regional Court in Mpumalanga has sentenced Petrus Daniel Swart, 51, to an effective term of 10 years’ imprisonment for raping his domestic worker in 2014. The incident happened at a farm in Piet Retief, according to Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Monica Nyuswa. “On March 5, 2014, the victim was busy doing chores in the Swart family household and the accused’s (Petrus Daniel Swart’s) wife was away taking their children to school. The accused suddenly grabbed the victim from behind and wrestled her to the ground,” said Nyuswa. The domestic worker attempted to resist Swart’s actions, but was overpowered. The NPA said Swart then raped the defenceless woman in his house. “A short while after the incident, the accused’s wife arrived and found the complainant…

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, has confirmed that it is investigating an alleged plot to kill Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. Motsoaledi had claimed that a paid assassin who was contracted to kill him had confessed to the alleged plot against his life. The minister, who spoke to eNCA on Sunday, said he had received a call from the alleged hitman who told him he was hired to kill him. Motsoaledi said he had received several threats from the hitman, and had handed the matter over to the Hawks. The minister said: “An individual has recently been phoning me six to eight times a day to tell me that he has been sent to assassinate me. “He added that he had already been…

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) in KwaZulu-Natal is concerned about the financial sustainability of municipalities amid growing consumer and government debt. Salga recently held a briefing on the state of municipalities. It revealed that government departments’ debt to municipalities was now standing at R3 billion. Salga’s KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli said municipalities were struggling to collect what is owed for services because of the prevailing difficult economic conditions in the country. As a result they were falling into massive, high-interest debt and being forced to borrow money to cover their shortfall. “The financial system within which municipalities operate is increasingly indebted, and has reached record debt-levels. Citizens, the government, and businesses owe municipalities mainly for water and rates, which are the hardest to collect. “When homeowners use up…

Countries returned to the negotiating table yesterday for one last push to conclude an international agreement on how to handle future pandemics, with the most likely outcome being a slimmed-down accord that shelves some of the thorniest issues. The 194 countries in the World Health Organization have come to its Geneva headquarters for a do-or-die round of negotiations after a two-year effort to seal a landmark accord on prevention, preparedness and response hit a deadline last month with no concrete wording agreed. The goal of the talks is to get an agreement ready for adoption at the WHO’s annual assembly of member states, which starts on May 27. In December 2021, Covid-19, which shredded economies, crippled health systems and killed millions, motivated countries to seek a binding framework of commitments…

Edinburgh: Humza Yousaf announced his resignation as Scotland’s first minister yesterday, before he was due to face two no confidence votes this week sparked by his ditching of junior coalition partners in a row over climate policy. He quit following a year as head of the devolved administration in Edinburgh, during which support for his pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) has fallen. Yousaf said he had underestimated the hurt he had caused by ending the SNP’s power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens in the Scottish parliament last week. His government had abandoned targets for net-zero carbon emissions. Opposition parties lodged a vote of no-confidence in Yousaf. | AFP…

NAIROBI: A Dubai-based firm has agreed to lend South Sudan’s government $12 billion in exchange for repayment in oil, according to a copy of the deal’s term sheet and an unpublished UN report. The deal would be the largest oil-backed loan South Sudan has taken, according to a UN panel of investigators. The country’s GDP is about $7 billion. South Sudan will receive cash in exchange for crude delivered at discounted rates of $10 per barrel less than international prices, the term sheet says. The country produces about 150 000 barrels per day. Servicing the loan was likely to tie up most of South Sudan’s oil revenues for many years.…

Sergio Perez remains Red Bull’s best option as teammate for triple world champion Max Verstappen next season, according to the Mexican’s former boss Otmar Szafnauer. Perez’s contract with Formula One’s dominant champions runs out at the end of the season and the 34-year-old faces an uncertain future. Former Force India, Aston Martin and Alpine principal Szafnauer said “Checo” would be his choice and he had said as much at a recent F1 event in Abu Dhabi. “I said, ‘knowing Checo as well as I do, I would replace Checo with Checo.’ If I were (team boss) Christian (Horner), I would still keep him there for next year,” he said. Perez is second in the standings after five races, with three seconds and a third, and this weekend returns to Miami,…

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has urged the home fans to create a special atmosphere when they host Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Allianz Arena tonight, as his side chases a seventh European crown. Bayern advanced to the last four of the Champions League for the first time since winning the tournament in 2020, while record 14-time champions Madrid last took home the trophy in 2022. Joshua Kimmich scored the only goal in the quarter-final second leg at home to help Bayern beat Premier League side Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate. “We need the atmosphere to be incredible. We also need the fans to support us, even in moments when it’s more difficult. Together with the fans, we need to create an atmosphere…