Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2021-10-07 in Cape Times

Nick Cannon plans to get his “celibacy on”. The 40-year-old comedian and presenter already has seven children and has vowed to try and stop having any more – until the new year, at least. Speaking on the ‘Drink Champs’ podcast, he said: “I’m trying to chill out though. I’m kinda stepping away, getting focused, going within, getting my celibacy on. “I have enough children, enough frolicking. I didn’t say I’m perfect. “I love all my kids. I’m celibate right now. I’m trying to go – I’m gonna see if I can make it to 2022. I’m trying to be the best father I can be, the best businessman I can be.” Cannon has fathered seven children – four of them born in less than a year – with ex-partner…

Francesca Villette Francesca.villette@inl.co.za THE Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has come under scrutiny for its extension for preferred bidders to reach financial close for projects aimed at adding emergency energy generation capacity. The Green Connection has alleged the deadline extension to January, which was already extended from August 2020 to December 20, 2020, was to give Karpowerships SA the upper edge, and time to prepare. The National Energy Regulator (Nersa) last month approved the generation licence applications for seven projects under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMI4P), including the applications for three floating Karpowership projects. The Karpowership projects in Saldanha Bay, Richards Bay, and Coega in the Eastern Cape, are expected to generate electricity from natural gas to be evacuated through transmission lines to substations…

Sithandiwe Velaphi sithandiwe.velaphi@inl.co.za TAKING science to the people of rural areas is important to encourage young people to experience and feel the innovations that come out of it. This is what Science and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande told attendees at the official opening of the Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu Science Centre in the rural area of Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape yesterday. The R60.5 million science centre is South Africa’s “first purpose-designed green technology centre to promote science, technology and innovation through every feature of its building”. The opening was attended by Nzimande, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and AbaThembu baseRhode King Dalimvula Matanzima, among other dignitaries. He said: “This is taking science to the people. By taking science to the people, you are also encouraging…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE bravery of 16-year-old Siseko Mgcizi who dived into a Marikana informal settlement dam in Philippi, prevented the death of a third child in a tragic drowning incident this week. Two brothers, Asanele, 13, and Mivuyo Dweni, 11, disappeared under the water while playing with their friends on Tuesday afternoon. The teenagers were playing on foam slabs with four other boys in the dam when they overturned. Mgcizi said: “I was working with my friends and we heard there was a shack on fire. While standing on a heap of grass checking where the burning shack was, we noticed another man pointing at the dam. I rushed to the dam with my friends and saw two children struggling in the water. “Some residents who were standing there…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za A SECOND body has been found on the False Bay coast this week – this time, the body of a young woman on Monwabisi beach. Her body was found by a jogger on Tuesday morning. Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said police were investigating. “Harare SAPS attended a scene at Monwabisi beach, Harare. At approximately 10.35am police were shown the body of a 22-year-old woman who was declared dead on the scene. She has been identified but her full details have been withheld until her next of kin have been notified,” said Van Wyk. On Sunday, a man’s body was found on Mnandi beach. According to police, the body was discovered by a passer-by at around 6am. Community activist Thabiso Mhlambi said the leaders in the…

Nyaniso Qwesha | Wynberg I VIVIDLY remember how Mamelodi Sundowns rose to popularity in the 1980s. They were referred to as the piano and the shoeshine club and associated with the late businessman Zola Mahobe, who owned the soccer club. The new club owner came to disrupt what was expected in practice in those days, as the league was seemingly dominated by Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. The continued investment of new money into our soccer has resulted in more fierce competition in our South African league. As I write now, Mamelodi Sundowns is making moves in our local and African soccer championships. It is currently sitting at the top in our local league, having previously won it. One of the motivations for their success is their financial…

INSTEAD of being left puzzled by the UK government’s decision to put South Africa on the red list, our country should use this as an opportunity to ramp up campaigns promoting local tourism. The move by the British government is the clearest indication that our reliance on foreign countries is not sustainable. If Germany allows for travelling between the two countries, why does the UK insist that it does not recognise vaccinated South African travellers, using the same vaccines as them, and forcing South Africans to follow strict measures including quarantining for 10 days at their own cost? Putting South Africa on the red list also means fewer travellers from the UK. Readers will recall that in almost all instances, the earliest introductions of Covid-19 (Sars-CoV-2) into individual African countries…

SYDNEY: Elite Venezuelan and Australian women’s soccer players have gone public with allegations of harassment and sexual abuse, as the sport’s latest #MeToo reckoning goes global, triggered by revelations from the US National Women’s Soccer League. Twenty-four of Venezuela’s top soccer players, including Atlético Madrid forward Deyna Castellanos, on Tuesday condemned what they said was years of “abuse and harassment, physical, psychological and sexual” by former coach Kenneth Zseremeta. In a statement posted on social media by Castellanos on Tuesday, the players claimed the abuse took place from 2013 to at least 2017 – when Zseremeta was fired as coach of the under-20 women’s national team, with Venezuelan soccer authorities citing the squad’s poor performance. At the time, Zseremeta reportedly claimed that his players were suffering from malnutrition in the…

MOSCOW: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, pictured, is trying to portray his social media platform as a victim after a former employee accused it of prioritising profit over users’ safety, former US intelligence contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden said yesterday. “Zuckerberg responds to a global outage and national scandal by claiming @Facebook is the real victim here, and modestly proposing Congress consider: A) legally restricting teen use of internet services B) identify verification mandates C) limiting teen privacy,” Snowden tweeted.…

Thai activists yesterday commemorated the anniversary of a brutal student massacre, splashing fake blood and laying mock bodies at the site where security forces opened fire on students 45 years ago. The October 6, 1976 killings remain a dark chapter in Thailand’s blood-spattered history, standing out for the brutality committed by authorities and royalist militias. At least 46 student protesters were shot, beaten to death or hanged from trees when they gathered at Bangkok’s Thammasat University to demonstrate against the return of a military dictator who was ousted just three years earlier. No one has ever been held accountable, and annual efforts to mark the day have in recent years been met with resistance from university authorities – this year being no different. Yesterday’s event was initially banned but allowed…

JERUSALEM: Israel’s police said yesterday that 26 Israelis were arrested on suspicion of massive fraud related to foreign exchange cryptocurrency transactions in a joint operation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The suspects allegedly conned “tens of millions of shekels” (millions of dollars) from dozens of American citizens under the guise of digital forex trading, the police said in a statement. All of the suspects were arrested in Tel Aviv, it said. The arrests were part of “co-ordinated arrests operation taking place simultaneously in several different countries by overseas law enforcement authorities,” the statement read.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za AT LAST, Caster Semenya will have her say, in her own words. South Africa’s double Olympic champion in the 800m has announced that she is busy writing her autobiography, which will be published by renowned American publisher WW Norton & Company, which is based in New York. Semenya’s rise from relative obscurity in Limpopo to an 18-year-old world champion in 2009, and later claiming gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games, is sure to be a fascinating and inspirational tale in a book titled Silence All the Noise, which was announced to American media this week, with no release date as yet. The 30-year-old has had to endure years of unfair discrimination from various quarters in athletics due to the naturally occurring testosterone…

From page 1 Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) spokesperson Sibongiseni Delihlazo said the sub-Saharan region was the hardest hit when it came to a shortage of health-care workers. He said the WHO, in conjunction with the International Council of Nurses, issued a report in April last year which looked at the state of nursing worldwide. Globally, there was a shortage of 6 million nurses, he said, “but the shortage is most severe in the low to mid-income sub-Saharan countries”. “The government must look into the area of satisfying health-care workers. “It is sad that some health-care workers can’t come to South Africa because of this agreement,” Delihlazo said. “We understand that these health-care workers are plying their trade in their countries where the conditions are really challenging for…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za AUDITOR-GENERAL (AG) Tsakani Maluleke has made damning findings against the Department of Defence for incurring irregular expenditure to the tune of R2.1 billion, in the 2020/21 financial year. The department obtained a qualified audit opinion because Maluleke was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence on sensitive projects’ expenditure and related investments. “I was unable to determine whether any adjustments were necessary to sensitive projects expenditure included within the expenditure of R14.26bn and investments for special defence activities included in the investment amount of R182.16 million,” Maluleke said. Maluleke disclosed this in her 10-page audit report tabled in Parliament, along with the department’s annual report. “The majority of the irregular expenditure disclosed in the financial statements was caused by the compensation of employee budget being exceeded without…

Mashudu Sadike mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za THE Special Tribunal has ordered that more than R11 million held in a bank account linked to Eskom senior manager Petrus Mazibuko be forfeited to the state. It was found that Thephunokheja Projects, owned by Mazibuko and his brother Shadrack, indirectly benefited from two of the power utilities suppliers, Community Logistic Managers Africa and Tembathio. Eskom placed the senior manager for coal operations on preliminary suspension after the SIU started proceedings to freeze the R11m held in a bank account linked to him. He is also a director, along with his brother Shadrack, at Thephunokheja Projects. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU), authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 to investigate among others maladministration, obtained an interim order in May which preserved the R11.5m found in the account…

Staff writer A DELUGE of love and well wishes from individuals and organisations around the world has been pouring in for Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s milestone 90th birthday today. Dr Mamphela Ramphele speaking for the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust said besides planning to attend a special thanksgiving service at St George’s Cathedral in the city, the Archbishop and Leah Tutu would spend the day at home surrounded by family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “Among close family members who have travelled to Cape Town this week are two of the couple’s overseas-based daughters, Naomi and Mpho, and the Archbishop’s sister, Mrs Gloria Radebe, from Krugersdorp.” Tutu’s 90th birthday is being marked by a series of events arranged by the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, including the online presentation…

Staff writer CAPE TOWN residents and interested parties have been invited to comment on the City’s Draft Film Policy, 2021, which seeks to position Cape Town as a globally competitive film destination. The Draft Film Policy, 2021 will replace the City’s Film Policy and Protocol, 2004, and looks to promote Cape Town as renowned for the quality and variety of its world-class locations, studios, facilitation companies and specialised crew. “It will also guide the City of Cape Town on how to work with role- players to build a film industry that contributes to City objectives, such as economic growth, job creation and social inclusivity in Cape Town,” the City said. Additionally the policy seeks to build a capable, collaborative, resilient, sustainable and inclusive film industry, with the ability to withstand…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE police ministry will have to cough up more than R900 000 to two women wrongfully arrested and detained in 2015, the Gauteng High Court ordered this week. According to court documents, Vuyokazi Morwanqana and Nomatamzanqa Matshaka met each other by “a cruel twist of fate” at the bus terminus at Park Station in Joburg on October 3, 2014, while about to board the same bus on their journey to their respective hometowns in the Eastern Cape. Morwanqana was eight months’ pregnant at the time, and hauling heavy luggage when Matshaka, seeing her in difficulty, went to her aid. Judge Leicester Adams in his judgment said: “They then spent some time in each other’s company whilst waiting in the queue for their bus to arrive. This random…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE WESTERN Cape yesterday celebrated the achievements of eight educators and a pupil who made the top three positions in their respective categories at the National Teaching Awards (NTAs) in Kempton Park, Gauteng yesterday. The Department of Basic Education celebrated teachers for their pursuit of excellence in education amid challenging circumstances including Covid-19 at the 21st edition of the awards. Nominations were submitted and provincial awards ceremonies were held in September, with winners up for the national awards. Life Sciences and Marine Sciences teacher Mariette Wheeler of Protea Heights Academy in Brackenfell was recognised as the top teacher in the country with the Best Teacher Award. Wheeler was hailed for her work in transforming the learning experience of pupils through science-related activities, project-based learning, debating, technology-assisted learning…

IN APRIL the City approved the construction of a large private development on the River Club site in Observatory. The development will replace an existing parking lot and golf course with a mixed-use precinct featuring public open space, housing, offices and retail space, a school, restaurants and events facilities. In addition, surrounding environmental resources (such as the Liesbeek River) will be transformed. The Observatory Civic Association has taken the City’s approval on review, and has sought to stop the development from going ahead while the review is determined. On September 28 the association’s chairperson, Leslie London, made certain claims about the approval and the development in this newspaper. It is a good thing for important decisions and developments to be the subject of public debate. That debate should be guided…

MFEZEKO BUNU | KHAYELITSHA IN 1994 South Africa held its first democratic elections which were characterised by multipartism. Now 27 years later the country still uses the same system it used in 1994. Only three political parties, the DA, IFP and the ANC, have managed to win provinces. Seven of the country's nine provinces have always been firmly under the ANC, and KZN has become the eighth province under the ruling party. Yes, the ANC has lost some metros like Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Johannesburg through coalition governments but the truth of the matter is that despite what the doomsayers predict, the ANC will emerge victorious in both the upcoming local government and national elections. There is no chance that the ANC will part ways with…

It’s time to rethink what ‘representation’ means for us all IS IT really so radical to say let’s vote for independent candidates because political parties aren’t fit for purpose? From Manguzi in KwaZulu-Natal to Alexander Bay in the Northern Cape, municipal councillors are there to represent all the people, not only political party members who, in most cases, take the first step to nominate them for election. Now that we have seen the faces of political party and independent candidates, it’s time to rethink what “representation” means for us all and give independent candidates a chance on November 1. More people are beginning to see it. Not clearly, but something is coming into view. When independent candidates make up a historically significant number of the approximately 100 000 candidates contesting…

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded yesterday to two scientists who built a tool for constructing molecules in a cheap, environmentally friendly way, allowing researchers to more easily make products including pharmaceuticals. David WC Macmillan of Princeton University and Benjamin List of the Max-Planck-Institut in Germany were awarded the Nobel Prize for their development of a precise new tool for molecular construction known as organocatalysis. Catalysts are used to accelerate chemical reactions in many industries, and researchers have long believed there are only two kinds of catalyst – metals and enzymes. The two new laureates were rewarded for independently developing a third type of catalysis, which builds upon small organic molecules. Johan Åqvist, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, called the new concept “as simple as it is…

Rome: Rachele Mussolini, the granddaughter of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, has emerged as the most popular candidate in Rome city hall elections, near-final results showed yesterday. With counting done in more than 97 % of polling stations, Mussolini garnered more than 8 200 preference votes after standing for the hard-right Brothers of Italy Party. The 47-year-old, who will be serving a second term as city councillor, insisted that her surname had nothing to do with her popularity. “The person prevails over their surname, however burdensome it is,” she told the La Repubblica newspaper, adding: “I have many left-wing friends.” Mussolini’s late father, Romano, was a jazz pianist and brother-in-law to actress Sophia Loren. He was Benito Mussolini’s fourth child. Right-wing parties fared relatively badly in local elections in Italy…

MOSCOW: Russia’s prison service said yesterday that it had sacked five officers, including the head of an infirmary and a regional chief, after harrowing videos emerged of alleged rape in a jail hospital. Videos of alleged rape and torture at a prison infirmary treating inmates with tuberculosis in the central city of Saratov were published this week by Gulagu.net, a rights group aiming to expose abuses in Russia’s vast prison system. The Federal Prison Service (FSIN) swiftly announced a probe, and yesterdy said that the head of the prison infirmary, Pavel Gatsenko, and three regional prison officials had been sacked.…

Vienna: Austrian prosecutors raided the offices of the ruling party yesterday over claims that government money was used in a corrupt deal to ensure positive coverage in a tabloid newspaper. People’s Party deputy general secretary Gabriela Schwarz said the raids were “for show”. The warrant for raids alleges that finance ministry funds were used to pay for opinion polls that were favourable to Kurz. The polls were then published in the Oesterreich tabloid, allegedly in return for lucrative government adverts. Oesterreich owners denied that any wrongdoing had been committed in the commissioning or publication of its surveys.…

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding has said that England’s decision to cancel its short tours to Pakistan amounted to “Western arrogance”. England’s men’s and women’s white-ball teams were due to tour this month, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) pulled out of both because of concerns over “mental and physical well-being”. “The ECB statement doesn’t wash with me. No substance,” said Holding, who played 60 Tests and 102 one-day internationals in his glittering career. “Nobody wants to come forward and face up to anything, because they know what they did was wrong. So, they put out a statement and hid behind a statement. “It just reminds me of the rubbish they did with #BlackLivesMatter. “I won’t go back into that because I’ve said enough. But what…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za ANOTHER case of the deadly rabies virus has been recorded in Gordon’s Bay. In August, two cases were also detected in Khayelitsha and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported that a total of seven cases of human rabies were laboratory- confirmed in South Africa. The cases were reported from the Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape provinces. In relation to the most recent case in Gordon’s Bay, Western Cape Department of Agriculture state veterinarian Dr Lesley van Helden said: “The dog was brought to a private vet and euthanised on the evening of September 29. The next morning, the state vet was informed, fetched the body and sent it to be tested in Pretoria. “We got the positive lab results on Tuesday. Our officials are busy…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za ALMOST three months after a whistle- blower within the Crime Intelligence Unit of the SAPS lifted the lid on the alleged shenanigans of some rogue intelligence officers, a prominent KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor is demanding action. Mary de Haas, who has been monitoring politically-related violence in KZN since the days of the apartheid regime, says brutality, corruption and other problems have been endemic in policing in South Africa since 1994 – and even escalated after 2009. She alleged there were indications that the Crime Intelligence Unit had long been the chief offender in the corruption stakes, and said a recently leaked report confirmed other allegations of intelligence malfeasance. “Like the apartheid state, our police run political hit squads,” De Haas said. The report De Haas was referring to…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE chairperson of an internal disciplinary hearing involving a high-ranking City law enforcement officer has recommended that the City address the inappropriate discussions and unprofessional behaviour taking place during working hours. This was when clearing the officer, identified in documents as Richards, of seven counts of sexual harassment following a six months suspension. The charges included allegations around comments of a sexual nature or sexual in nuances towards the alleged victim, between December 2017 and January 2018, the documents stated. “It appears that you also want to show some cleavage” and “you informed her of your sexual escapades when you were still in the military, stating how you would call the ladies to the fence and would have sex with them from behind”, were alleged to be…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za ZIMBABWEAN health-care workers seeking employment opportunities in this country have reacted with dismay after South Africa’s health ministry rejected their applications on the grounds that their country was facing a staff crisis due to migration. A letter dated September 20, signed by the South Africa public health director of workplace management, Sindile Sodladla, stated that Zimbabwe was listed in the category of countries that the Department of Health should not recruit from. It said the government was obliged to adhere to “all the relevant protocols” between member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the AU and the World Health Organization (WHO) “as it pertains to recruitment of health professionals from developing countries”. “These agreements, protocols and recruitment codes were designed to prevent the uncontrolled recruitment…

Staff writer TWO post-war paintings with remarkable fizz, a blazing mural-scale work by Alexis Preller and light-infused harbour scene by Irma Stern lend Strauss & Co’s forthcoming live virtual auction on October 11-12 extra anticipation. Since 2009, works by Stern and Preller sold by Strauss & Co have collectively earned three-quarters of a billion rand (R725 million). Conceived on a grand scale, Preller’s 135.5cm by 125.5cm Boy with a Crocodile (estimate R8m to R12m) is a dazzling mix of symbol, blazing colour and surprising pattern. Executed in the mid-1960s during a period of mature experimentation, the painting hints at the wide range of Preller’s visual sources, his unique interpretation of African mythologies and his irrepressible, richly coloured imagination. Writing about Boy with a Crocodile in 1968, Preller remarked: “The various…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za THE City has been slammed after, families who were accommodated in the KTC Phase 3 housing development project in Nyanga still have no electricity and water – four months later. Residents who had been eagerly waiting for houses, including the elderly, were handed over the units in June, and the City had allegedly promised to provide services in a week. According to the City, families may be moved into the units on completion, ahead of services if there is a serious threat of illegal occupation of the units. Tozama Vapi, whose 73-year-old mother is one of the housing beneficiaries, said officials gave them the run-around when they inquired about the time frame. “When you call it’s either you are told you need to talk with another person,…

Chevon Booysen Chevon.booysen@inl.co.za RAPE accused and rugby coach, Glenville Martinus, faces an added charge of rape after making his court appearance at the Atlantis Regional Court yesterday. Martinus, 46, now faces a total of five rape charges. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila said: “(Martinus) appeared at the Atlantis Regional Court and his case was postponed to December 2 2021 for the defence to consult with their client.” Martinus, currently out on R10 000 bail, is accused of grooming and raping women he allegedly lured online when asking for nude pictures and thereafter blackmailing them into conducting sexual favours. He is said to have posed as a model agent, doctor and online fitness instructor and lured a number of women by creating fake social media profiles, soliciting nude photos and…

ALL Chinese people are celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in a happy and peaceful atmosphere. Under the leadership of the CPC, China has achieved extraordinary development and transformation over the past 72 years that have attracted the world’s attention. With its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects becoming a reality, China has embarked on the new journey towards building a great modern socialist country in an all-round way. The year 2021 is also the first year of the implementation of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). China, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at the core, has co-ordinated epidemic response with social and economic development, and effectively responded to…

FAROUK ARAIE | JOHANNESBURG. FOR most of the country’s history since 1994, such a question verged on the preposterous. In the past the party was led by giants whose integrity and sincerity was unquestionable. Today it is led by pygmies and worst still, the party has not moved with the times but is living on it’s past glory. It was Doug Larson who once said: “Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.” The party of Nelson Mandela is today the party of carnage and elitist control, collusion of scams, masters of fabrication and weapons-grade contempt for the rule of law. Today’s rulers have gutted the old ANC and stuffed its empty husk with a battery of lies.…

Google plans to invest $1 billion (about R15bn) in Africa over the next five years to ensure access to fast and cheaper internet and will back start-ups to support the continent’s digital transformation, it said yesterday. The unit of US tech company Alphabet Inc made the announcement at a virtual event where it launched an Africa Investment Fund, through which it will invest $50 million in start-ups, providing them with access to its employees, network and technologies. In collaboration with not-for-profit organisation Kiva, Google will also provide $10m in low interest loans to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa get through the economic hardship created by Covid-19. “I’m excited to reaffirm our commitment to the continent through an investment of $1bn over five years…

Perched on a corner of the stage at La Septente, an open-air club in Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa, Manda Chante sings the lilting opening to “Independence Cha Cha”, an old anthem for African anti-colonial movements. The song debuted one evening in Brussels in February 1960, during negotiations for Congo’s liberation from Belgium, electrifying delegates. Within four months, Congo was free. Sixty-one years later, rumba remains at the core of African music, and a movement has emerged to cement its reputation and secure its protection. Authorities in Kinshasa and Brazzaville, the capital of neighbouring Congo Republic, have submitted a bid to add Congolese rumba to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural (Unesco) list of intangible cultural heritage. Unesco will announce its decision in November. The list helps demonstrate…

RIYADH: A Saudi appeals court had upheld a lengthy prison sentence handed to aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan earlier this year by a counterterrorism court, his sister said. Sadhan, who was detained by Saudi authorities in March 2018, was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban, the US State Department said in April. Sadhan was arrested on March 12, 2018, from the Red Crescent Society offices in the capital Riyadh, where he worked. His sister Areej, a US citizen who has been advocating for his release, has said he was detained without a warrant or charges against him.…

NEW YORK: Most countries are ill-equipped to handle what the UN said Tuesday is a “looming” global water crisis caused by climate change and population growth. Floods, droughts and other water-related disasters are on the rise due to global warming, the World Meteorological Organization said in a new report published Tuesday. At the same time, swelling populations and dwindling resources around the globe have led to increased water scarcity in multiple regions, the UN agency said. “We need to wake up to the looming water crisis,” said WMO secretary general Petteri Taalas. |…