Índex per 2021-11-26 a Mercury

Mercury Reporter A KwaZulu-Natal South Coast liquor store which was affected during the July unrest, is getting back on its feet thanks to the help from the South African Breweries (SAB) Foundation, in collaboration with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). They have donated R17 million to 174 SAB customers who are liquor retail owners across the country. The donation will assist the owners rebuild their businesses and get back on track to economic recovery. The foundation has dispersed R9.9m to date, with the remainder to be dispersed following due diligence by local teams. One of the beneficiaries was the Munster Bottle Store. Christina Jonck, owner of the store said they had been grateful for the help. “We are a small business in a space that is occupied by big players.…

Mercury Reporter THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) said the province was more than ready to welcome holidaymakers. Bheki Mbanjwa, the spokesperson for Edtea, said through various government entities, including law enforcement agencies, systems have been put in place to ensure that holidaymakers are safe when they visit KZN. “We have been working very closely with our trade partners who are also ready to roll out the red carpet to welcome tourists back to the province. The tourism trade has also put in place health and safety protocols to ensure that all their tourism products are Covid-19 compliant. “However, we still encourage holidaymakers themselves to make their own safety a priority. We urge all our visitors to continue wearing masks, observing social distancing and to…

| Bang Showbiz model chrissy Teigen took to Instagram to enthuse about the procedure, which involves putting hair from the “back of your head” to the brows to create a fuller look, after years of overplucking the facial feature as a teen. She wrote: “I never wear makeup if I can avoid it so I was so excited for this eyebrow transplant surgery where they take hairs from the back of your head!! (sic).” In a clip posted to her Instagram Story, Teigen said: “They look so cool. He did hairs up here to even them out. Crazy.” The Cravings author added: “It’s so cool to have brows again!” She warned: “Teens: do not pluck them all off like I did.” Teigen’s surgeon Dr Jason Diamond said too many people…

Nomonde Zondi Nomonde.Zondi@inl.co.za A combination of Covid-19 effects, the high rate of unemployment and the effect of the July unrest would see a low number of people rushing for the shops to take advantage of Black Friday specials, economists have said. Economist and chief executive of Inkunzi Wealth Group, Owen Nkomo, said consumers would mostly go for food items, adding that he did see some people buying appliances. “Most of the stuff will be bought online because of Covid-19 protocols and people are now more cautious,” he said. Nkomo warned consumers that they should not expect big discounts especially on luxury imported goods because of the weak currency. “The imported goods that were cheap last year, consumers might find them expensive because of the weaker currency this year,” Nkomo said.…

| William S Burroughs EARLIER this week, we considered a doctor’s prescription issued in New York in 1932 to Winston Churchill, authorising his use of alcoholic liquors in the process of recuperation from illness. It was, of course, the era of Prohibition in the US. Now my eagle-eyed retired colleague Clyde Bawden points out that in the same issue of the paper in the “On This Day” feature, President Warren Harding signed the Willis- Campbell Act in 1921 forbidding doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medical purposes. “Winnie must have had some pull with the Yanks,” says Clyde. It’s odd. Prohibition didn’t end until 1933. Perhaps the prohibition on doctors prescribing alcohol was ended some time earlier. Maybe the legislators recognised that “a hair of the dog”, as…

MOIRA ROSS | Durban I have been meaning to write for weeks, but recent items in the paper have prompted me to have a go. Please ask DSW to either produce a booklet or have a huge newspaper article and let the public know how to recycle properly. What numbered plastics will they take in their bags. Why is black plastic not taken and can it not be recycled for crumbles to put into tar for roads? Must the plastic be washed? There are probably many more questions. Why can the stores manage to sell reasonable black plastic bags, but the municipal ones are so flimsy and tear when you try to pull them off. I haven’t received orange bags for several years, but my husband and I…

Police sniffer dog Snoekie has been praised for his role in an operation that led to the seizure of 20 000 mandrax tablets worth R800 000 that were en route to Cape Town. Police management has commended members of the Breede River K9 Unit, especially Snoekie. According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel André Traut, on Tuesday officers reacted to intelligence received that a white Mercedes Benz Vito van was headed in the direction of Cape Town with drugs. “The dog reacted positively to drugs in a sealed compartment. “A 51-year-old man from Welgelegen was arrested,” Traut said. | Mercury Correspondent…

Mercury Reporter South Coast holiday accommodation business Rocky Bay Resorts is hoping for a bumper festive season. The Park Rynie hospitality business offers caravan stands and log cabins. Annien Koulountis, resorts manager for Rocky Bay Resorts, said the Covid-19 lockdown had a severe impact on the whole hospitality sector. “It was devastating,” she said. She added that the July unrest had also been a tough time, and the losses that had occurred due to cancelled bookings could not be regained. She said business had since picked up and they had received bookings but they were hoping for more. “We are standing strong and have done quite well all things considered, but we are not yet up to our normal December bookings.” She said the uncertainty around the Covid-19 fourth…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za A MAN, who was mistaken for a robber and arrested in hospital where he was being treated for an injury to his arm, told the court of his humiliation after he was cuffed to the bed for three weeks. The high court in Joburg questioned the conduct of the police, who kept watch outside the hospital room of Simon Sipho Sibeko, 63, all that time. After he was discharged, he spent two days in a cell, before the SAPS nabbed the real culprit. Once they had the right person, they simply told him to go home, without an explanation or apology. Sibeko claimed R1 million in damages from the SAPS, which offered to pay him R80 000 as compensation. However, the court ordered that he…

Mercury Correspondent THE bulk of the workforce on the front line against the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa remain unprotected with only 27% of health workers fully vaccinated, says the World Health Organization (WHO). “The majority of Africa’s health workers are still missing out on vaccines and remain dangerously exposed to severe Covid-19 infection. Unless our doctors, nurses and other front-line workers get full protection, we risk a blowback in the efforts to curb this disease. We must ensure our health facilities are safe working environments,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said. Since March, 1.3 million health workers have been fully vaccinated, according to the analysis of data reported from 25 countries, with just six countries vaccinating more than 90% of them, while nine countries have fully…

THE international rugby season ends at Twickenham tomorrow when a World Barbarians team featuring a handful of Springboks does battle with Samoa. It is the last action of this most abnormal of years for our Springbok players, and when they are all comfortably at home and have their feet up for the festive season, they can happily reflect on a job well done. The Springboks are, after all, the No 1 team in the World Rugby rankings, just as they were at the beginning of this troubled season. But they have had to fight incredibly hard to preserve their top ranking and, in fact, lost it to New Zealand for a few weeks before reclaiming it. A number of critics were convinced that the Boks would flounder in 2021 because…

GENEVA: The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe has expressed grave concerns about an increase in the incidence of the Covid-19 disease in the region, a representative said. “We are very concerned naturally. No country can afford to be complacent and several countries in the European Region are experiencing a surge in cases, hospitalisation and deaths due to Covid-19. As a result, many health-care systems are really starting to strain,” the office said. The European authorities are trying to contain the spread of Covid-19 by reimposing mandatory restrictions.…

A 14-year-old indigenous girl was detained by Mexican police after fleeing her community to avoid a forced marriage, human rights defenders said. The girl, identified as Anayeli “N”, escaped her poverty-stricken community in Joya Real to avoid being sold and married to a 16-year-old boy in exchange for around $10 000 (roughly R159 000) that would have been paid to her family. She was detained in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero for 14 hours after being captured on Monday night, said Abel Barrera Hernandez, director of the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center. “Anayeli was detained by the community police for resisting forced marriage at the request of the family of the boy” who she was to marry, the center said. Marriage between minors was legally banned in Mexico in 2019,…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AMAZULU coach Benni McCarthy has called on his club to add more players to their roster soon to prevent the team from “becoming another Swallows” who drew several games last season. This came following his team’s 1-1 draw with Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday. “We have to keep working and hopefully the club decides that the team can do with a bit of a reshuffle because we need new faces in the team. At this rate, we will keep having these performances in these kinds of games. We will keep picking up one point and become the new Swallows,” said McCarthy. Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter admitted that his team was lucky to have claimed a point against Usuthu given their disjointed performance.…

WORLD Rugby ain’t the most popular organisation in South Africa, but perceived biases against the Springboks and sanctioning of one of South Africa’s most beloved citizens aside, what they decided this week deserves kudos. The game’s gatekeepers ratified their new international eligibility rules, making it easier for players to switch which nation they represent at Test level. This won’t have a tangible or immediate impact on the Springboks, but for the Pacific rugby nations, it is a game-changer. Under the new regulations, passed by the required 75% and applicable from January 1 next year, players can transfer from one national team to another, provided their parents or grandparents were born in the country they intend to switch allegiance to; and they have been stood down from Test rugby for 36…

Palesa Phili AFTER the July unrest most businesses remain with the enormous pressure of staying afloat while others are left with no other option but to permanently close their doors, with very little hope of opening for trade again. The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC remains committed to rebuilding, reconnecting and reconciling businesses. As part of a drive towards the rebuild, we partnered with several businesses across all the business sectors, to roll-out relief initiatives and we are fortunate that through our network we have been able to deliver on these initiatives. The unrest spread and several areas in Verulam, Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, Mayville, Montclair, Mariannhill and Shongweni were damaged. We were able to assist businesses across economic sectors, from farmers, SMMEs formal and informal, tuckshop owners,…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Radio and television presenter Anele Mdoda opened up about an incident involving a former boyfriend who used to tell her to “get the f**k out” of his house, each time they had a disagreement. The multi-award-winning radio host says this was triggered by the video of a man chasing a woman out of his luxury German van. In the video that went viral, the man is seen entering the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, where the two women were seated and he demanded one of them leave his car. “Leave my f**ken car,” he yelled. “Do you get money like that from guys…?” asked the man. During the altercation, the woman is heard apologising for her behaviour. The video clip caught the attention of many social media users, including Mdoda,…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za EThekwini Municipality’s new deputy mayor Philani Mavundla has promised to remain accessible and transparent, as he believes that aloof leadership has no place in public office. Speaking to The Mercury a day after being elected as second-in-command in the province’s biggest municipality, the Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) leader also lifted the veil around the developments over the past days that culminated in him becoming the city’s deputy mayor on Wednesday. Mavundla was once the ANC chairperson in the Inkosi Bhambatha region which, aside from Greytown, incorporates areas including Nkandla, the homestead of former president Jacob Zuma. When he was the regional chairperson he openly expressed his support for the former president and even after leaving the ruling party, the property tycoon is known to have been…

Award-winning waste converters are helping farmers in Ivory Coast turn mountains of agricultural by-products into compost for their fields or gas for their cooking stoves. The small green “KubeKo” box was dreamt up by chemical engineer Noel N’guessan to make use of the 30 million tons of waste generated by crop production in the country each year and other biowaste like animal dung. Farmers like palm oil producer Michel Ahouri simply throw in organic matter and wait four weeks. One box can create 150kg of compost a month. “It’s natural, it’s organic, it’s appropriate for our soil, for our fields – we will triple our production,” Ahouri said, after scattering the compost at the roots of his rustling palms. In July, the invention netted N’guessan an innovation award worth $33…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof For ALMOST three decades, the ANC has been the dominant party in South Africa. Such a stranglehold it had on the country that no other party stood any chance against it on the political scene. But now, bloated and corrupt, the political giant is moving like a sloth and can hardly keep its grip on the electorate. Tired of its empty promises, its once loyal supporters have had enough and have abandoned the party in droves. They have fled not so much to the opposition but to the many smaller, promising parties which have bitten off sizeable chunks from both the ANC and the official opposition. The results speak for themselves. For the first time since the ANC came into power almost three decades…

MUHAMMAD OMAR | Durban North It clearly seems there is strong sentiment against the current mayor and his appointments. So much so that even the IFP had the common sense to walk away from a coalition that was to be implemented over the entire province. The desperation sunk to a new level when the first election was cancelled and a deputy mayor post was traded. Watching the deputy mayor change his stories will be a lesson for all political students. In fact, whenever he speaks, ask him is this the Monday or Wednesday speech? As for the opposition alliance, it was 104 against 113, and in “election maths” this means you needed 5 from the 113 to change the equation to 108 and the alliance to 109. You…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za THE Cabinet has approved a report that would allow independent candidates to contest national and provincial elections. This comes after the Constitutional Court ruled last year that independent candidates can contest national and provincial elections to be members of Parliament (MPs) and members of provincial legislatures (MPLs), and not be restricted to local government level. This was after the New Nation Movement, with three other applicants, took the matter to court. The argument it had advanced was that the Electoral Act is unconstitutional for unjustifiably limiting the right to stand for public office and, if elected, to hold office, as conferred by section 19(3)(b) of the Constitution. The applicants were unsuccessful in the Western Cape High Court but succeeded on appeal before the Constitutional Court. The apex…

Nomonde Zondi Nomonde.Zondi@inl.co.za KwaZulu-Natal tour operators are trying to recover after a dismal 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, which brought the tourism industry to a standstill. Xolani Shandu, the chief executive of African Wild Travel, which provides wholesale tour group and individual packages for local and international tourists, said he was hoping for a good festive season for his business, as people were now travelling again. “We had to do a lot of refunds last year because the country was on lockdown level 3. Another challenge we are facing is that some people are reluctant to travel because of the looming fourth wave,” he said. He added that the pandemic had affected his business badly, but he is positive that it will recover. Mgcinokuhle Dube of…

Samkelo Mtshali samkelo.thulasizwe@inl.co.za An advocate from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday told the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) inquiry into the July unrest that establishing the source of the unrest was a complex matter. The hearings are probing the civil unrest that engulfed KZN and Gauteng in July, leading to the looting and burning of numerous shopping centres and other businesses and the deaths of about 342 people. Giving evidence at the hearings yesterday, senior State advocate Kwena Mashamaite said the NPA was looking at whether there were instigators, organisers or sponsors of the unrest. “We want to see what led these people to loot, does it come from somewhere, was there a structure, was there a syndicate, was there a group of people, were there…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za MINISTER of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu said yesterday that the recent statistics on rape were alarming. She said that according to the crime statistics released last week, South Africa had more than 9 000 cases of rape between July and September this year, and the majority were committed by people known to the victim. Zulu was speaking at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. The launch was hosted by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala who said that this year’s campaign was the year of Charlotte Maxeke, and signalled 365 days of activism of No Violence Against Women and Children. Zulu said that women and children needed to feel safe…

THE stories of women who migrate, detailing how they endure multiple forms of intersecting violence, have been brought closer to the public thanks to a new platform launched ahead of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV). Women and Migration is a collaborative project about the journeys migrant women take, and what happens once they reach their destination. Professor Floretta Boonzaier of UCT’s Department of Psychology and co-director of the Hub for Decolonial Feminist Psychologies in Africa formed part of the research team. This project was funded by the Worldwide Universities Network Research Development Fund. Boonzaier and the international team of researchers collected testimonies from more than 100 women worldwide to shed light on how gender affects migration, and to highlight the resilience of those who seek a…

Earlier this year during a discussion with alumni of the American-funded Young African Leaders Initiative programme, US secretary of state Antony Blinken inferred a “Chinese debt trap”. This was undoubtedly a ploy to discredit and cast doubt on the many loans and investments that China is currently undertaking on the African continent. The above statement does not take into consideration that, if we break down African countries’ foreign debt, multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors hold more than three-quarters of the total debt. This was just one example of the kind of disingenuous and inept attempts by the US to create conditions that are not favourable for effective co-operation and investment in Africa. One such platform that will enable co-operation, meaningful dialogue and accelerated investment in Africa is the Forum…

Thessaloniki (Greece): Police in Greece were yesterday disposing of a large haul of industrial explosives found this week at one of the country’s top hotels, a police source said. An estimated 300kg of ammonite and powergel, often used in excavation and blasting, were found on Monday in a storage area on the grounds of the five-star Porto Carras hotel in the northern peninsula of Halkidiki, the source said. Removal was deemed a risk, and controlled explosions will be carried out over the next three days. Police are investigating whether the explosives were left behind by a former owner, who also runs a construction company.…

stanbul: Interpol yesterday elected an Emirati general accused of torture as its new president, despite the concerns of human rights organisations who fear the agency will be at risk of exploitation by repressive regimes. The appointment follows generous funding by the United Arab Emirates for the Lyon, France-based body and accusations that Abu Dhabi has abused Interpol’s system of so-called “red notices” for wanted suspects to persecute political dissidents. Emirati General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi was elected following three rounds of voting during which he received 68.9% of votes cast by member countries, Interpol said. After his election, Raisi tweeted he would “build a more transparent, diverse, and decisive organization that works to ensure safety for all”. However, Raisi did not address the accusations, but said the “UAE has become…

Nomonde Zondi Nomonde.Zondi@inl.co.za PIETERMARITZBURG shoppers can rest assured that the Greater Edendale mall will be rebuilt, the property developer has revealed. The mall was one of the properties that was hit hard during the July unrest as it was set on by looters and burnt. Speaking to The Mercury, chief executive of Exemplar, Jason McCormick revealed that the fire had caused extensive damage which meant that the structure has to be demolished. “The structure is compromised, so 80-90% of the mall would have to be demolished” he said. McCormick said the rebuilding of the mall would take time because of the process with claiming from insurance. “We are going to be rebuilding, unfortunately, the process with the insurance is taking a bit longer because the damage was substantial. It’s very…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za AN IFP leader in eThekwini has alleged that individuals close to the ANC had made several attempts to bribe him to vote with the ANC in this week’s crunch council meeting that decided the leadership of the municipality. Long-serving IFP leader at council Mdu Nkosi said that two individuals, one a councillor and another a former city manager, had made financial and other inducements to get the IFP to vote with the ANC. The ANC scraped through to victory and held on to the KwaZulu-Natal’s only metro, which was on the verge of being snatched by the opposition, by striking a deal with smaller opposition parties. The ANC decided to give up the deputy mayoral position to Abantu Batho Congress leader Philani Mavundla. The former…

IF YOU are a reasonably wise, loving person, you are constantly multitasking. For the most part, you are unaware of it. It’s beneath your surface. It’s part of the package of being human, it is part of being fearfully and wonderfully made. You are keeping your head. This means you are trying to establish context, trying to apply rational thinking in order to offer yourself and others a foundation to what’s going on within you, around you, and among you when you are with others. You are trying to hold on to your heart. This means you are discerning what is wise to pursue and what to let be, what to embrace, and what to dismiss. You are measuring your words, managing your voice. You are careful to neither over-…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff IN ANALYSING the international reaction to Covid-19 and the imposition of what is falsely called the vaccine, The Mercury’s editorial of Monday concluded that a balanced approach to the situation was the best way forward. While there may be some merit in that, unless the truth about this contrived crisis is exposed, it is going to prevail indefinitely. First of all, it needs to be accepted, as the Norwegian government stated on September 25, that Covid-19 is a “seasonal respiratory infection”, like flu. In that medical science has never been able to eradicate the flu, The Mercury should not hold its breath in the hope that Covid will be eradicated. Covid-19 is no more a pandemic than the various strains of flu that…

JUSTIN MOODLEY | Phoenix the elections of mayors, deputy mayors and speakers in the various metros and municipalities are complete. These elections were not without any drama and chaos. That was expected. But the biggest wake-up call was for the ANC, who lost control of four of the six major metros. What a shocker! The DA now controls the Western Cape, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. They installed their mayors and deputy mayors. The ANC won Nelson Mandela Bay by a solitary vote last week and controls this metro. For how long? On Wednesday, they won the eThekwini metro in KZN by the narrowest margin, beating the DA. Thanks to minority parties with a few seats who banded together to rescue ANC. Again, for how long? The DA’s success…

​Scientists have warned of a new Covid-19 variant that carries an “extremely high number” of mutations as the country’s fourth wave approaches. The new variant B.1.1.529 may drive further waves of disease by evading the body’s defences. So far at least 10 cases have been identified in three countries and have raised concern among some researchers because a number of the mutations may help the virus evade immunity. The variant was first found in Botswana, where three cases have now been sequenced. Six more have been confirmed in South Africa, and one in Hong Kong in a traveller returning from South Africa. Dr Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, posted details of the new variant on a genome-sharing website, noting that the “incredibly high amount of spike mutations…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za Durban and Richards Bay are among the ports that are set to receive cruise vessels during the upcoming 2021/22 cruise season. Ayanda Mantshongo, Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) executive manager of corporate affairs and external relations, said the port cities of Durban and Richards Bay, Cape Town, Mossel Bay and Gqeberha are scheduled to receive 20 passenger vessels this cruise season, which will begin in November and will end in May 2022. Mantshongo said the first vessels are expected to dock at the Port of Cape Town at the end of the month, while other cities will welcome their first vessels during December. Captain Sabelo Mdlalose, acting chief harbour master at TNPA, encouraged visitors to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines, including social distancing and mask-wearing,…

The Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF2021), which took place at the Durban International Convention Centre last week, attracted 11 828 people from across Africa. The fair had 1 161 exhibitors, with $36 billion (about R571bn ) of trade and investment deals estimated to have been signed and sealed at the event, the IATF said. Lindiwe Rakharebe, CEO of the Durban ICC, said the convention centre lived up to expectations to successfully stage a crucial event after being almost mothballed since the Covid-19 pandemic grounded world global travel and the Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry. Rakharebe said IATF was initially due to be held in Kigali, Rwanda. It was moved to Durban after formal consultations. | Mercury Reporter…

Zama Ngcoya Zama.Ngcoya@inl.co.za The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has called on citizens to visit their nearest blood donor centres to donate blood as their stocks are extremely low. The organisation said it only has 2.9 days of blood stocks available. Khensani Mahlangu, communications officer for the SANBS, said safe blood is critical, both for treatments and for urgent interventions. “It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. Blood is also vital for treating the injured during emergencies of all kinds (natural disasters, accidents, armed conflicts and more), and has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and neonatal care,” said Mahlangu. According to the SANBS, eight out of 10 people will need a blood transfusion at one point in their…

Robin-Lee Francke robin.francke@inl.co.za Police are urging the public to be vigilant and to verify all information when it comes to purchasing vehicles advertised on social media. Western Cape provincial police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said this warning comes after an analysis of registered criminal cases has revealed a new trend of fraud targeting prospective buyers of used vehicles. Traut said the buyers were usually looking for vehicles in the cheaper price range and had responded to adverts on social media platforms. He said the trend had revealed that criminals advertised vehicles at “bargain prices” on various social media platforms to lure their victims. Once a prospective buyer shows interest and makes contact with the seller, the victim is made to believe there has been huge interest in the vehicle…

THE rise in the level of poverty among the most vulnerable members of society calls for a renewed approach to poverty eradication. Throughout history, banking institutions have played a critical role by providing finance to individuals, governments and private organisations. However, poor and unemployed people have traditionally not been catered for. This means that a lack of access to financial opportunities perpetuates the cycle of poverty among the most vulnerable in society. My argument is that poor and unemployed people can also own banks. When I was growing up in the then Zaire, I witnessed a complete absence of government in all sectors of development. Communities were left with no option but to fend for themselves. They organised themselves and were able to build their own clinics, and water and…

NEW DELHI: Schools and colleges in India’s capital will reopen on Monday after closing for nearly 15 days due to a spike in air pollution, the government said, even though air quality remains very poor in New Delhi and its neighbouring cities. Pollution levels dropped marginally earlier this week, but the Air Quality Index (AQI) yesterday touched 393 on a scale of 500, indicating risks of respiratory illness from prolonged exposure. Government offices would also open from next week but state employees should use public transport and government-run feeder buses. India’s Supreme Court has rapped authorities for their inability to cut pollution.…

The bodies were barely out of the water after the most deadly day ever for migrants crossing the English Channel before accusations began to fly over who was to blame for the tragedy. British prime minister Boris Johnson, who is desperate to see an end to migrant boats crossing from France, pointed the finger at Paris after a dinghy sank off the port of Calais on Wednesday, claiming 27 lives. “We’ve had difficulties persuading some of our partners, particularly the French, to do things in a way that we think the situation deserves,” Johnson told reporters. His criticism triggered a sharp rebuke from President Emmanuel Macron, who urged Johnson during a call on Wednesday evening “to refrain from exploiting a tragic situation for political ends”, according to a statement…

THE offshore fishing is on fire, the rock and surf fishing is hot and the freshwater scene is cooking. The offshore fishing has been kind to most of the recreational and charter anglers off Durban. As we enter the end of the year, the fishing keeps producing festive surprises. The North Coast has been the place to go if you are looking for more consistent bites and action. Unfortunately the sharks have been wild at most of the North Coast hot spots. Umdloti has been particularly bad with taxmen making getting a decent fish out a bit of a difficult task. This being said, the bite has been there and it is worth the risk for the prize. Live bait has been king and you should try your best to…