Table of contents for 2023-08-07 in Star

At the same time rating agency Fitch downgrades the US’s rating, citing fiscal deterioration FINANCIAL markets in South Africa came under serious pressure as the rand fell over the last week after a risk-off sentiment engulfed developed markets on the back of weakening demand in China, while the US economy added fewer jobs than expected in July. The rand moderated at R18.47 against the US dollar on Friday as China’s continued disappointing economic data was reverberating against emerging markets’ currencies. The markets have also been concerned about recession, particularly in the US, but expectations are increasingly changing, including those of the Federal Reserve, as fears are being cast aside, with a soft landing being seen as more likely. In addition, rating agency Fitch downgraded the US’s rating from AAA to…

Targeted Spatial Agricultural development in South Africa: operationalising the Agriculture and Agroprocessing Master Plan and capitalising on the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. South Africa is a land characterised by a dichotomous and dualistic economy in which the contrast cannot be more striking than in the agricultural sector. The South African agriculture sector can be characterised as highly sophisticated and developed commercially, but dominated by a few large-scale farmers supplying the bulk of marketed food and agricultural products juxtaposed with a plethora of small-scale, emerging, often resource-poor and disjointed farmers. This is a structural configuration owing to policies of the past that continues to manifest itself even 30 years after the advent of the democratic dispensation and despite carefully crafted policies and programmes to redress the injustices of the past.…

Katleho “Kat” Sinivasan says playing Zola on the House of Zwide is forcing him to push boundaries and explore new aspects of his craft. Zola made his debut on the soapie House of Zwide on July 31. Prior to this, he made a brief appearance at Nkosi Zwide’s wedding. But his character hogged the spotlight when he appeared as a knight in shining armour for Zanele (Londeka Mchunu), who was going through a difficult time after discovering that her family had kept another big secret from her. Zola is portrayed as handsome, talented, and fiercely creative, but he also has a darker side to his personality, displaying controlling and narcissistic traits. Sinivasan says he had initially been called to audition for another role during the Covid-19 pandemic but didn’t feel…

Mbalula, Kodwa and Dyantyi also fingered in protected document on ‘special operation’ PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa have remained mum on allegations of running a secret plot against former ANC president Jacob Zuma and secretary general Ace Magashule in 2019. The alleged plot of a “special operation on former state president Jacob Zuma and former ANC SG Ace Magashule” by Ramaphosa has been met with criticism by opposition political parties. This comes after a Sunday paper revealed that Ramaphosa, using Kodwa and Mbalula, allegedly ran a covert operation to monitor Zuma and Magashule. Responding to the article via social media, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said he was not surprised by the revelations. “These hired guns have…

At least 80 crime-prevention wardens stationed at Moroka police station in Soweto are up in arms over the alleged use of a state vehicle by the girlfriend of one of the Department of Community Safety’s top officials at the station. A group of newly-recruited crime-prevention wardens told The Star that the said official allowed his girlfriend, who is also a newly-recruited warden, to do as she pleased with the BMW vehicle while official duties were put on the back burner. The wardens who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they feared losing their jobs, which is why they had not been able to report the matter to provincial leaders. “We write this email because we have no choice and no one to turn to for help. We have tried to…

Vuyani Khetshane, 34, has been sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment after being convicted of three separate counts of rape. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the court sentenced Khetshane to a further five years for kidnapping, but ordered it to run concurrently with one life sentence. He was arrested on June 9, last year, after he was linked to the rapes. An NPA statement read that on January 3, 2016, the 19-year-old victim had gone to her classmate’s homestead in Jambeni A Section in Lusikisiki. When the classmate was walking her back, they met Khetshane, who offered to accompany the victim. The victim did not know him, but her classmate did. When they reached the victim’s home, Khetshane raped her in her room until the next morning. On…

Oh dear, the Democrats and CNN have gone into panic mode, and Prozac sales are on the increase. They are now really scratching the bottom of the barrel. Donald Trump has been issued with his third indictment while his security manager and an aide have also been indicted. Soon his chef, chauffeur, chief gardener and pool supervisor, I’m sure, will also be indicted. They’re clutching at straws as they know that there is every possibility that Trump will win next year’s election. His popularity rating is 54% with his next Republican opponent, Ron DeSantis, at only 17%. His campaign rallies have attracted thousands of supporters. Instead of these indictments, criminal charges, special counsels, FBI investigations and hearings putting a damper on Trump’s campaigns, they have actually helped to increase his…

Last year, the so-called zama-zamas (dominated by Lesotho nationals) raped five women filming a movie in West Village, near Krugersdorp. They were apprehended and later released. Whatever happened to justice? Kagiso residents took to the street, demonstrating against the crimes committed by zama-zamas in their area. Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, and his crew visited Kagiso. In a packed stadium, Cele promised to stop the zama-zama activities. Did he? In other areas, Gauteng in particular, there are also serious complaints about zama-zamas. The complaints are about gunshots, murders and crime overall. Police are doing nothing to stop the nonsense. Last week, residents in Riverlea, near Johannesburg, protested against zama-zamas. They live in fear because of the gunshots near their area and other criminal activities committed by zama-zamas. Cele visited…

THE SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched an investigation into the alleged racial conduct of a teacher at Crawford College International, Pretoria. The intervention comes after the release of a video of a substitute Grade 8 English teacher writing racist terms on a whiteboard during a lesson. In the video, learners can be heard complaining about the conduct of the teacher, which prompted the Chapter 9 institution to schedule a meeting with the school last week. A joint media statement by the two parties involved states that the commission was advised that the teacher was a substitute who had been given a temporary role the previous week, but was immediately fired following the release of the video. The statement added: “The school immediately condemned the teacher’s conduct and offered…

AS THE Senzo Meyiwa murder trial is expected to reveal further shocking revelations in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, this week with a new State witness, public discourse continues to push for singer Kelly Khumalo and her sister, Zandi, to tell the truth. Things took a sharp turn after a number of contradictions, starting with the testimony of the State’s third witness, Nthabiseng Mokete. She told the court that Zandi rushed to her car, screaming for help and urging them to call an ambulance as Meyiwa had been shot. The defence counsels for the five men on trial highlighted that this contradicted Zandi’s version that she had gone to seek help from her mother’s best friend, Maggie Phiri, not Mokete, as they were not close. The fourth witness, Colonel Lambertus…

Upon savouring my morning coffee and reading online tabloids, I stumbled upon an interesting commentary from Bloomberg. The central argument raised during this commentary regarded the alarmingly high youth unemployment rate in China. The findings showed that China’s youth unemployment rate stood at a staggering 20.8% and this woeful statistic was worse than the national average, which stood at 5.2%. I began to ponder and investigate how South Africa and other African countries compared. The worrying statistic led to further pondering regarding how artificial intelligence may affect our escalating youth unemployment rates. From a study by Trading Economics, which included Rwanda, Cape Verde, Morocco, Namibia, Angola, Nigeria, and South Africa, the only countries that saw a decline in their youth unemployment rate were Rwanda and Angola. South Africa was the…

Former Republican Vice-President Mike Pence yesterday did not rule out being a prosecution witness if his ex-boss Donald Trump goes to trial on charges of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to try to reverse his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Asked on Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan if he would be a witness against Trump if the case goes to trial, Pence said he had “no plans” to testify, but did not rule it out. “But people can be confident we’ll obey the law, we’ll respond to the call of law, if it comes, and we’ll just tell the truth,” said Pence, who is running against Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest. Pence became a central figure in Trump’s latest criminal charges on August…

ROME: About 30 migrants are missing after a shipwreck south of the Italian island of Lampedusa, while 59 passengers have been rescued, Italian media reported yesterday. On Saturday, the Italian coast guard assisted two migrant boats, which had left the Tunisian port of Sfax a few days earlier, Italian broadcaster Rainews24 reported. The first boat had 48 people on board, 45 of whom were rescued by Italian ships. Only 14 of the 42 passengers on the second boat survived, the migrants said.As of late June, more than 1 895 migrants had died trying to cross the Mediterranean, the Open Arms NGO said. | Sputnik…

Banyana Banyana vice-captain Thembi Kgatlana believes their performance at the Women’s World Cup might be a game changer for women’s football in South Africa. The 27-year-old striker expressed that their performance would go a long way in providing the necessary groundwork for South Africa’s bid to host the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup. “It’s going to be great, especially because South Africa is bidding to host the 2027 World Cup, and our performance will work towards showing the continent and the rest of the world that we have made huge strides,” Kgatlana said yesterday. Banyana suffered a heart-breaking 2-0 defeat at the hands of 2019 finalists the Netherlands at the Sydney Football Stadium yesterday in their first Round of 16 match at a World Cup. The African champions made history…

A dejected Proteas vice-captain Karla Pretorius said the team were left disappointed after their loss to Uganda in the fifth-place play-off at the World Cup in Cape Town yesterday. The home team suffered a narrow 49-46 defeat to ‘She Cranes’, who are now the top-ranked team in Africa. The Proteas will move down a spot to sixth after the defeat, something the team was hoping to avoid ahead of the game. It was the second time the two sides came up against each at the World Cup The first meeting saw the Proteas seal a narrow win but yesterday’s match didn’t go their way. A visibly disheartened Pretorius said the defeat is a hard one to accept. “We are very disappointed with our result,” she said. “It comes back to…

When Bulls coach Jake White first unearthed Canan Moodie last year, he said he had rarely seen such a rich talent. At the weekend, we saw Moodie showing strong signs of living up to that billing when he sparkled for the Springboks in their 24-13 defeat of Argentina in Buenos Aries. Moodie did have some impressive cameos for the Boks last year and his effortless, balanced running reminded me of the great American sprinter Carl Lewis, who had the same supple, long limbs. If the 20-year-old had been a toss-up for the World Cup, the coin has landed on “heads”, as in head to France. There is a feeling that one of the wing berths could be a straight shoot-out between Moodie and veteran Makazole Mapimpi, but I wonder if…

Sweden beat the USA 5-4 on penalties to condemn the defending champions to their earliest Women’s World Cup exit yesterday after the teams were locked at 0-0 at the end of extra-time. Lina Hurtig struck the winning spot-kick at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to cap a madcap shoot-out in the Round of 16 clash, although US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher parried the ball on the line and the result needed to be confirmed by VAR. Sweden head into a quarter-final against Japan in Auckland on Friday, but it was the first exit before the semi-finals in nine World Cups for the US, who were bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive title. Gloomy US coach Vlatko Andonovski was not convinced Hurtig’s spot-kick had crossed the line “It’s a tough moment, a moment where…

ELECTRICITY Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa will be intervening to resuscitate “Eskom’s worst-performing power station”, which has contributed to the Energy Action Plan only achieving 56% of its targets a year after it was implemented. Ramokgopa said yesterday that he would be going to the Tutuka power station in Mpumalanga later this month to get an update on how soon it could return to service the generating units that were contributing to the current electricity capacity constraints. Tutuka has an installed capacity of 3 654MW comprising six units capable of producing 609MW each, but it is one of Eskom’s worst-performing power stations with an average output of 1 170MW. At the end of last year, Eskom announced its plans to decommission and repurpose three of its coal-fired power plants,…

A question of interpretation determines what is reputation risk and irreparable harm. The aftershocks from a recent decision by the Competition Appeal Court (CAC) allowing Standard Bank and two others to close their Sekunjalo Group’s (Sekunjalo) bank accounts continues to reverberate across the media, with even the judiciary divided on what it considers reputation risk and irreparable harm. The July 17 ruling was handed down in the appeal brought by the three banks to dispute the earlier decision of the Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) that granted the various Sekunjalo Group companies interim relief against the closure of their accounts. Sekunjalo brought the case to the Competition Tribunal, contending that nine of South Africa’s so-called “big” banks collectively, and in concert, have been terminating or attempting to terminate their facilities. The…

Private school Curro is in the news again; this time an executive of Curro Protea Glen, Soweto, allegedly called a black teacher a “monkey”. On Twitter, users have shared pictures of Shanette Tiquin, who is accused of calling teacher Nonkululeko Gwatyu a “monkey”. According to a Sunday paper, Gwatyu, 29, alleged that Tiquin called her a monkey on the school premises in June. She has lodged a formal complaint with Curro human resources head Beverley Bennett. Those close to the executive and Gwatyu are calling for Tiquin to be fired with immediate effect. According to reports, Gwatyu claimed that Tiquin summoned her to her office to discuss her outstanding leave application, and in the middle of the discussion, she allegedly uttered the derogatory phrase. Curro Executive School Operations, Fergus Sampson,…

GROWING inequalities in South Africa are easily described as a ticking time bomb, a disaster waiting to happen. We have seen awful pictures of violence between a small group of white people and EFF members outside their premises. The pictures are terrifying black and white communities. It would not help to pick a side. Instead, I would like to address the cause of the tension and attempt to offer solutions. The wealth gap between white and black people is giving birth to the social, political and economic quagmire. The inequalities continue to worsen the poor livelihoods of black people. This is not completely white people’s fault as the ANC failed dismally to develop efficient affirmative action policies that would work not only for those with political might and connections. It…

I was informed that certain SoEs (state-owned enterprises) are conducting skills and lifestyle audits on their staff members and even the State Security Agency is involved in this verification process. I can imagine if all Eskom staff including the senior management were subjected to skills and lifestyle audit, then probably three quarters of their workforce would be compromised. I also hate to imagine if other SoEs like SAA, Transnet, Telkom staff were also subjected to this kind of interrogation, probably 90% of the staff at these SoEs would be dismissed and criminally prosecuted. It must also be noted, if someone sees a crime/fraud/corruption being committed in the workplace and is not reported by the person that is observing this criminal act, the person is just as guilty. To go further,…

A case about two brothers and an inheritance has ended up in the Western Cape High Court, with one brother disinherited by his father asking that the will be declared not executable so that he could inherit from the estate in terms of the rules of intestate succession. The first respondent is the brother who stands to inherit under the will. He lodged a counter application to have the will accepted by the Master of the High Court even though it does not comply with all the formalities as prescribed in law. Prior to May 2020, the deceased had a joint will that he and his late wife had drawn up in 1996. Under the old joint will, their sons – the applicant and the first respondent – were both…

Popular exotic dancer and performer Zodwa Wabantu has been a hot topic since she was denied entry to Lesotho owing to her half-naked performances. The decision came after an outcry from spiritual leaders who said her indecent performances violated their Christian values. This has also sparked debate about values, with many hailing the country for not compromising its values. ATM Leader Vuyo Zungula is among those who commented on the statement shared by the country’s Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Lebona Lephema, on social media. “If Lesotho can deny Zodwa entering Lesotho citing Christian values, why is SA allowing illegal miners from Lesotho to enter SA and rape, kill and cause destruction to our infrastructure?” said Zungula. Social media agreed but said that South Africa had…

It speaks volumes that when South Africa’s brave football warriors, Banyana Banyana, bowed out of the global showpiece yesterday, world governing body Fifa saluted them with a social media post that read: “The team that captured everyone’s hearts.” Following three Group G matches at the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 South Africa’s national women’s team shocked friend and foe alike to reach the last round of 16. In all three matches, the team punched above their weight against teams who slot in far higher on the world rankings ladder. Banyana reaching the last round of 16 was furthest from everyone’s minds when Italy equalised against the South Africans late in their final Group G match. The 2-all stalemate at that stage was enough to condemn Banyana Banyana to the Women’s…

ISLAMABAD: At least nine people were killed and more than 50 others injured yesterday after a passenger train derailed in the Sanghar district of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, police said. The accident took place when 10 coaches of the Hazara Express train derailed after it left the Sarhari Railway Station in the Shahdadpur area of the district. Police and rescuers rushed to the site, and rescued injured passengers stuck in the derailed coaches. The death toll might rise as many of the injured are in critical condition. An eyewitness said the coaches derailed after the engine of the train was disconnected from them. | Xinhua…

Murshidabad (India): The Border Security Office (BSF) caught a smuggler carrying 15 gold biscuits, weighing 1831.95 grams, from Bangladesh to India. According to the information, Jawans received information from the intelligence department of BSF that gold smuggling is going to happen from their area. The jawans stopped him at the BSF entry/exit gate and interrogated him about gold smuggling. During interrogation, he panicked and confessed to hiding the gold in the lower part of his motorcycle (cavity near the chain cover). (ANI)…

Kaizer Chiefs kicked off their 2023/24 Premiership season with a frustrating goalless draw with Chippa United at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban yesterday. New Amakhosi coach Molefi Ntseki began his tenure with an underwhelming performance, littered with disconnect and a lack of creativity. Former Bafana Bafana coach Ntseki fielded a Chiefs team with the intention of imposing themselves. Four new players made the cut as Given Msimango and Thatayaone Ditlokwe lined up at centre-back with Edson Castillo protecting them, while Ranga Chivaviro led the line up front. The opening exchanges saw the visitors attempt to slow down the tempo by retaining possession and biding their time in their build-ups. In response, the hosts attempted various high-pressing manoeuvres and almost reaped the rewards in the 22nd minute when Nkosingiphile latched onto…

Stellenbosch FC’s ability to remain compact in deep defensive positions provided them with the platform to run out deserved 1-0 winners against Orlando Pirates at the Danie Craven Stadium in the Winelands on Saturday evening. Pirates coach José Riveiro admitted that Stellenbosch had thwarted his team’s ability to exploit limited space between the opposition’s midfield and defence. Also, Pirates playmaker Monnapule Saleng was badly off form. He was unlucky after his scoring effort was denied by the woodwork. Equally off-colour was striker Zakhele Lepasa, who promised so much after sterling performances for Bafana Bafana. He was the lone marksman in the team’s 4-2-3-1 formation. For most of the way, the Stellenbosch defence, well marshalled by Ivorian newcomer Ismaël Touré, absorbed the pressure which Pirates exerted with 69% of the possession.…

After yesterday’s gunfight in Matholeville, close to Riverlea, between law enforcement officers and zama-zamas, law enforcement officers said they intended to continue the raids on zama-zama strongholds. A variety of mining gear was confiscated, including milling machines, generators, gas cylinders, phendukas, and more. The informal settlement is thought to be home to a number of zama-zamas. In a co-ordinated operation, the JMPD Specialised Unit and SAPS carried out a raid to drive out zama-zamas, who are terrorising the surrounding communities. In addition to finding what was thought to be the zama-zamas’ operational headquarters, the authorities also found five large-calibre weapons, explosives and other mining machinery. The City of Joburg’s MMC for public safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, was part of the operation, which started on Saturday. “A gang of zama-zamas operating…

ON THE backdrop of weeks of student unrest over the challenges with the direct payment implemented this year by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), the executive management and board will provide an update on the current state of affairs. On Saturday, the scheme announced that the executive management, led by board chairperson Ernest Khosa, would today update the public on the current state of affairs at NSFAS. According to a statement, NSFAS had completed funding decisions for applications received for the 2023 academic year and would provide the progress of disbursed allowances to students whose funding had been confirmed through the new direct payment system. The update comes after student protests erupted at a number of institutions in March over the R45 000 cap for student accommodation, which…

IN THE space of 12 months, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says his department has achieved a 56% aggregate in successfully implementing the president’s Energy Action Plan (EAP) and reducing the energy crisis. Ramokgopa, in delivering his weekly update on the action plan in Hatfield, said although his team would have liked to have achieved 100%, they were still happy that they had achieved about 56% of the work, which was either completed or on track. According to the minister, of the 50 earmarked actions, eight had been completed, with 12 being delayed but still progressing well and 20 being on track. He said eight of the actions had been categorised as off-track, with interventions needed, with two actions that had not yet begun. However, this was partly due to determining…

Some analogy of some sort can be made between Jacob Zuma and Donald Trump regarding the current tribulations they face. Zuma is facing the real possibility of going back to prison and Trump has similarly been indicted to answer criminal charges. On both sides of the divide the conundrum is: how do you deal with a past president? Do they deserve to go to jail? Those who say yes point out that nobody is above the law, and it should apply equally to all, while those against say that the sanctity of the office of the president should be preserved. Indeed, the latter argument is that the crimes committed by these individuals are not as serious as common crimes. Zuma for example, must go to jail for contempt of…

THE Cancer Association of South Africa is celebrating Cansa Care Month in August to highlight its service offerings. The association provides practical and psychosocial care and support to help manage the physical and emotional impact that cancer has on cancer survivors (patients and those in remission), their loved ones and caregivers. Gerda Strauss, the head of services, said: “Cansa is dedicated to supporting those affected by cancer, in their communities, because we want to ensure that they don’t have to face this alone and that they are given knowledge and resources to be able to cope while living with cancer.” She said Cansa was pleased to announce its new initiative, information and support desks, at public hospitals. “Run by staff and trained volunteers, we provide information to patients and help…

A WOMAN’s dying wish that she should be buried in the Eastern Cape, where her roots are, has been honoured by the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg. The father of her five children turned to court to have her buried in Johannesburg so that they could visit her grave at any time. While the applicant, only identified by the judge as DM, was set on burying the deceased in Johannesburg, her family was set on removing her body from the funeral parlour to take it to the Eastern Cape. Both parties have already arranged a funeral for this weekend – one in Johannesburg and the other one in the Eastern Cape. In deciding over the tug-of-war between the families over the body, Judge Stuart Wilson remarked that it should not…

AFTER allegedly suffering a harrowing ordeal and delays in her court case, a female soldier is suing Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise. The 27-year-old Cape Town woman lodged a civil claim against Modise in the Limpopo High Court after a rape that allegedly took place in 2020. The woman, who may not be identified, was attending training at the Air Force Base in Hoedspruit in February 2020 when her “body, integrity and safety” were allegedly violated. The court proceedings were delayed due to the unavailability of DNA results three years after samples of the alleged perpetrator and the complainant were taken. A suspect was arrested and has appeared several times in the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court. The civil damages claim also cites the secretary for defence, the chief…

THE crème de la crème of the legal profession on the African continent, under the auspices of the African Bar Association, has converged on the main campus of Unisa in Pretoria for the 2023 annual conference, which will end on August 10. Minister of Justice and Correctional Services of South Africa, Ronald Lamola, Chief Justice of South Africa, Justice Raymond Zondo and the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, were among some of the key speakers. Other speakers include the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Justice Desmond B Edwards, President of the African Bar Association Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo as well as the chairperson of the South African Bar Association, advocate Bart Ford. Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo, a previous Attorney-General of Ghana (2001-2003), is also in attendance. The conference…

Celebrities, influencers, experts, friends, and family last week graced the launch of Katie Mohamed and Lynn Forbes’ ‘Outspoken Owls’, a new podcast that centres around life as a middle-aged woman. The podcast will explore in-depth discussions on a variety of modern women’s issues. The next season –which has already been planned, will include co-conversations with guests and experts. The birth of this platform is driven by the idea that women in their 40s and 50s go through many changes in a short space of time, and yet, the dialogue around life as a “mature woman” is primarily muted. Speaking about the podcast, Mohamed said: “When women enter mid-life, we often seem to slip into the background, as if our youth is what made us relevant. And that’s just not true.…

South Africa is changing its marriage law to recognise all types of intimate partnerships, irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, or religious, cultural and other beliefs. The Department of Home Affairs has invited public comment on the Draft Marriage Bill. The bill amends some marriage laws and prescribes what’s required for marriages to be considered valid, forms of registration and the property consequences of marriage. As the preamble shows, it seeks to promote liberal values of equality, non-discrimination, human dignity and freedom of thought. While it is innovative for bringing all forms of intimate partnerships under one piece of legislation, the bill raises thorny questions. Liberalism – or openness to different behaviour, opinions or new ideas – is a strange beast. It pushes accepted conduct to its limits. For instance, if…

Niamey: Pressure on Niger’s coup leaders mounted yesterday with the approach of the deadline set by the West African regional bloc Ecowas for the military to relinquish control or face possible armed intervention. Former colonial power France, with which the junta broke military ties after taking power on July 26, said it would “firmly” back whatever course of action Ecowas took after yesterday’s deadline expired. “The future of Niger and the stability of the entire region are at stake,” the office of French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said after she held talks in Paris with Niger’s prime minister, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou. Ecowas military chiefs of staff have agreed on a plan for a possible intervention to respond to the crisis, the latest of several coups to hit Africa’s Sahel region since…

RAMALLAH: A Palestinian official at the weekend called on the international community to list the far-right Israeli party Otzma Yehudit headed by Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir (pictured) as a terror group. Ben-Gvir’s “party has a ... history of inciting the killing of Palestinians,” said Hussein Al-Sheikh, Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee secretary general, after a member of Ben-Gvir’s party Friday shot and killed a Palestinian in the village of Burqa near Ramallah. Two Israeli settlers have been arrested and five others detained in connection with the killing, according to reports. | Xinhua…

THE new Premiership season began as expected for the main title contenders, with holders Mamelodi Sundowns and the one team capable of dethroning them, SuperSport United, victorious at Peter Mokaba Stadium at the weekend. Although delighted with the three points they collected from 2-1 and 2-0 victories over Sekhukhune United and Richards Bay respectively, both clubs’ coaches were in agreement that not much should be read into those results. Sundowns’ Rulani Mokwena and SuperSport’s Gavin Hunt said in their post-match interviews that only after their fourth or fifth matches of the season would it become clear as to where the championship wind could blow. “It is only the first game, we still have to work on (playing with) some momentum, cohesion and fluidity,” Mokwena said after Friday night’s win. “It…