Table of contents for 2022-09-27 in Mercury

JSE-LISTED Grand Parade Investments (GPI), an empowered investment company, said yesterday that for the year ended June 30, 2022, its adjusted headline earnings per share improved due to a recovery in the gaming assets and a reduction in corporate costs, which decreased as a result of the debt reduction. In its trading update for the year ended June 30, 2022, the group said headline loss per share was expected to be between 2.75 cents and 4c, representing an improvement of between 56% and 36% compared to the headline loss per share for the group of 6.29c reported for the previous year. Loss per share for the group will be between 1.55c and 2.93c, representing an improvement of between 77% and 57% compared to the loss per share for the…

To the man or woman who wants to negotiate healing, or initiate restoration, in a new or age-old family conflict: Be clear about what you want before you initiate any peace-making dialogue. It’s not what your spouse wants. It’s not what you think your parents (living or deceased) want. It’s what you want. If you are the one who wants healing or reconciliation you’d best be very honest with yourself about exactly what it is you want. “I want reconciliation,” is not enough. What degrees of reconciliation are you willing to settle for? If you can’t get all of what you want, how much compromise can you handle? Find the most humble version of yourself and live with that person for a few weeks. This will permit you to enter…

“I didn’t get the memo” is to remain unaware of something that is common knowledge to everyone else or it can be used as a form of sarcasm by people when they want to say that no one told them. I guess many of Durban’s beachgoers, including surfers and swimmers, didn’t get the memo either, as they are braving the waters despite the warnings of certain beach closures issued by the city after high levels of E coli were found. Perhaps they chose to ignore the warnings of coming into contact with the sea, on the back of newly found freedom, following the restrictions that were imposed on us during the Covid-19 pandemic. The other reasons could be that they doubt the efficacy of the water-testing results conducted by the…

Pre-1994, the former government brought in joint services boards and regional services councils that were funded by levies charged to businesses on their salaries bill and turnover. The funds went to upgrading rural areas in the form of community halls, water infrastructure, sports fields, fire brigades and the like. When the ANC government took over, it created a bloated army of “councillors”. In 1995, it admitted to redirecting the levies for paying coun cillors, which I likened to me buying a Rolls-Royce but getting a Mini Minor delivered. This is blatant fraud. I have the Ebodwe document admitting to the misappropriation. Trevor Manuel, the then-finance minister, agreed with the views of business and repealed the act. I refused to pay the levies on the grounds of racism, as the authorities…

THE Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) says it has a national response strategy and action plan to address the illegal trade in South African succulent flora. This came to light following a parliamentary question by DA MP Dave Bryant who wanted to know how many people had been arrested for succulent plant poaching in the past five years. Also, who have been successfully convicted in light of, “ongoing poaching of indigenous succulent plants in the Republic, in particular the Conophytum and others, which puts the species in critical danger of extinction, and in light of the fact that most of the poached plants are allegedly smuggled to China”, he said. According to the DFFE, it did not keep track of every plant-poaching case, but within its national…

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has dismissed widely circulated media reports stating that he had given police an instruction to conduct spot checks and ascertain the immigration status of foreign nationals. In his response to the reports, the minister cited section 41 of South Africa’s Immigration Act which states that, “when so requested by an immigration officer or a police officer, any person shall identify himself or herself as a citizen, permanent resident or foreigner”. The act also states that the immigration officer or police officer “shall take reasonable steps, as may be prescribed, to assist the person in verifying his or her identity or status, and thereafter, if necessary, detain him or her in terms of section 34”. “From this act it is evident that no law enforcement…

UMngeni Local Municipality mayor Chris Pappas says the investigation into the appointment of and alleged over-billing by law firm Mhlanga Incorporated Attorneys was solely driven by the “huge legal bill” and was not racially related. The municipality issued a statement last week stating its concerns with Mhlanga Inc following an executive committee meeting and that the investigation was in line with its stance on good financial management. The statement read: “The executive committee of the uMngeni Municipality has started an investigation into the appointment (of) and costs associated with Mhlanga Incorporated. “The uMngeni Municipality was saddled with a huge legal bill in the last financial year (2021/2022) after Mhlanga Inc was appointed as the independent investigator to provide advice to council on the corruption that was uncovered by the (Special…

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi says the Labour Relations Act (LRA) provides protection against victimisation of workers. He was speaking last week during the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration’s (CCMA) fourth annual Labour Conference about the importance of effective legislation and dispute resolution institutions in promoting labour market stability, peace and equity. Nxesi said despite myriad problems in the labour market, the LRA, enacted in 1995, still remained the principal labour legislation in South Africa. This comes after Nxesi expressed concerns of emerging slavery-like working conditions, where workers were caged in factories to work for 24 hours, adding the department did not have enough inspectors to keep an eye on all places of employment. However, he said the department, through the inspectorate, would come down hard on employers…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said yesterday that more suspects would be brought to justice. Phindi Mjonondwane, NPA Gauteng spokesperson, said the five tavern shooting suspects were linked to other crimes. “They appeared for the 16 murders that happened at Nomzamo tavern and three other murder cases emanate from other dockets that were combined with the Nomzamo one,” Mjonondwane told media outside the Orlando Magistrate’s Court. “We have about four cases from Orlando SAPS and two from Kliptown SAPS which are all then combined into one docket to formulate the charges, which is 19 charges of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating the ends of justice.” She said two of the accused were South African and the other three were from Lesotho. “Investigations are…

Eskom’s application for tariff increases a slap in the face for consumers THE National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) round of regional public hearings that started on September 19, to deliberate on Eskom’s tariff application for the 2024 and 2025 financial years, has caused much anxiety. Even those illegally connected to the electricity supply speak openly about their concerns. Once again, the concerns widely expressed by the majority of speakers were disappointing reminders that most political plans to restore the country’s electricity supply continue to go wrong, either because unforeseen events get in the way or because politicians in government ignore wholly foreseeable events. South Africa’s ambitions to accelerate the addition of renewable energy sources into the national electricity generation mix belong in the first category. Most people couldn’t have…

Iran accused the US yesterday of using unrest triggered by the death of a woman in police custody to try to destabilise the country, and warned it would not go unanswered, as the biggest protests since 2019 showed no signs of abating. Iran has cracked down on nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini after she was detained by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic’s strict restrictions on women’s dress. The case has drawn international condemnation. Iran said the US was supporting rioters and seeking to destabilise the Islamic Republic. “Washington is always trying to weaken Iran’s stability and security although it has been unsuccessful,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told Nour news, which is affiliated with a top security body, in a statement.…

The world economy will take a bigger hit than previously forecast next year due to the effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said yesterday. In a bleak report titled “Paying the Price of War”, the Paris-based organisation noted that the conflict aggravated inflationary pressure when the cost of living was already rising quickly. Covid-19 outbreaks were still impacting the global economy while growth has also been affected by rising interest rates as central banks scramble to cool red-hot prices, it said. Global growth stalled in the second quarter of this year and data in many economies “now point to an extended period of subdued growth”. The OECD slashed its 2023 growth forecast for the global economy to 2.2%, down from 2.8% estimated…

ROME: The Italian right-wing coalition’s resounding victory in Sunday’s general election marks a return to parliament for former premier Silvio Berlusconi, nine years after he was kicked out over a tax fraud conviction. Berlusconi, who turns 86 on Thursday, won more than 50% of the votes in a Senate race in the northern constituency of Monza, where the billionaire owns a villa and the local soccer club. “I’m going to try to act as playmaker in the (next) government,” Berlusconi said after casting his vote, indicating his desire to stay in the political front-line despite his age and frail health. Berlusconi had heart surgery in 2016, became ill with Covid-19 in 2020 and has been in and out of hospital over the last year. In parliament, he will be joined…

BULACAN: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr conducted an aerial survey of damage yesterday brought by Typhoon Noru, which left heavy flooding across several northern provinces as authorities rushed to get aid to thousands of evacuees. Five rescue workers were killed in Bulacan province, while residents there were seen wading through waist-deep waters, and others stranded on rooftops. Floods submerged swathes of farmland and communities in the north after the category 3 typhoon dumped heavy rains and brought strong winds after making landfall at the weekend. The Philippines sees an average of 20 tropical storms yearly. | Reuters…

While possibly being without wing Seabelo Senatla for a significant period is a huge blow, the Stormers are confident that they have “a lot of soldiers” who can step in when duty calls. Senatla suffered a pectoral injury while being cleaned out dangerously by Bundee Aki as the defending champions opened their United Rugby Championship (URC) title defence with a 38-15 victory over Connacht in Stellenbosch at the weekend. The incident occurred in the second half of the round-two clash, and speaking during a media briefing yesterday, Stormers assistant coach Rito Hlungwani said they are still awaiting medical feedback on Senatla’s injury. “The only (injury) concern is around Seabelo. “We have sent him for scans, but we are still waiting,” Hlungwani said. “We have got quite a few youngsters who…

Grinding out a ninth consecutive Presidents Cup victory on Sunday could be a launching pad for United States golfers to achieve something they haven’t managed since 1993 – a Ryder Cup victory on foreign soil. Many of those who defeated a non-European Internationals squad 17.5-12.5 at Quail Hollow figure to play for the Americans against Europe next year in Rome. Jordan Spieth, who went 5-0 to lead the US Presidents Cup squad, said his confidence remains as high as it was after the Americans routed Europe 19-9 last year at Whistling Straits – the biggest Ryder Cup blow-out since 1967. “The same as it was the Sunday a year ago, if not more,” Spieth said. “It’s a tall task to ask, going over there. I’ve played in a couple of…

Opposition parties in Msunduzi Municipality have called for tougher measures to be taken against individuals fingered for wrongdoing, and almost bringing the KwaZulu-Natal capital to its knees. The sentiment was expressed during a council sitting yesterday, where it was revealed that the municipality was set to remain under administration until next year. The municipality was placed under administration in 2019, because of its failure to discharge some of its responsibilities and spend its conditional grants. Councillors said yesterday that it was their understanding that the administration period was set to end at the end of October this year. However, a representative from the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, said yesterday the municipality would remain under administration as there were issues that needed to be attended to. DA councillor…

A large number of beachgoers were swimming at the Golden Mile Beach (New Beach) yesterday despite the eThekwini Municipality stating that beaches along the Durban beachfront were closed due to poor water quality. On September 16, the municipality issued a notice stating that a number of Durban beaches were closed due to tests revealing poor water quality at these beaches. The beaches were Brighton, Ansteys, Point, uShaka, Addington, South, Wedge, North, Bay of Plenty, Battery, Country Club Thekwini, Laguna, Baggies and Reunion beaches. Asked for clarity yesterday on whether any of the Durban beaches were opened for water activities, including New Beach, which is between closed beaches – Wedge Beach and Addington Beach – the municipality referred The Mercury to its September 16 statement on the beaches. It added that…

DRAT those Aussies! There we were going through the painful psychological and moral contortions of supporting them against New Zealand, when they let us down. They allowed the All Blacks to pile up such a score that any chance of the Boks overtaking them in the Rugby Championship in defeating Argentina on points scored got into the realm of rocket science. It removed from our match against Argentina an extra element of excitement. And indeed, at a point in the second half it looked as though the Boks were figuratively up sewage creek in a barbed-wire canoe, with two fellows in the sin-bin and the Argies flying at us like demons as the lead narrowed. But recover we did, and some, which bodes well for next year’s World Cup in…

ON A daily basis the media publishes articles revealing new charges of corruption against top state officials. While it is to be welcomed that the public is informed that these endemically corrupt individuals are likely to be brought to justice in the near (or distant) future, could I suggest that the media also please give us some news of officials who have been rendering sterling work in an honest and productive way. I appreciate that it might be a bit difficult to give effect to my request, because it is difficult to find a needle in a haystack, but there are probably some “needles in the haystack”. I also appreciate that a favourite and frequently misused saying these days is: “You are innocent until proven guilty.” That is not true,…

Four senior officials from the SANDF have appeared before a military court on charges relating to fraud and corruption in the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE). SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said this followed an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit that found at least 15 Department of Defence officials had taken part in illegal activities over the procurement of PPE. “Four of 15 members of the SANDF were charged and appeared before the Court of Senior Military Judge in Thaba Tshwane for arraignment. Their case has been postponed to October 6. Some members will appear in court next week,” Dlamini said. He said the members who had already appeared in court were Lieutenant-Colonel VS Peu, Captain D Modise, Captain MA Tshikosi and Leading Seaman SS Jiane, who…

The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, says he is concerned about the impact of load shedding on the public health system and is engaging with the relevant authorities on the processes to be followed in order to exempt health facilities from load shedding. The Health Department said it was in talks with the minister of Public Enterprises, Eskom and municipalities. The minister’s comment comes after some health professionals had called for an exemption for health facilities – stating that load shedding was putting people’s lives at risk. The Mercury reported yesterday that the South African Medical Association was concerned about the conditions faced by health-care workers in facilities and said load shedding compromised essential emergency operations. It was also noted by medical professionals that while facilities had generators, millions…

More than 250 000 young people are expected to be hired as teacher assistants and general workers at schools across the country. This, as applications for Phase Four of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention in the sector officially opened yesterday and will close on October 16. The young adults will be placed in about 20 000 public schools and at schools for pupils with special education needs as teacher assistants and general workers. As Phase Three recently ended, the Department of Basic Education said most stipends were paid out, adding the provincial Education Departments was working on ensuring the rest of the payments were made soon. “Phase Four comes as the country’s youth have reaped the benefits of more than 850 000 job opportunities coupled with training that was offered…

WELCOME to the Exponential Age, where progress and change are inevitable. Since the First Industrial Revolution, when water and steam were used to power mechanised production, we are now in the grip of a digital revolution characterised by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. According to a World Economic Forum report, titled “Catalysing Education 4.0: Investing in the Future of Learning for a Human-Centric Recovery”, the global imperative is for education to be re-imagined, focusing on the breadth of skills needed to be successful in the age of the 4IR, and leveraging technological and pedagogical innovation to put learners at the centre of learning. The vision to prepare students for the economies of tomorrow is referred to as Education 4.0.…

A year after fleeing the West Bank, a nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has returned to Gaza and is challenging his uncle’s embattled successor, 86-year-old President Mahmud Abbas. Nasser al-Kidwa, 69, a former Palestinian foreign minister, branded Abbas’s Palestinian Authority (PA) as “totalitarian”, and said it was acting with disregard for the people it is supposed to serve who are living under Israeli occupation. Support for Abbas among Palestinians has plummeted, according to surveys. Kidwa returned to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip after a year of self-imposed exile in France, and said returning to the occupied West Bank would not be safe. Gaza, the Arafat family’s ancestral home, has been controlled by the Islamist group Hamas since 2007, bitter rivals of Abbas’s secular Fatah movement that Yasser Arafat…

Debris from a drone strike in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region hit a World Food Programme (WFP) truck carrying humanitarian aid and injured the driver, the WFP said yesterday. WFP, helps co-ordinate humanitarian assistance to Tigray, where a nearly two-year conflict has killed thousands of people and left millions in need of aid. The drone strike on Sunday was near an area called Zana Woreda in north-western Tigray. Two humanitarian workers said that food distribution operations by another aid agency were disrupted by shelling. The WFP truck was delivering food to displaced people. Hundreds of thousands have been uprooted by renewed fighting since August 24, when a five-month ceasefire broke down. Since then, no truck carrying food aid has entered Tigray, the WFP said. It said an estimated 13 million in…

Moscow: A deadly shooting at a school in the Russian city of Izhevsk yesterday claimed the lives of at least 13 people, including seven students, while injuring several others, the country’s Investigative Committee has confirmed. The incident took place in School No 88 in the city of about 650 000 residents in the Urals region. The committee said the gunman died by suicide and had been wearing a ski mask and a T-shirt with Nazi symbols. A local MP said that “the gunman was armed with two non-lethal pistols that had been altered to fire live ordnance”. The victims included two teachers and two security guards. | IANS…

OPPOSITION parties have urged the eThekwini Municipality to involve all stakeholders in plans that look to protect the city from the ravaging effects of load shedding. This after the city recently revealed a R324 billion plan to generate its own power that led to controversy and confusion as the plan included plans to harness nuclear power from independent power producers (IPPs). According to the National Energy Act, nuclear energy can only be procured by national government and Eskom and not by municipalities. The city responded to that issue, saying its energy transition policy does not have nuclear power anywhere in its implementation plan and the integrated resource plan, and that it will not be considering nuclear power as an energy source. Sbu Ntshalintshali, the city’s renewable energy manager, revealed the…

Much as they enjoyed their cats’ company during two years of coronavirus lockdown, Parisians have enthusiastically taken up travel again if the reservation register at one Paris cat hotel is anything to go by. At the Arbre a Chats (Cats’ Tree) hotel, guests need to reserve well ahead, as all its 24 “contemporary and comfortable” cubicles are fully booked – although cats that know one another can double up and share a room. “Unlike last year, this year we were fully booked for August from the end of February,” hotel owner Veronica Colson said. With cats snoozing on couches, sitting high up in the tree-shaped wooden climbing structure in the centre, or observing street life from a ledge by the window, the hotel is in full swing as cat owners…

According to media reports, former US president Donald Trump took with him more than 700 pages of classified reports that he was not entitled to. Whether they were declassified is subject to speculation. Some of the documents were 10 floors above “top secret”. The puzzling aspect of this saga is that Trump was never a reader and digester of top-secret intelligence data given to him on a daily basis while he was president. In pending court cases, most of the classified reports are virtually blacked out and redacted. Every modern American president is presented with classified reports on the entire globe covering important events. The National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) monitor and record the entire world in real time, passing on this information to those in…

In April this year, there was a religious collaboration among the various faiths in South Africa that was akin to an exceedingly rare planetary alignment. Hindus observed the festival of Kavady, the significance of which lies in repentance, Jews celebrated their freedom from slavery with Passover; Christians commemorated Easter remembering the crucifixion of Christ and his rising from the dead; while Muslims were in the midst of the holy month of Ramadaan, a period of fasting and spiritual cleansing. One of the beauties of living in South Africa is that our Constitution guarantees religious freedom. This is unlike many other countries. The history books tell us that close to 900 people were massacred in the 1992 Bombay riots in India due to an escalation of hostilities after large-scale protests by…

MEMBERS of Parliament involved in the inquiry into suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office are concerned that the process has taken longer than expected and some have blamed Mkhwebane’s legal team for the delays. The process was originally meant to have concluded at the end of this month but has been interrupted by breaks to allow Mkhwebane to lodge applications in court in a bid to scrap the hearings. Mkhwebane’s term of office ends in October next year. The MPs’ complaints followed the recusal application lodged by Mkhwebane’s lawyer, advocate Dali Mpofu, last week against committee chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi (ANC) and committee member Kevin Mileham (DA). Mpofu argued he had 12 grounds for Dyantyi’s recusal and that Mileham should recuse himself from the committee based on…

Police in Limpopo have arrested five people in connection with a robbery at a farmhouse in Schietfontein where firearms, money and ammunition were stolen. A group of about five assailants stormed the farmhouse last Thursday. “An elderly woman aged 71, who reportedly stays with her son aged 47, and a farmworker, were accosted by the suspects. The suspects demanded money and firearms,” said Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo. The three people in the house were shot and sustained injuries. Police said the assailants fled on foot after taking money, firearms and ammunition. “The swift reaction by members of Beitbridge Musina Task Team, Musina Flying Squad, the SANDF, local farmers and the police based at Alldays after receiving the report, led to the activation of a massive search operation,” said…

SIBUSISO Siyaya, the man who was behind the wheel of the truck that ploughed into a bakkie on the N2 near Pongola, killing 20 people, made his second appearance in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court yesterday and abandoned his application for bail. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the matter was postponed to October 25 for further investigations. Reacting to the court appearance, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Sipho Hlomuka said this case was important to the people of Pongola as tensions were still high in the community. The Department of Transport said Siyaya was facing 20 counts of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving. “Additional charges might be added once the investigation is complete.” Hlomuka said drivers needed to take responsibility for their actions…

THE National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) obtained freezing orders to the tune of more than R5 billion in corruption and related matters during the 2021-22 financial year. This was revealed by National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi when the NPA’s annual report was tabled in Parliament last week. Batohi said the freezing orders were obtained in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act to secure the assets and to prevent dissipation. “The AFU obtained 320 freezing orders to the value of R512m. This amount is not the total value of all freezing orders, as orders in serious corruption matters are reported on separately,” she said. “The total amount of all orders obtained during the financial year, including corruption freezing orders, is R5.835bn,” she said. Batohi…

JOHN first heard of cryptocurrency three years ago, when the teenager came across slick YouTube videos and Facebook posts of other South Africans claiming to have become wealthy overnight with bitcoin. Inspired, the then 14-year-old downloaded a trading app, lied about his age in order to set up an account, and began buying and selling crypto with his savings. He soon made small profits, but as the crypto market slumped this year, John lied again – to his parents, who did not know about his trading activities – to get money to cover his losses. “I will pay it back when I get rich,” said John, who lives in Langaville township, east of Johannesburg. He asked that his last name be withheld. John, who likes to wear designer T-shirts and…

ONE of the people accused of allegedly defrauding members of the Enlightened Christian Gathering alongside fugitive prophet Shepherd Bushiri, Willah Mudolo, may not leave the country for now. Mudolo may only leave pending the outcome of the high-profile trial when it eventually gets under way, this was the ruling in the Pretoria High Court. It came after the director of public prosecutions launched an appeal earlier this month in the high court against a ruling issued by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court granting Mudolo bail allowing him to travel out of the country. His bail was initially denied because he was regarded as a flight risk, but Mudolo launched a new bail application on “new facts” and bail was granted by the lower court. His wife and co-accused, Zethu Mudolo,…

Nearly three decades after democracy, it is a matter of great concern that racist incidents are still occurring on campuses at universities across the country. In the latest incident, a student at Stellenbosch University was suspended after he allegedly urinated in his pants while sitting on a chair belonging to his roommate. The incident took place at Helshoogte, Stellenbosch University (SU) men’s residence, and should not be dismissed as an act of youthful foolishness. Institutional and cultural introspection is needed. Just four months ago, student Babalo Ndwayana woke up to a white student, Theuns du Toit, urinating on his belongings at the male residence Huis Marais at the university. Du Toit was subsequently expelled. A few days before this incident, the law faculty at the university said it was deeply…

With Nigeria’s economy struggling and insecurity rife, four top presidential candidates start campaigning this week for the election in February next year in an open race to replace President Muhammadu Buhari. Less than five months before the ballot, no clear frontrunner has emerged with major candidates all confronting challenges on their path to the top political seat in Africa’s most populous country. After two terms, Buhari steps down with Nigeria battling high inflation, oil production at record lows and security forces battling jihadists, separatist gunmen and criminal gangs across the country. Top candidates lining up are Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor and stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress or APC, and opposition Peoples Democratic Party or PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar, a former vice- president on his sixth bid.…

London: Prices for corgis, the dogs beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth II, have doubled to new highs since the monarch’s funeral last week, the UK’s largest pet marketplace said yesterday. Pets4Homes said it was experiencing “over 10 times the volume of daily searches for corgis when compared to this time last week”. One of the small herding dogs now sells for over £2 500 (R48 738) for the first time. The queen, whose funeral was last Monday, stopped raising corgis in her 90s. Nevertheless, she still kept two “dorgis” – dachshund and corgi crosses – in her final years. | AFP…

DHAKA: The death toll from the sinking of an overcrowded ferry carrying Hindu devotees in northern Bangladesh climbed to 40 yesterday, with many passengers missing a day after the latest in a series of such disasters to hit the South Asian country. Onlookers and relatives of the missing gathered along the riverbank as rescuers searched for bodies. Those recovered so far included 22 women and 11 children, said Jahurul Islam, district administrator of Panchagarh, where the accident occurred. The ferry was taking Hindu devotees to a temple on the occasion of Mahalaya, when Hindus make offerings to their ancestors. | Reuters…