Inhoudsopgave van 2021-06-07 - Cape Times

MULTICHOICE Group said on Friday that it expects core headline earnings a share for the year to March 31 to be between 32 percent (182 cents) and 37 percent (211c) higher than the prior year’s 569c. Trading profit was expected to be between 25 percent (R2 billion) and 30 percent (R2.4bn) higher than the R8bn reported the prior year, the group said in a trading update. On a constant currency basis and excluding mergers and acquisitions, trading profit was expected to be between 40 percent (R3.2bn) and 45 percent (R3.6bn) higher than the prior year’s reported R8bn. The improved financial performance was achieved despite macro-economic and Covid-19 challenges across the continent. “Resilient revenue growth, strong cost control, shifts in content costs and the…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE Ex-Political Prisoners Association (EPPA) has welcomed the findings of an independent investigation that absolved the Robben Island Museum (RIM) of 21 of 22 allegations of wrongdoing. The RIM council had earlier this year confirmed the probe after allegations including price-fixing and tender collusion in November 2018. “During the course of the investigation, further allegations were brought to the attention of the RIM council, which resolved that the allegations fell within the scope of the terms of reference issued to MacRobert Attorneys and ought to be investigated,” RIM said. “Those allegations related to, among other things, audit reports revealing non-performance by the RIM human resources and supply chain management departments, abnormal staff hiring, nepotism, poor overall performance by RIM management, intellectual property theft and poor ferry operational…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za A SUBMISSION by the UCT Student Representative Council (SRC) to have the Smuts Hall men’s residence renamed has been forwarded to the university council to give it the nod. Students made the proposal last month supported by residence stakeholders for a change to “a more suitable name”. Founded on January 1, 1928, the men’s residence took Smuts’s name after his death in 1950. Smuts, UCT’s chancellor, was also a former prime minister of South Africa. Buildings that have been recently changed include the JP Duminy (Jacobus Petrus Duminy, UCT former principal and vice-chancellor) residence, renamed to Philip Kgosana residence after the Struggle stalwart; and the Health Sciences Library to Bongani Mayosi Health Sciences Library in honour of the scholar. SRC residences and housing officer Ukhanyo Mdakane…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be briefed soon on the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) probe into the awarding of the controversial communications tender to Digital Vibes by the National Health Department. This was revealed by the SIU yesterday after confirming that its investigators were working hard to complete the investigation into the awarding of the R150 million tender to Digital Vibes, which is owned by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s close allies. Yesterday, SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago reiterated that the matter was still under investigation but said “we are fast-tracking the investigation”. “We promised to complete our investigation by the end of this month but we have to brief the president first, especially about the Digital Vibes probe. “We will have to brief him if there…

Staff writer AS SOUTH Africa gears up to celebrate Youth Month, a group of hopefuls have qualified as nature guides from the Field Guides Association of South Africa. Following the announcement of the three-year partnership between Somkhanda Community Game Reserve and Bhejane Nature Training in June 2020, Wildlands, a programme of the Wildtrust, said it is encouraging to witness positive stories which put youth empowerment, upskilling and employment at the forefront. South Africa has some of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, with an estimated 58% of youth currently unemployed. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and its unprecedented challenges, Bhejane Nature Training took local community youth from the surrounding communities of Pongola, KwaLubisi and Dlakusa who were part of the Youth Employment Services (YES) 2020 group on an intensive training course…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za HOUSING activist organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU) has slammed the City’s plan to inject R7 million into upgrades at the Sea Point Promenade. The City’s directorate for spatial planning and environment recently announced funding allocations for prioritised upgrades and improvements at several beachfronts along the False Bay and Atlantic coastlines. NU’s Buhle Booi said they were disappointed at this. “Since the dawn of democracy not one single unit has been built in Sea Point to accommodate the domestic workers and the security guards who are predominantly black, who are caught at strips of spatial injustice having to use more than 40% of their little pay to commute every day from the peripheries to the city,” Booi said. “If the City was really committed to spatial justice in practice…

There are currently more than 7.9 million people living with HIV in South Africa – and it is estimated that close to 4 500 more get infected every week. Since HIV is transmitted predominantly through sex, prevention programmes are mostly designed to reduce the “riskiness” of sex or of passing on the virus during intercourse. Unsurprisingly, the intimacy and relationship dynamic context in which sex happens remains underexplored. More than 5 million South Africans receive anti-retroviral therapy (ART). People who are on ART effectively – meaning the virus has been suppressed in their bodies – can expect to live healthy lives. Being virologically suppressed also means a much smaller chance of transmitting HIV on to others. There is growing evidence that if all people living with HIV were on ART…

FAROUK ARAIE | Benoni Total global military expenditure in 2020 was about $2 trillion (R26.8trn). With this astronomical sum the world assembled and deployed weaponry on land, at sea, in the air and in outer space to prevent any attack on earth by friend or foe. The immense destructive power of these 21st-century weapons has the awesome capacity to kill every living being on this planet four times over, yet this entire arsenal was rendered impotent and obsolete by a biological intruder measuring (65-125nm in diameter). Man has ruled and exploited the earth for 200 000 years. During this time he destroyed the web of life, billions of years in the making, upon which human society depends for clean air, water and everything else. We are killing and…

ESKOM remains the greatest burden on the country’s fiscus and the greatest inhibiting factor to economic growth as its ongoing instability stifles investment in business. Eskom’s inability to maintain infrastructure and cater for a growing population means that load shedding is inevitable and while many plans have been offered up, there is not one that offers confidence that a regular and uninterrupted supply of power will be a reality. Dealing with Eskom’s unaffordable and unmanageable debt levels is a key priority for the power utility and the Department of Public Enterprises. So too is the need to clean up corruption with billions having been lost to this scourge. Eskom also needs to expand its capability into the renewable energy space as it is far too reliant on fossil fuels, a…

THE death toll from the worst militant attack in Burkina Faso in recent years has risen to 132, the government said at the weekend, after armed assailants laid siege overnight to a village in the jihadist-plagued north-east. The attackers struck during the night on Friday, killing residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province, bordering Niger. They also burned homes and the market, the government said in a statement. It declared a 72-hour period of national mourning, describing the attackers as terrorists, although no group has claimed responsibility. Another 40 residents were wounded, government spokesperson Ousseni Tamboura later told reporters. The UN said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was outraged by the attack, whose victims included seven children. Despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers, attacks by jihadists linked to…

WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump says he is not really interested in returning to Facebook if chief executive Mark Zuckerberg eventually allows him back on the social media platform. Trump recalled that when he was president and Zuckerberg visited the White House with his wife, the Facebook chief executive told him that he was “No 1 on Facebook.” Trump said Facebook’s decision to ban him for two years was an insult to more than 75 million Americanswho voted for him and the tech giant would not get away with acts of censoring.…

Baghdad: The Iraqi Army said two drones were shot down yesterday over a military base hosting US-led international forces fighting the Islamic State (IS) terror group. The air defence system at the Ain al-Assad base, located in western Iraq, intercepted and shot down the two drones, the Iraqi military-linked Security Media Cell said. No casualties or damage was reported, reports dpa news agency.The attempted attack was the latest in a series against the same base. In March, a US civilian contractor died in a rocket attack on the facility. Ain al-Assad was one of the bases that Iran attacked in January 2020 to avenge the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.…

TOKYO: Activists staged a colourful protest in Tokyo yesterday, calling on the Japanese parliament to approve an anti-discrimination bill protecting the rights of the country’s LGBTI community. Led by drag queens and DJs blaring upbeat music, dozens of campaigners and supporters of the legislation wore rainbow-coloured masks and danced in front of the Japanese capital’s famous Shibuya crossing. The proposed law, which has been under discussion for years, appeared to gain traction after a group of lawyers began working on it in 2015…

Eshlin Vedan Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Peter Shalulile dominated the PSL Awards yesterday. The 27-year-old, who scored 15 goals in the past season, ended up winning the PSL Footballer of the Season award and the DStv Premiership Player’s Player of the Season award. The Namibian was virtually a tank for Masandawana this season as his endless energy supplies were the pillar of strength behind the club’s successful title defence. Shalulile was not the only Sundowns player to pick up an award. He was joined by Dennis Onyango who picked up the Goalkeeper of the Season award for the second time in his career and first since 2016. Evergreen midfielder Themba Zwane took home the Midfielder of the Season award as he had yet another impressive campaign as Masandawana’s engine while youngster…

Stefanos Tsitsipas held off a late challenge from Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta to advance into the quarter-finals of the French Open with a 6-3 6-2 7-5 victory yesterday. The Greek, who won two titles on clay in the lead-up to Roland Garros, was barely troubled in the first two sets, often charging to the net and easily reading his opponent's serve. But a lack of precision in key moments allowed Carreno Busta to threaten a comeback in the third, only for the fifth seed to tighten his grip again and make sure he wasted little time on court Philippe Chatrier. "The fans love it, I love it, I love playing with people, I love attention," Tsitsipas, who played his previous match in an empty stadium because of the…

GERMANY-based instant grocery delivery company Flink on Friday announced a $240 million (R3.22 billion) Series A funding round lead by Prosus and other investors. Flink has more than 50 hubs in 18 cities after four months of operations, reaching more than three million custom- ers directly. At the same time, a partner- ship had been agreed with REWE Group, one of the largest supermarket chains across Germany. Friday’s announcement followed other recent investments by Prosus in the European food delivery and grocery sector. In April, Prosus co-led a €223m (R3.64bn) investment round in Norwegian e-grocery business, Oda. While the food delivery companies within the Prosus portfolio have all rolled out online grocery delivery, this represented Prosus’s first direct investment in an online grocery business, a market expected…

The RAND’S explosive run against major currencies is likely to begin to lose momentum. My analysis indicates that the rolling 12-month momentum of an equity market weighted currency index of emerging markets excluding Asia (based on the MSCI Emerging Markets ex Asia Index) against the US dollar is highly correlated to the momentum of the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (S&P GSCI). The S&P GSCI cover physical commodities spanning five sectors: energy, industrial metals, precious metals, agriculture, and livestock, weighted in relation to their global production levels. South Africa’s weight in the MSCI Emerging Markets ex-Asia Index is currently 18.45 percent. The S&P GSCI’s momentum in April hit an all-time high (since 2004) of nearly 97 percent. Although the S&P GSCI is still rising it is rapidly losing…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za TWO best friends and teammates from the West Rand in Johannesburg have made South African gymnastic history by qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. Coach Ilse Pelser said there was much happiness as Naveen Daries and Caitlin Rooskrantz, both 19, qualified for the games, which start on July 23. “There is just happiness all around. The girls worked very hard to qualify. They train six days a week for an average of 26 hours per week and are coached by a dedicated team of coaches that include Leeland Christian, Candice Cronje, Anke Badenhorst and myself. We always push them to be the best they can be,” Pelser said. Daries also made history when she and her younger sister, Zelme, were the first women’s team represented by sisters at…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za HALF of the Koeberg Power Station being down since January contradicts the justification that nuclear power is reliable and cheap for the procurement of more nuclear power for the extension of the life of the plant. This is according to the Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA) following the suspension of the power station’s general manager Velaphi Ntuli while investigations into the performance of the station were under way. Eskom said its chief nuclear officer Riedewaan Bakardien would oversee all the operations of the station. “Eskom is currently experiencing load shedding that is affecting the entire country and its economy. One of Eskom’s biggest generating units with a capacity of 900MW, Koeberg Unit 1, has been on an outage since January and could have assisted in reducing the depth…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za WHEN it comes to the restoration of ecosystems, every action matters. These were the words of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, as the globe marked World Environment Day, under the theme “Ecosystems Restoration”, at the weekend. This year’s observation took place concurrently with the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 to engage governments, businesses and citizens, in an effort to address pressing environmental issues. “In the history of humanity, there has never been a more urgent need for all of us to heed this global rallying cry to heal our planet. “When it comes to restoration of ecosystems, every action matters – be it from the local communities or traditional leadership, government or state entities,…

Staff writer A 17- and 23-year-old are expected in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court today for being in possession of zip guns. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the Flying Squad made the bust at the weekend. “With our focus on serious and violent crimes in this province, members of the Flying Squad reacted on a tipoff and conducted a search at a residence in Vera Street, Scottsdene, Kraaifontein yesterday. “The search led to the discovery of two homemade firearms, also referred to as zip guns, and the subsequent arrest of two male suspects aged 17 and 23. “The suspects will face the charges against them (today) in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court,” Traut said. Separately, three suspects, aged between 37 and 42, appeared in the Somerset West Magistrate’s Court on…

Staff writer THE provincial health department has maintained that one of the best ways to protect children is by immunising them against preventable diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, polio, rotavirus and other serious childhood diseases. “It will take the whole of society’s approach to ensure that children are safe and protected. This starts by educating children about their rights, educating the adults, parents, guardians and teachers who are responsible for protecting those rights,” health MEC Dr Nomafrench Mbombo said. “We also need to rope in churches, civil organisations, business, and other spheres of government in ensuring that the most vulnerable being children are protected. We must also protect our children against preventable diseases that can cause death or disability by taking them for their immunisations.” While the Western…

Mushtak Parker It’s official! Working long hours is bad for your health! A ground-breaking study by the ILO and WHO published in May revealed that working at least 55 hours a week or more is a serious health hazard that can lead to premature death. This first-of-its-kind global analysis of the link between loss of life and health, and working long hours, based on extensive data from about 2 300 surveys collected in 154 countries from 1970-2018, shows that working long hours led to 745 000 deaths from strokes and heart disease in 2016 alone – a 29% increase since 2002. Between 2000-2016, the number of deaths from heart disease due to working long hours increased by 42%, and from strokes by 19%. The disturbing trend in the current…

Police in north-west Nigeria’s Kebbi state told AFP yesterday that the death toll from an attack by a gang of cattle thieves on seven villages Thursday had risen to 88. The region has struggled with decades-long communal clashes over resources but more recently some groups have become more violent, looting, killing and kidnapping for ransom. “Initially 66 bodies were recovered but 22 more have been found,” Kebbi state police spokesman Nafiu Abubakar said, adding that the search for more bodies was ongoing. Dozens of assailants on motorcycles attacked seven neighbouring villages in Danko-Wasagu district on Thursday, Abubakar said. The gunmen targeted the villages of Koro, Kimpi, Gaya, Dimi, Zutu, Rafin Gora and Iguenge, he said. The gangs, called bandits by locals, maintain camps in Rugu forest which straddles Zamfara, Katsina,…

A memorial to almost 22 500 servicemen and women under British command killed during D-Day and subsequent battles was unveiled in northern France yesterday, a tribute to their sacrifice seen as long overdue. The British Normandy Memorial, inscribed with the names of 22 442 men and women who lost their lives during the invasion of Nazi-occupied France in the summer of 1944, is situated on a hillside in the Normandy village of Ver-sur-Mer. Opened on the 77th anniversary of the landings, it overlooks Gold Beach, one of three beaches where British forces landed on the morning of June 6, 1944 to begin the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. Covid-19 restrictions prevented British survivors from travelling to France for the opening ceremony, but some 100 veterans were gathered at…

PARIS: France has opened a probe into the personal wealth of Riad Salameh, central bank chief in crisis-hit Lebanon, sources told AFP yesterday. Paris financial prosecutors had opened a preliminary probe into criminal association and money laundering by Salameh, sources said. Its findings could shed light onto the origins of the 70-year-old former Merrill Lynch banker’s wealth. In post since 1993 and once hailed by political and business leaders, Salameh has been repeatedly accused by the government of caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab of being responsible for the collapse of the Lebanese pound. The Lebanese public suspect him and other high officials of transferring money abroad during a 2019 uprising, when ordinary people were prevented from doing so. Lebanon has since been hit by an economic crisis which is…

London: The Delta variant of the coronavirus is estimated to be 40% more transmissible than the Alpha variant that caused the last wave of infections in the UK, Britain’s health minister said yesterday. But people who have received two doses of vaccine, should be equally protected against either variant, he added. “That figure, around 40% more transmissible, is indeed the latest advice I have,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News. The Delta variant, known as the Indian variant, is the dominant strain in the UK, Public Health England figures show. The Alpha variant, known as the Kent variant, forced the UK into lockdown in January. | AFP…

Roger Federer said yesterday he was withdrawing from the French Open despite having reached the fourth round, opting to focus on his primary objective of winning a ninth Wimbledon title. "After discussions with my team, I've decided I will need to pull out of Roland Garros today," the 39-year-old said. "After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation it's important that I listen to my body and make sure I don't push myself too quickly on my road to recovery. "I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court." Federer, a 20-time grand slam title winner, who will be 40 in two months' time, battled over three and a half hours until 12.45 yesterday morning to…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za Volaris on Friday increased its cash offer for Adapt IT to R7 from R6.50 per share as the Canada-based group upped the ante in a takeover battle that has already seen Huge Group significantly up its earlier share-swop offer for Adapt IT. The increased offer represents a 68 percent premium to the price of Adapt IT shares of R4.16 on April 1, 2021, which was the last trading date prior to the date on which Volaris and Adapt IT had entered into the “Volaris Offer Agreement”. Adapt IT’s shares traded 2.3 percent lower at R6.84 on Friday. “As a result of the increased offer, the Independent Board engaged the Independent Expert, Nodus Capital, to provide an opinion on the increase in view of their fair…

Johann van Tonder ALL COUNTRIES have their own laws, regulations and policies, and this to a very large extent determines the environment within which jobs can be created. Should such an environment not be “job creation friendly”, a country will not be able to create as many jobs as it otherwise could have. Job creation becomes even more difficult when a pandemic such as Covid-19 causes regular restrictions on an economy’s ability to grow and create jobs. South Africa’s labour market numbers for the first quarter should be interpreted within this context. Statistics SA (StatsSA) estimated South Africa’s official unemployment rate at 32.6 percent in the first quarter of 2021, marginally higher than the 32.5 percent estimated in the fourth quarter of 2020. However, context is needed…

From page 1 Recent revelations in the media detailed how Digital Vibes paid for maintenance work at the Mkhize’s “family property” north of Joburg and the alleged transfer of money into the company account of Mkhize’s son, Dedani. It was also revealed that Digital Vibes in May 2020 transferred R160 000 to a Pietermaritzburg car dealership for a 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser. According to the reports, the car was subsequently registered in Dedani Mkhize’s name. It was also apparently used at a farm outside Pietermaritzburg which is owned by him. All this prompted DA health spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube last week to open a criminal case against Mkhize and the health department’s director-general, Dr Sandile Buthelezi. Yesterday, Gwarube said police confirmed that the case was being investigated. The DA alleged…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za A BONTEHEUWEL granny and her two grandsons were killed when their wendy house caught fire at the weekend. The fire broke out just before 2am in Oliehout Street yesterday. Miriam Davids, 56, Fawaaz, 8, and Rashaad, 4, died in their bed. Davids’s 15-year-old grandson survived and a girl about 10 years of age sustained slight burns to her knees, face and hands. The City’s fire and rescue services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said crews from Epping, Belhar and Gugulethu were dispatched after reports that two structures were engulfed in flames. Carelse said the fire was extinguished around 2.52am and the scene was handed over to police for investigation. According to the landlord Martin van Rooyen, they tried to save Davids and the two boys but the flames were…

Suspect known to her family to appear in court Zanele Mvana zanele.mvana@inl.co.za KHAYELITSHA resident Wele Dyongo last saw his niece, Sinovuyo Magetya, last Sunday when he left to attend a burial society meeting. Four days later, Dyongo, the family’s spokesperson, received a call from detectives informing him that they had found a body in a nearby shack. A suspect known to the 18 year old’s family has since been arrested and is expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on murder charges today. Dyongo said: “When I was contacted by the police, I couldn’t believe that my niece had been murdered. The police found her wig with bloodstains on it under his bed and I could tell that he allegedly strangled her before dumping her body at the shack.…

Athandile Siyo athandile.siyo@inl.co.za THE parents of about 300 children from Forest Village say their “worst nightmare” has come true as their children remain at home without a formal education. The Empumelelweni school, initiated by parents on an open field next to the Old Faure Road, was erected in February after about 500 children from the newly established settlement allegedly could not get placements in schools. Parent Nolizwe Ndikandika said it was heartbreaking that nearly halfway through the year their children were still uncertain about their education. “The learners have no documentation to show that they have been attending school for the past few months. There are no reports showing their progress. “The saddest part is that some children can’t even access basic needs due to not having documents from the…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za “EVERY TIME I close my eyes, I see his face,” said distraught Manenberg mother Sereldine Visser as she waited to hear the fate of her son, Tyrone Visser, 18, who was admitted to ICU at Groote Schuur Hospital following an altercation with a group of boys, allegedly over a girl. “I miss him a lot. I have not been able to sleep since Friday when he was taken to hospital. All I want is for him to come home,” she said. It was peaceful on Friday evening, his aunt recalled, when he was playing soccer outside. Hessie Deerleng recalls: “I was busy doing my hair in the house and I had told him to watch who was at the door because we sell spices, I needed…

Staff writer THE World Health Organisation (WHO) recently validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing. The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac. “The world desperately needs multiple Covid-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products. “We urge manufacturers to participate in the Covax Facility, share their know-how and data and contribute to bringing the pandemic under control.” WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a prerequisite for Covax Facility vaccine supply and international procurement. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer Covid-19 vaccines. The EUL assesses…

Nicklo Pedro, a veteran of Umkhonto we Sizwe, died on May 8 at the age of 53. He lived his life by a credo, “Freedom or death! Victory is certain!” He was an icon of the Struggle. I remember him fondly as a cactus flower of the revolution. As one of the “Fighting Fifteen”, he spent 65 days on trial on capital criminal charges for so-called terrorism before a hanging judge in the Cape Town Supreme Court. Their so-called crime was that they had sought to undo the crime of apartheid and overthrow the terrorists who inflicted it. Nicklo suffered horrendous torture that traumatised him till late in his life, a prison sentence of 14 years, incarceration on Robben Island, and the spectacle of barbarous security police, who had tortured…

Jesse Laitinen | Strategic partnerships manager, Khulisa Social Solutions Streetscapes project Civil rights champion Father Ted compares leadership without a vision to “blowing an uncertain trumpet”. The recent pre-written forms by the City of Cape Town (CoCT) to solicitate complaints about the homeless show the city trumpet is badly out of tune. As is the orchestra of the other two government spheres, that equally fail in taking responsibility of homelessness. The Municipal Systems Act compels cities to act in the interests of all, not just a privileged few. The complaint form suggests the City is bowing to pressure by homeowners and businesses feeling threatened by growing homeless encampments. For too many Capetonians the homeless remain a “problem” to be removed from view, showing a painful insensitivity to high…

Heavy rains followed by landslides and flooding in Sri Lanka killed at least 14 people and has affected over 250 000 more in the past two days with warnings that adverse weather conditions would continue, officials said yesterday. South-west monsoon rains settling in the country’s western, southern and central parts resulted in heavy showers and landslides in several areas. A family of four was killed when they were buried in a landslide in Aranayaka, 90km east of Colombo. The other victims also died in landslides or were swept away by flooded rivers or streams. The majority of the affected residents were able to remain in their homes while about 20 000 people were evacuated, officials said. Water levels of two of the main rivers flowing through the Western Province continued…

Researchers at an eastern Congolese volcano observatory at the weekend said they could have predicted the deadly eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in May if their work had not been impeded by alleged mismanagement and embezzlement. At least 31 people died when the volcano sent a wall of lava spreading towards Goma on May 22, destroying 3 000 homes along the way and cutting a major road used to bring aid to the strife-torn region. In a public letter to President Felix Tshisekedi, the workers at OVG, which monitors Nyiragongo, said the organisation had been crippled by salary arrears, embezzlement of funding and mistreatment of employees, In May, the president’s office said it would pay all OVG’s salary arrears and unpaid operational costs, promising to replace out-of-date or damaged equipment. Before…

new delhi: The holy river Ganges has changed its colour to green, sparking panic among residents of Uttar Pradesh. According to the locals, the river turns light green during the rainy season due to the heavy inflow of mosses and lichens from ponds and lakes. “But this time, the change in colour has been to a greater extent. It smells bad and people are suffering. Generally, this is witnessed only from a few ghats (bathing or cremation places along the banks of any river). Now it is visible everywhere”, Mukesh Sharma, a resident of Varanasi, said. Vipul Vats, also a local, said most people are neither able to take a dip in the holy river nor use it for other purposes, such as drinking. | Sputnik…

KABUL: Sister of Mina Khairi, a news presenter of a local TV channel, has succumbed to critical injuries from a bomb attack, local media Ariana News TV reported yesterday. On Thursday, Mina Khairi, who worked in Ariana News TV, her mother and two other civilians were killed in a bomb attack targeting a public mini-bus in western Kabul. Hasina Khairi who died of her wounds yesterday was with her sister and mother aboard the mini-bus. A total of 16 people were killed and 23 wounded in a string of bomb attacks, hitting four public buses in Kabul last week. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Taliban militants denied involvement in the bombings.…

Mexican Sergio Perez won a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Red Bull yesterday after a tyre blowout denied championship-leading teammate Max Verstappen certain victory and Lewis Hamilton failed to score. The race was red-flagged when Verstappen crashed five laps from the end, the Dutch driver clambering out of the wrecked car and kicking the rear left tyre in fury with his hopes in tatters. Baku's street circuit then provided another crazy twist at the standing re-start when Mercedes' seven-time world champion Hamilton lined up second, with two laps remaining, and looked set to take back the overall lead. Instead the Briton got it all wrong - his prospective points haul disappearing as he locked up and ran down the escape road in the sprint to the first corner. He finished…

OVER the next few weeks, our rugby writers will be debating their Springbok choices from No 15 to No 1 for the upcoming series against the British & Irish Lions. Today we focus on No 6: A rugby writer has to be honest to be respected. And this exercise that you are reading is about picking the form players to do battle against the Lions. And that is why I am picking Coetzee. Oops, the Springbok selectors just omitted the Man of the Match for the Bulls against the Stormers on Friday night ... Look, I understand that Siya Kolisi contributes much more to the greater Springbok picture than simply his ability as a player, but in terms of sheer form, he is some way off Coetzee and…