Índice para 2022-12-05 em Mercury

THE RICHEST man in the world has delivered on his promise to enable free speech on Twitter. Elon unleashed a bombshell over the weekend with the release of the Twitter files. Essentially, the files are communications within Twitter (before Elon’s time) that show how the social media platform influenced the US elections. One of the major highlights from the files reveal how Twitter tried to hide embarrassing information about the US President’s son, Hunter Biden. The files also show how the US mainstream media colluded with Twitter to control the narrative during the US election period. On the other hand, the files also show the kind of environment Elon Musk walked into when he bought Twitter. Chances are he did not know the kind of operations that took place in…

THE Department of Water and Sanitation says last week’s move by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) to seize assets owned by individuals linked to a multi-million-rand tender fraud matter at Mhlathuze Water was in line with its stance of zero-tolerance on fraud and corruption. Last week the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) AFU obtained a court order to seize assets including luxury vehicles belonging to fraud and corruption accused, former Mhlathuze Water CEO Mthokozisi Duze and former chief financial officer Babongile Mnyandu and attorney Sithembelo Mhlanga, of Mhlanga Incorporated. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s Wisane Mavasa said they had noted the developments around the case, including the attachment of assets by the AFU. She said the department welcomed moves to have any implicated officials face the law. “It is…

Literal boundaries such as fences, walls and lines on the road surround us. Others are unseen, like the acknowledgement that a couple is a couple. People give couples “room” to be a couple even though there is no line or visual demarcation declaring them to be a couple. An internal boundary is “the line I draw” that will not allow me to steal, shoplift or randomly hit people who annoy me. Boundaries acknowledge necessary separateness. They assist with space and definition. They provide clarity – all necessary components of individual growth, development and the provision of wellness for the whole. Review yours – it is an act in the art of self-love. Boundaries keep us apart, and together, by keeping us healthily apart. People are unique (distinct, separate) and when…

The damning findings against President Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala saga are extremely unsettling for a nation that teeters on the brink of economic collapse. As a politician, he should have realised that politics in post-apartheid South Africa is a filthy game. It is an area where angels fear to tread. Sadly, there are people on all sides of politics who play the ”game of thrones”, which involves, lying, cheating, disrespecting, undermining, back stabbing and grandstanding. Our politics has become murky because of a few opportunists, habitual liars, self-styled heroes and bogus patriots with a hidden agenda. What is so bracing is that the cannons of this insurrection have been trained at the inner sanctums of stable governance. It exposes the nexus between the people in power and the “harbingers…

This was first used by labour leader Walter Reuther in the McCarthy era in the late 1940s (when Senator Joe McCarthy was finding a communist behind every bush). It has since been seized on and modified by other political figures. “If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and hangs about with other ducks, I say sure as heck it is a duck.” That’s the theme. Now, according to Huffington Post, a TV personality has taken it up. The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, discussing a recent dinner Donald Trump had with Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Holocaust denialist Nick Fuentes – which he says Trump is now trying to downplay – he addresses the former president directly. “I might have believed that six years ago if…

KwaZulu-Natal orchestral music lovers will be in for a treat when Durban plays host to the Mzansi Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra, which will be conducted by Marin Alsop, will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 on December 17. The visit to Durban is part of the orchestra’s first national tour of South Africa, which involves three cities. They will be in Durban, after Joburg on December 15, and the last show is in Cape Town on December 21. Alsop is one of the most distinguished conductors of her generation. The soloists will be renowned South African mezzo soprano Michelle Breedt; talented bass baritone Msimelelo Mbali, who will appear at the English National Opera in the 2022/23 season; acclaimed soprano Zandile Mzazi, who was based in Vienna for some years; and accomplished…

TWO churches – one in Durban and the other in Joburg – are mourning at least three members who drowned during baptisms. Several congregants also went missing in the water during the ceremonies. In the incident in Inanda in Durban, a member of the New Galilee Church in Zion died, while a pastor is still missing after a baptism ceremony at Inanda dam on Thursday. While in Joburg, emergency services and police search-and-rescue were yesterday searching for 15 people who were swept away in what is suspected to be a church baptism or ritual along the Jukskei River on Saturday afternoon. Yesterday, at Inanda, members of the church gathered at the dam hoping for the recovery of the body of pastor Sikhumbuzo Sibisi. According to Siboniso Zungu of the church,…

Yangon: Seventy Rohingya people hiding in a truck transporting ginger were arrested north of Yangon after the vehicle crashed into a roadside canal, the Myanmar junta said yesterday. Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state are regarded as illegal immigrants in the Buddhist-majority country and have faced discrimination, restrictions on travel and denied citizenship, health care and education. The arrests took place a week ago. The group of mostly men were hiding under ginger bags in the truck when it crashed. A Bangladeshi citizen was also arrested and authorities were searching for two Myanmar nationals who were driving the truck. Rohingya convicted of violating immigration laws can face two years in jail. | AFP…

More Chinese cities including Urumqi in the far west announced an easing of coronavirus curbs yesterday as China tries to make its zero-Covid policy more targeted and less onerous after unprecedented protests against restrictions last weekend. Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region and where the protests first erupted, will reopen malls, markets, restaurants and other venues from today, authorities said, ending strict lockdowns after months. There was no sign of any significant unrest this weekend, although police were out in force in the Liangmaqiao area of Beijing and in Shanghai around Wulumuqi Road, which is named after Urumqi. Both sites saw protests a week ago. A deadly fire last month in Urumqi sparked dozens of protests against Covid-19 curbs in over 20 cities after some social media users said…

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted yesterday spewing hot ash clouds 1.6km into the sky and sending rivers of lava down its side, prompting officials to raise the alert status to the highest level. The eruption of the highest mountain on Indonesia’s main island of Java, about 800km south-east of the capital, Jakarta, sparked evacuations of nearby villages exactly one year after its last major eruption killed dozens of people. The increased threat level “means the danger has threatened the people’s settlement and the volcano’s activity has escalated”, Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) spokesperson Hendra Gunawan told broadcaster Kompas TV. “Hot avalanches” caused by piles of lava at the tip of the 3 676-metre volcano slid down after the eruption, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. No…

Japan will invoke the spirit of the Samurai warrior in their clash with Croatia today as they look to banish the memory of their exit from the last World Cup and reach the quarter-finals for the first time. The heartbreaking defeat by Belgium in the last 16 four years ago, when they gave up a 2-0 lead and lost to a stoppage-time goal, still haunts Japan and veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo said they were desperate for redemption. “I have never forgotten about that battle against Belgium. Sometimes scenes from the match suddenly come back to me and the last four years have been very tough,” the fullback, who is playing at his fourth World Cup, said yesterday. “But I think we have grown mentally as well as physically and ...…

SOUTH Africa’s largest asset manager, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), has invested over R1.6 trillion on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). In 2022, nearly 30 years after democracy opened the country to business, less than 1% of this magnificent sum (it’s a lot of zeroes), has been invested in black-owned companies. It’s not because there are not enough black-owned or managed organisations out there though, to my mind, it’s because the more things change, the more they stay the same. The outcry over the PIC’s investment into Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital (ARC) and Ayo Technology Solutions (AYO) is a case in point. Especially that of AYO, of whom reams of articles have been written, in what appears to be a deliberate attempt by the “establishment” media to undermine the…

Mr President, the ides of March are upon you, beware – and there is no Shakespearean soothsayer to brighten the gloom of a dawn you once boasted about. The “Brutuses” are indeed hovering ominously – circling, baying, with hyena cries – seeking yet another presidential demise. That there is prima facie evidence to suggest that you have just cause to answer for with regard to the highly questionable “theft” of monies from a mattress that occurred on your farm – monies that were allegedly paid in lieu of the sale of your buffaloes – means that your answer has to exonerate you beyond any reasonable doubts. The court of public opinion, while often times an emotional and sensationalist court, does have elements of validity and truism associated with it and…

Should President Ramaphosa resign? No. He was on the cusp of resigning at around noon on Friday before being pulled back from the brink by his handlers, or keepers. If he did, we would have had a really lamentable Black Friday. I, frankly, am so gatvol at those who seek to derail the reform agenda of a disliked president that, frankly, if I were in his place I would have thrown in the towel to focus on fighting to preserve my mental health and human dignity. Besides that, I understand his wife, the First Lady, has had eye surgery. I suspect that aspects of the section 89 panel report are legally flawed. In truth, I say this under correction, without reading – correction, studying – the full three-volume…

THE festive season is a time for giving – and there is no gift more precious than blood for those who desperately need it. The SA National Blood Service (SANBS) is appealing to citizens to visit its centres to donate blood before the start of the festive season holidays and celebrations. SANBS spokesperson Khensani Mahlangu said blood stocks fluctuated throughout the year, and as the country entered the festive season, the SANBS wanted to remind South Africans of the importance of donating blood to help keep stocks at safe levels. Although December was a time of fun for most people, it was a difficult period for those patients who needed blood and blood products to lead regular lives, she said. SANBS senior marketing and communications manager Thandi Mosupye said blood…

THAWING of permafrost due to climate change may expose a store of ancient viruses, according to European researchers who say they found 13 previously unknown pathogens that were trapped in previously frozen ground in Siberia, Russia. They found one virus they estimated had been stranded under a lake more than 48 500 years ago, highlighting a potential danger from a warming planet and so-called “zombie” viruses. The team previously isolated ancient viruses from the permafrost and published their findings in 2015. This concentration of fresh viruses suggests such pathogens are probably more common in the tundra than previously believed. The researchers said there was a risk that viruses trapped in the permafrost for millennia could spread to humans and animals. | The Washington Post…

Two suspects, one of whom is wanted for other crimes, were arrested after police received a tip-off that they were about to carry out a farm attack in Vryheid on Saturday. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said members of the Anti-Stock Theft multidisciplinary team were performing their routine duties when they received information about a vehicle with two occupants who were allegedly on their way to attack a farm. Netshiunda said acting on the information, police conducted an operation and two suspects were cornered and arrested along the R69 Vryheid Road on Saturday afternoon. Police found the suspects in possession of two firearms with the serial numbers filed off, as well as ammunition. “Preliminary investigations have revealed that one of the suspects has been on the police’s wanted list…

SECTION27 is heading back to court to challenge the “lenient” sanctions issued by the South African Council of Educators (Sace) to teachers found guilty of corporal punishment. The public interest law centre has applied for leave to appeal an earlier Gauteng High Court judgment, concerning a review of the decisions by Sace in disciplinary proceedings against two teachers, who both pleaded guilty to corporal punishment. They had previously also sought systemic relief directing Sace to reconsider and revise its 2020 “Mandatory Sanctions on Contravention of the Code of Professional Ethics (Towards a robust SAGE Sanctioning Philosophy)” (Revised Mandatory Sanctions). The court dismissed the review application on the basis that it was “unreasonably delayed”, but granted the systemic relief. The organisation has now argued: “The question of delay in the absence…

Melbourne: Australian police charged a high-profile Islamic State suspect with six terrorism-related offences yesterday, two days after he was extradited from Turkey, officials said. Neil Christopher Prakash, 31, was accused of offences including engaging in hostile activity overseas, supporting a terrorist organisation, and advocating terrorism, police said. He was charged in Melbourne by a counter-terrorism team after landing in Australia on Friday following his extradition, federal police said in a statement. He was sentenced in 2019 to seven years in prison by a Turkish court, which found him guilty of belonging to a terrorist organisation. | AFP…

Gaza City: The Israeli air force said it had carried out overnight air strikes against sites of the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave towards Israeli territory. The Israeli army reported on Saturday evening that a rocket had been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, the first in a month. The attack came as one of Gaza’s larger armed factions, Islamic Jihad, threatened to retaliate after Israeli troops killed two of its leaders in the West Bank town of Jenin on Thursday. Israeli fighter jets targeted overnight “a weapons manufacturing site belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation”, the Israeli army said in a statement. | AFP…

Fifty-seven former hostages of a rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, some young women used as sex slaves, were reunited with their families on Saturday. They were freed last weekend after a large-scale Congolese-Ugandan military operation allowed them to escape the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), one of dozens of armed groups in the volatile region. The Ugandan and Congolese armies have led an offensive against the ADF in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri for more than a year. The former hostages, mostly women, were reunited with their families at a ceremony in Beni territory in North Kivu. “Kavira” – not her real name, 15, said the ADF kidnapped 25 people in her village of Kikingi, about 70km from Beni, in August last year. “Some were…

Iran has scrapped its morality police after more than two months of protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country’s strict female dress code, local media said yesterday. Women-led protests, labelled “riots” by the authorities, have swept Iran since the 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin died on September 16, three days after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran. “Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary” and have been abolished, Attorney-General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. His comment came at a religious conference where he responded to a participant who asked “why the morality police were being shut down”, the report said. The morality police – known formally as the Gasht-e Ershad…

The stress of pandemic lockdowns prematurely aged the brains of teenagers by at least three years and in ways similar to changes observed in children who have faced chronic stress and adversity, a study has found. The study, published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, was the first to compare scans of the physical structures of teenagers’ brains from before and after the pandemic started, and to document significant differences, said Ian Gotlib, lead author on the paper and a psychology professor at Stanford University. Researchers knew teens had higher “levels of depression, anxiety and fearfulness” than “before the pandemic. But we knew nothing about the effects on their brains,” said Gotlib, who is director of the Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect, and Psychopathology Laboratory. “We thought there might be effects similar…

BUSINESSES and residents in Margate, on the South Coast, are up in arms following a mass power outage that left parts of the area without power from Friday night. Businesses are concerned as they were expecting an influx of tourists. Eskom said a transformer was struck by lightning and power was expected to be restored by tomorrow. “The transformer was struck by lightning in the late hours of Friday and it failed all the tests conducted on Saturday. A new transformer has been ordered and the replacement will start later today with power estimated to be restored by Tuesday.” Eskom apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured customers the fault was being attended to with urgency. “Customers are urged to stay clear of any damaged infrastructure and to report faults.…

If the Abergil crime syndicate knew President Cyril Ramaphosa had over $4 million sewn into his lounge sofa, they would have had a feast and a big pay day. Not even a pride of angry African lions or a herd of marauding buffaloes could have stopped them on their high-powered motorbikes. But just who are the Abergil family whose leader and seven others were arrested by Interpol SA in South Africa a fortnight ago? The Abergil crime family is a crime organisation based in Israel, with cells around the world. They go where the grounds are most fertile for their illicit operations of carjacking, fraud, money laundering and drug smuggling. They would put George Clooney and his highly polished Oceans Eleven team to shame when it comes to embezzlement, extortion,…

AS the matric examination comes to an end, I would like to convey my sincere appreciation to all who have contributed to the matric class of 2022. According to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the class of 2022 has been the most negatively affected by learning disruptions to the schooling programme due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides the interruptions, amended assessment programme in Grade 10 and 11, and the adjustment of the school day and curriculum, these pupils also experienced the brunt of the hard lockdown when the pandemic began in March 2020. Hence, the teachers of the Class of 2022 need special praise and recognition and a big thank you for their efforts to help this disadvantaged cohort of matric pupils. To the pupils, it is only through…

Nine suspects were arrested during operation “Blood Orange”, a multidisciplinary integrated take-down conducted across Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo. The operation by the Hawks, crime intelligence units and the local criminal record centre led to the arrest of nine suspects aged between 22 and 61. The Hawks said the arrests came after in-depth investigations into the suspects’ financial affairs which were conducted in collaboration with KPMG. Two of the main accused, former game rangers Daniel Maluleke, 60, and Solly Ubisi, 46, were previously arrested in April this year on charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud linked to wildlife trafficking. It is alleged that the pair provided tactical information to rhino poaching syndicates in exchange for substantial sums of money which were transferred into the bank accounts of their family…

Consumers will have tough choices to make when it comes to hosting Christmas dinners this festive season as the cost of food production continues to increase due to global pressures, challenges in energy supply, and the negative effects of climate change. Dr Florence Nherera-Chokuda, of the National Emergent Red Meat Producers Organisation, said all economic indicators showed the country was in recession, so food prices would increase even further. “This is going to be yet another difficult Christmas. The unit cost of red meat will continue to rise, and both rural and urban dwellers will feel the pinch. It is time to reflect on the systems that we have for producing and selling food. “Rural farmers have to develop their own systems, with complete value chains, within the context of…

THE eThekwini metro police are set to open a new police station inside the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex (ICC) to “guarantee” the safety of investors and tourists coming to the city. The station is expected to be launched by eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda this week. Kaunda said it would boost the service offered to the community in and around the ICC. The move was welcomed by councillors, but they urged that the entire CBD be made a crime-free area, pointing out that the public had been victims of crime in and around that area. Deputy head of metro police Sbonelo Mchunu said the station would be well-resourced. He said 200 metro police trainees would be deployed to the station. “This station will be among our important…

Police have arrested 11 suspects and recovered three unlicensed firearms, ammunition and a truck with false registration plates after receiving a tip-off about a planned armed robbery. Police received information that the robbery was to take place at OR Tambo International Airport’s cargo section in Joburg on Friday night. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the suspects were observed as their 8-ton truck entered the Swissport area at the airport. “A total of 11 suspects were arrested following a joint intelligence-driven operation by the DPCI’s Tactical Operations Management Section with the assistance of Ekurhuleni District Operational Task Team, K9 Law Enforcement, and Bad Boy Security. “The team tactically contained the truck, and 11 suspects who were concealed behind empty cardboard boxes were arrested,” said Mogale. The airport management commended the…

DUBAI: Iran has executed four men convicted of co-operating with Israel’s spy agency Mossad, Iranian state media reported. The Islamic Republic has long accused arch-enemy Israel of covert operations on its soil. Tehran has recently accused Israeli and Western intelligence services of plotting a civil war in Iran, now in the grip of anti-government protests. The Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence handed to the four men “for co-operating with the intelligence services of the Zionist regime and for kidnapping”. Three other people were handed jail terms of between five and 10 years for acting against national security, aiding in kidnapping, and possessing illegal weapons. | Reuters…

MAIDUGURI: Gunmen in Nigeria killed a dozen worshippers, including an imam, and kidnapped several others from a mosque, local residents said yesterday, in the latest attack by armed gangs in the north of the country. Armed gangs, known as bandits, attack communities where security is stretched, killing people or kidnapping them for ransom. The gangs also demand villagers pay protection fees to be allowed to farm and harvest their crops. Katsina state police spokesperson Gambo Isah confirmed the attack and said state-backed vigilantes, with the support of some residents, had managed to rescue some worshippers. | Reuters…

The commander-in-chief of the Tigray rebel forces said that 65% of his forces had “disengaged”, a month after a ceasefire agreement over Ethiopia’s war-torn northern region. “We have started disengagement and relocation of our forces from battlelines ... out of our forces, 65 percent of them have passed through this process, disengaging from battlelines and moved to designated places,” said General Tadesse Worede, chief of staff of Tigray’s fighters. Tigray’s authorities had been resisting central rule for months when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused their leadership of attacking federal army camps and sent troops into the region in 2020. The conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and pro-Abiy forces – which include regional militias – has caused an untold number of deaths, forced more than 2…

Trailblazing blogger Yoani Sanchez said on Saturday that the Cuban regime has hit any sign of discontent with “repressive fury” and warned that a new penal code seeks to stifle independent journalists. Sanchez, who lives in Havana, said a flareup of street protests in 2021 jolted Cuba’s ruling party and led to strict controls. “Repressive fury was unleashed. We have more than 1 000 political prisoners,” Sanchez said during a panel at the International Book Fair of Guadalajara, a major annual trade and ideas forum. Sanchez said she was worried about the impact of a new penal code approved by Cuba’s parliament last May that went into effect last week. “The most harmed, the main victim (of this code) is independent journalism, information and the free flow of news,”…

Brazil forward Neymar is set to play for the five-time champions in their World Cup last-16 match against South Korea tonight after recovering from an ankle injury, coach Tite said. Neymar suffered the injury in Brazil’s opening 2-0 win over Serbia, which ruled him out of their 1-0 win over Switzerland and the shock defeat by Cameroon, one of a series of injury problems within the squad. Fullback Danilo was also cleared by the medical staff for the game against South Korea. “Neymar will train today in the afternoon and if he trains well he will play,” Tite said yesterday. Neymar has suffered many issues with his right foot and underwent surgery four years ago for a fractured metatarsal. The news of his return to the starting line-up came after…

Eddie Moore endeared himself to Newlands faithful yesterday with a battling 94 to take Western Province over the line by four wickets in their One-Day Cup encounter with the Dolphins. Moore was playing in his first List A game for his new province since moving from the Warriors during the off-season. The 29-year-old not only anchored the pursuit of 227 for victory, but also showed great courage to bat on after being struck on the ankle by a wayward Dolphins shy at the stumps. It was clear that Moore was in severe pain, particularly as he hobbled through for every single on one leg for the last five overs. And even though he was caught on the long-on boundary with Province still needing four runs to win, the gritty left-hander…