Table of contents for 2021-12-13 in Cape Times

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za RMB Holdings (RMH) has rejected offers to buy its last remaining major assets in RMB Properties, the group said Friday. It said it would continued to try to monetise its last major investments in RMH Properties, but weak property fundamentals in South Africa might affect the timing, the company said in its interim results for the six months to September 30. RMH unbundled its investment in FirstRand in June 2020. Its subsidiary Rand Merchant Investment Holdings also recently announced the unbundling of interests in Discovery and Momentum Metropolitan, in line with a strategy to liberate investments at the appropriate stage, and to achieve the best value reflection. In October, RMH was approached to sell various property assets but its board said on Friday that these approaches had…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE Competition Commission has announced an agreement with two of the three major pathology laboratory companies, Ampath and Lancet, to reduce with, immediate effect, the price of Covid-19 PCR tests to R500 from R850 following a three-month probe that revealed excessive profiteering. Competition Commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele said at a briefing the investigation started in October – following a complaint from the Council for Medical Schemes that the price of PCR tests – widely used by doctors and other institutions, and which are also becoming a requirement for international travel, was “unfairly inflated, exorbitant and unjustifiable”. He said the commission had not yet reached agreement with the third of the large pathology laboratory companies Pathcare. Bonakele described their negations with Pathcare as full of “legalese”, but hoped a…

From page 1 “Also (acting municipal manager, Morne) Hoogbaard wants to mislead the public to focus on officials other than themselves, hence the demand from my lawyers that Council is not acting consistently and seems to choose to be biased towards officials that are members of ICOSA,” he said. Butler said they were “obligated” to cooperate with the Hawks. Frieslaar-Andrew said she was first suspended on September 8, 2021 for allegedly “using her influence to get a salary raise”. She said she then received a letter on November 30 informing her that her suspension would be extended until March 8, 2022. She claimed Hoogbaard had called her and accused her of “being friends with the Hawks”. “The first thing he said was ‘you drew the line…

Mashudu Sadike INTELLIGENCE-driven operations have seen 12 suspected wild animal poachers arrested in and around the Kruger National Park (KNP) within the past month alone, authorities said. In a spate of rhino killings across the country recently, the SANParks reported that its Environmental Crime Investigation (ECI) Unit in collaboration with the Hawks conducted a series of intelligence-driven operations which led to the arrests. A search is currently on for the poachers who massacred four rhinos, one a pregnant female, at the Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, just outside Cape Town; as SANParks yesterday said its rhino dehorning team made a gruesome discovery of a badly mutilated female rhino in the KNP on Thursday, and it was aware of a video circulating on social media depicting the severely injured white rhino cow.…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za TWO senior Kannaland municipality officials believe their suspensions were linked to them having “worked with the Hawks,” leading to the arrests of four former senior managers on various charges. Chief financial officer (CFO) Roland Butler and Head of Personnel Services Johanalie Frieslaar-Andrew claimed the arrests had “triggered” their suspensions. But Kannaland municipality mayor Jeffrey Donson, a convicted rapist facing mounting pressure to step down from his position, has refuted the pair’s claim as false, saying they were suspended due to “personal issues” he could not comment on. The four senior managers recently appeared in the Ladismith Magistrate’s Court and were released on R15 000 bail each. The matter was postponed to January 26, 2022 in the Oudtshoorn Regional Court. It is alleged…

Barbie Sandler | Constantia I GET so cross when I read every year about young doctors not being placed for their internship year. How can this happen year after year? We are desperate for doctors at all our hospitals, so this is a national disgrace. It is one of the hardest, longest of degrees and one can imagine what these young people are feeling when they hear nothing from the powers that be. According to the article, there are 2 300 doctors not placed. They knew more or less how many doctors had to be placed but now they keep saying there is no money. What? But they find funds for other things, so why can they not find it for these young people? Junior doctors are…

Keabetswe Kganticoe AT AN ANC-SACP rally in 2008, then Bushbuckridge Mayor Milton Morema proudly proclaimed that the ANC will rule until Jesus returns. Morema’s words were repeated by former ANC President Jacob Zuma in 2016. Many will be waiting to see the return of Jesus following the massive decline of the ANC support in the November 1 local government elections. Since the 2007 conference of the party, its leadership and membership demonstrated an uncanny ability to misread the political direction the country is taking. Understood in this context, the words of Morema and Zuma demonstrated the failure of the ruling party to notice the ground shifting under its feet. The poor showing of the party in the this year’s local government elections is a continuation of a long decline…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za NOODLE supplier Grandisnyc cc may face an administrative fine of 10% of its total annual turnover, or R1 million – whichever is the greater. This comes as the National Consumer Commission (NCC) on Friday announced it would initiate a probe into the company’s conduct, after five children died after consuming its Howe-branded two-minute noodles. The NCC said it would probe Grandisync cc, based in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, to determine any negligence. Three children in the Eastern Cape and two siblings from Mpumalanga died last month, after allegedly consuming the noodles. Thezi Mabuza, the acting National Consumer Commissioner, said based on information from other regulators and the supplier itself, they had reasonable grounds to believe the company had supplied unsafe goods that posed a potential risk…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za “Revolutionaries do not retire”. These were the words that resonated through the ceremony held for retired cop and former head of the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit, Major-General Andre Lincoln, at the Bishop Lavis Sports Field yesterday. The ceremony was organised by the Bishop Lavis Community Police Forum (CPF) and other community organisations who wanted to thank Lincoln for his “unselfish contribution to his communities“. Lincoln, seated in his wheelchair after recently having both his legs amputated due to health complications, proudly wore his Rod Bearers Motorcycle Club colours. An avid biker and active member of the fraternity, and now president and founder of the Rod Bearers MCC strictly for law enforcement members, Lincoln retired from SAPS service at the end of October after nearly 40 years in…

NO MATTER what spin Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana puts on it, the concluding statement on the annual IMF Article IV consultation on South Africa on December 8 betrays a huge divide between the National Treasury and the International Monetary Fund’s recipes for tackling the country’s economic woes. South Africa’s relationship with the IMF is deeply rooted in politics and ideology. One of Nelson Mandela’s red lines was to embrace the IMF with a begging bowl. Covid-19 ostensibly put paid to that, but the real reason is that the Zuma kleptocracy had depleted Treasury coffers to such an extent that the country had no option but to accede to a $4.3 billion (R68.7bn) IMF Rapid Financing Instrument in July 2020 or alternatively to tap more expensive debt from the international markets.…

Top officials in West arrogantly and irresponsibly speak of war as if it were trivial ONCE again, we witnessed the phenomenal ability of Western mainstream media to ignore the reality and pretend that some things never happened and some events never took place, regardless of how important those things and events might have been. We have already touched upon this phenomenon in one of the previous “Alternative Viewpoint” entries, and now we believe it is time to speak about it in more detail as recently we’ve seen a perfect reason to discuss it. What we are referring to is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech at a plenary session of the 18th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club – a Moscow-based think tank and discussion forum, established in 2004.…

LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange suffered a stroke in a London prison during a high court appearance via a video link, while fighting extradition to the US, his fiancée Stella Moris said on Twitter. “(He) suffered a stroke on the first day of the … appeal hearing on October 27th. He needs to be freed. Now,” Moris said. On Friday, the high court ruled in favour of a US appeal to extradite Assange. The case will be remitted to the Westminster Magistrate’s Court with direction that a district judge will send the case to the secretary of state, who will decide on extradition.…

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered his country’s armed forces to immediately recall all US weapons and equipment from service and either destroy or mothball them. On Friday, in a post on Facebook, the prime minister sarcastically “thanked” the US for the restrictions, saying they proved the correctness of his decision in 1994 “not to change the existing Cambodian weapons systems to buy US weapons systems.” “I would like to issue an order to all armed units to immediately review the weapons and military equipment that Cambodia currently has to collect all US military weapons and equipment, if any, to store it or take it and destroy it,” Hun Sen said. “Those who used to use American weapons systems lost wars, such as during the Khmer Republic of Lon…

Hong Kong: Three jockeys were taken to hospital and two horses died after a horror fall marred the Group One Hong Kong Sprint yesterday, one of the highlights of the prestigious International Races at the famous Sha Tin track. The distressing incident, in the fifth contest on Hong Kong’s biggest day of racing, came as Lyle Hewitson’s mount Amazing Star broke down as the field turned to enter the home straight. Gallopers Lucky Patch, ridden by Zac Purton, Naboo Attack under Karis Teetan and Pixie Knight with Yuichi Fukunaga on board were caught in the melee and sent sprawling. Amazing Star and Naboo Attack were euthanised.…

Kentucky residents, many without power, gas or even a roof over their heads, woke yesterday to a landscape scarred by a string of powerful tornadoes that officials fear killed at least 100 people while obliterating buildings, homes and anything else in their way. Authorities said they had little hope of finding survivors beneath the rubble. Instead rescue workers, volunteers and residents were due to begin the long process of recovering what they could and clearing out fields of debris. At least 100 people were believed to have been killed in Kentucky alone after the tornadoes tore a 320km path through the US Midwest and South on Friday night. Six workers were killed at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. A nursing home was struck in Missouri. More than 70 000 people…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za The holidays bring friends, family, celebration, and cheer to your home – sometimes unexpectedly. Keep a selection of wines on hand so that when the need arises, you’ll have them ready to go. Last week we shared a list of wines to try this summer. Below we give you another list of quality wines, courtesy of the director of South Africa’s fine wine merchant, Wine Cellar, James Pietersen, and his expert team. They suggest you keep these on hand for the festive season. Vergelegen GVB White 2019 There’s no better wine style to enjoy over the festive season than wines from South Africa’s exciting “Bordeaux white” category. These Bordeaux-inspired blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon not only mature and evolve over years, but they are great…

Marsha Dean marsha.Dean@inl.co.za WITH the financial pressure that the festive season brings upon families, two Elsies River non-profit organisations have once again chosen to dig into their own pockets to cater for the less fortunate by hosting a Christmas lunch. The Christmas lunches take place on December 16 every year, when the Voed n Mondjie, and Jolene’s Foundation, also appeal to members of the community for any form of donations to make the initiative happen. Chairperson and organiser for Jolene’s Foundation, Charmaine Alexander, will host her fifth Christmas dinner for children aged between 3 and 12 years. “A lot of our children do not even have food or something to eat for Christmas and I just want to change their lives by making them feel special with a small present,”…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za ACTIVISTS have reacted with shock to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe’s comments that objections to developments, including the controversial Shell seismic survey, was “apartheid and colonialism of a special type masquerading as a great interest for environmental protection”. Mantashe last week threw his weight behind the Shell seismic survey on the Wild Coast. “South Africa deserves the opportunity to capitalise on its natural resources including oil and gas, as these resources have proved to be game-changers elsewhere. We consider the objections to these developments as apartheid and colonialism of a special type masquerading as a great interest for environmental protection,” he said. He said that the country’s economic development was oppressed in the name of environmental protection when there was an environmental framework that ensured…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za AFTER 23 years since they lodged a claim dispossessed residents of Vaalplaas in Paternoster on the West Coast were overjoyed to finally take ownership of their land in what they described as an historic event at the weekend. In a big ceremony with residents expressing new hope for the future, Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza handed over the title deeds for erf 15 and portions 17, 20 and 22 of the farm Uitkomst in the area to the Vaalplaas Communal Property Association (CPA). The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said the Vaalplaas community lost their land rights when competition between land and sea resources led to the dispossession of the coloured fishing community of Vaalplaas in terms of proclamation No. 4 of 1967 of…

MICHAEL BAGRAIM | Highlands Estate YOUR Wednesday edition “Junior doctors in the dark as internships are still not finalised” refers. Every single year we see the same story. Every single year the Department of Health tells us that it doesn’t have enough money. This story is incredibly strange as the Department of Health has imported doctors from Cuba at enormous costs. These costs are for travel, accommodation and subsistence. Over and above this the Cuban doctors are paid a fortune. When we ask questions of the National Department of Health they are silent. Hopefully, the SA Medical Association can challenge the national Department of Health and ensure that our medical professionals are able to get their placement for internship training. The government repeats this story in every…

MFEZEKO BUNU | Khayelitsha PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed the accusations made by Terror Lekota that unlike many of his Struggle compatriots he was treated with kid gloves by the apartheid regime, particularly when instead of being sent to Robben Island with his co-inmates he was sent straight home. Many black Struggle heroes were callously murdered while Ramaphosa’s present-day hero De Klerk was a leading member of the vile apartheid regime. Bantu Biko, Mangaliso Sobukwe, Solomon Mahlangu to mention just a few met their untimely deaths at the hands of De Klerk’s party, and these unforgettable heroes were never given state memorial services. But a murderer who steadfastly refused to admit that apartheid was a crime against humanity is given a state memorial service sponsored by the…

Odwa Mkentane odwa.mkentane@inl.co.za EMPOLWENI informal settlement residents in Khayelitsha have taken safety into their own hands and demolished over 20 unoccupied structures after a body was found nearby. The angry residents said unoccupied shacks had become dumping sites for human bodies. Community activist Bulelani Qolani said criminals took advantage of the unused shacks. “The unoccupied shacks are inviting criminals to do their dirty work without being identified or noticed. “Some people left the area because of the sewer and never came back even after it was fixed, so the criminals are taking advantage of the fact that the owners don’t live in the area anymore. “We have given some of the owners two options – either they come back and stay or we demolish their shacks. “We have demolished…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula has shielded the taxi industry from blame for the “slow uptake” of the programme intended to scrap old and unsafe taxis. Data released by Mbalula showed that fewer taxis were scrapped during each of the last four financial years, while the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (TRP) remained in place. The government launched the TRP in 2006, aiming to scrap 135 894 unroadworthy minibus taxis. Owners receive R124 000 for each old taxi dismantled. Only 766 old and unsafe taxis were scrapped across the country during 2018/19, while the number increased to 1 943 over 2019/20. The financial year 2020/21 saw 1 804 unsafe taxis scrapped. “There was no scrapping of vehicles during April and May 2020 due to the hard lockdown imposed during Covid,”…

AROUND the globe, the severe restrictions imposed on people as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns have resulted in a backlash against authorities as infections rise and new variants emerge. The infringing on civil liberties for the greater good can be frustrating. And two years since the virus was detected, dealing with the long-lasting effects of a voracious pandemic was expected to test the resilience of the scientists and front-line workers who are fighting the pandemic, but also the people whose way of life has changed so dramatically in that time. Images of groups of people gathering are becoming more commonplace, even in the face of new threats in the form of new variants or a spike in infection numbers. Health Minister Joe Phaahla said early data showed patients admitted during…

Liverpool: The G7 yesterday said time was running out for Iran to agree on a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions, and warned Russia about the consequences of invading Ukraine. Foreign ministers from the world’s richest nations have held a two-day meeting in Liverpool in north-west England seeking to present a strong, united front against global threats. On Iran, G7 host Britain said the resumed talks in Vienna were the Islamic Republic’s “last chance to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution”. “There is still time for Iran to come and agree this deal,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told a news conference as talks wrapped up. Negotiations restarted on Thursday to try to revive the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers, which the US withdrew from under…

LOS ANGELES: Gugu Mbatha-Raw wants to “find more balance” in her life. The Loki actress is looking forward to having some time off to “replenish” and has vowed to do more to ensure she gets downtime in the future. She said: “My ambition right now? Honestly, just to replenish. This year has been amazing but I’ve worked back to back and I’ve learned that you can’t constantly go through life at 100 miles an hour. You have to protect your downtime. My ambition now is really to find more balance, so that I have something left to give, you know?” The 38-year-old star has also taken on a role as a producer on her new four-part TV show The Girl Before and she “loved” getting to voice her opinions. She…

CANBERRA: Thousands of Australians took to the streets in Sydney, News South Wales (NSW) state, and Melbourne’s central business district (CBD), Victoria state, to challenge vaccination mandates and Victoria’s new pandemic laws. The crowds protested against a bill passed last week that will allow public orders for mask-wearing and vaccination mandates, lockdowns and quarantines. The bill would come into effect on Wednesday. The protesters stressed that the protests were not anti-vaxxer, but pro-choice. Positive Covid cases in the country are on the rise despite 89.2% of people over 16 having been vaccinated. Australia’s total number of infections rose to 15 724.…

GENEVA: More than half a billion people globally were pushed into extreme poverty last year as they paid for health costs out of their own pockets during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization and the World Bank said yesterday. The pandemic disrupted health services globally and triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, making it even more difficult for people to pay for healthcare, the organizations said. “All governments must accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of financial consequences,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.…

Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za AVI, the South African food producer and fashion retailer, took a beating on the JSE on Friday, which saw its shares tumble nearly 6 percent to R73.85 as the market booed the announcement that discussions with US snacks and confectionery giant Mondelez International had been terminated and it had withdrawn its trading cautionary. Last month AVI said discussions with US snacks and confectionery giant Mondelez International had progressed regarding the potential acquisition of its Snackworks division. AVI’s Snackworks division consists of popular brands such as Bakers, Baumann’s, Pyotts and Provita, which are an iconic part of South Africa’s biscuit history. The Mondelez portfolio of brands includes Cadbury Dairy Milk and Oreo cookies, among others. However, to add to the injury earlier in the day, AVI announced…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za Was I the only parent in the world who didn’t know what Elf on the Shelf was? When my 8-year-old daughter came home from school one day, asking if she could please get an Elf on the Shelf, I had no idea what she was talking about. With Christmas rapidly approaching, her gift wish list seems to be getting longer by the day. I’m constantly updated on what’s new on the toy scene. From bags with moving eyes to noisy pop tubes, it can be difficult to keep up. This is why I assumed the elf was a toy or a Christmas decoration. After a few long my-day-at-school stories, I discovered that this was in fact a very special elf. Here’s what she told me about…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@iinl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has described SA’s last apartheid president FW de Klerk as courteous, respectful and committed. While the injustices of the past should not be forgotten, Ramaphosa emphasised that De Klerk played a role in the country’s democratic transition. Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy at De Klerk’s state memorial service at the Groote Kerk in Cape Town yesterday. The president reflected on the day that the democratic Constitution was signed into law by former president Nelson Mandela in Sharpeville on December 10, 1996, and said De Klerk was seated not too far from Mandela. “His presence on that day, to bear witness to the signing of the Constitution that would be the foundation of a free South Africa, was deeply significant. His presence was a measure of…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za THE agreement by two pathology laboratories to reduce their prices for Covid-19 PCR tests for the next two years to R500 including VAT, has been welcomed by industry partners. It forms part of the terms of two separate consent agreements which the Competition Commission yesterday announced it had concluded with Ampath and Lancet Laboratories. Both labs will also be required to submit compliance reports setting out the prices charged for PCR tests and any material changes in costs to the Commission every three months. The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) in October lodged a complaint with the Commission, saying private laboratories were charging between R850-R900 for a Covid-19-test. The investigation focused on Ampath, Lancet and PathCare and revealed that while prices decreased across pathology suppliers, pathology groups…

| Royco.co.za Ingredients 2 leeks thinly sliced 250 g brown mushrooms sliced 60 ml oil 2-3 chicken breast fillets sliced Royco Creamy Mushroom Pour Over Sauce 2-3 sheets phyllo pastry 45 ml butter or margarine melted Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Fry leeks and mushrooms in ½ the oil. Place in a 20cm oven-proof dish. Stir-fry chicken in the rest of the oil. Season and add to the leeks and mushrooms. Prepare Royco® sauce according to packet instructions. Stir into the chicken and mushroom mixture. Brush each phyllo sheet well with melted butter / margarine, then cut into 4 strips. Scrunch each strip into a loose ball and place on top of the chicken mixture. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until the phyllo is golden.…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg THE Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa) has called for the restriction of numbers at gatherings and not a total ban on alcohol sales. While I support Saapa’s idea of restricting numbers at gatherings, banning alcohol at public gatherings would also help in curbing the spread of the virus and reducing road fatalities. Drunk driving is a major problem on South African roads and stricter laws need to be implemented to prevent the driving of a motor vehicle, truck or bus while under the influence of alcohol. Why should lives be lost due to someone else’s recklessness? Drunk drivers are irresponsible about their actions, are murderers and they should be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty of drunken driving that causes loss of…

E. Ross | Strand WHILE the efforts of the ANC and EFF are direct about expropriation of property, the DA tends to be subtle in changing the public space of Strand Beach into an exclusive use area for those living close by. These are mostly white people, because the people of colour had been removed during the Apartheid era and many could not move back because of rising prices. First: presently, there are fewer toilets on the beach than there were 40 years ago. Two large restroom complexes had been removed with nothing in its place. The few toilets left close early, and the Einsteins at the council cannot work out a plan to have them open at least until after sunset. Which means that you either have…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za THE City’s recently gazetted Animal Keeping By-law, which directs that all dogs and cats over six months must be sterilised, unless the owner obtains a permit from the City, has been met with mixed reaction. It has also garnered some criticism over how it would be enforced when “backyard breeders” can still use online marketplace websites and possibly bypass local authorities. The new by-law states: “Keeping, breeding, or selling any animal within the scope of business or economic activities requires an authorisation from the City.“An application to keep an unsterilised animal must be in writing on a prescribed form, in accordance with relevant City Policies and Standard Operating Procedures and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee.” The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa (AWSSA) said the…

A former Portuguese bank head who vanished to escape a jail sentence for tax fraud and other crimes in his home country has been captured in KwaZulu-Natal three months after he disappeared, police said at the weekend. Portuguese criminal investigation agency PJ said Joao Rendeiro was the ex-president of the small private investment bank Banco Privado Português (BPP). Portugal does not have an extradition treaty with South Africa but there is a co-operation agreement between the two countries that would allow authorities to bring him back, PJ director Luis Neves said at a news conference. He said Rendeiro had spent time in luxury hotels in Johannesburg and other cities, and had used pricey communication technologies to hide his location. The SAPS said Rendeiro was arrested in uMhlanga Rocks on Saturday.…

Edmond Phiri On November 29, Anton Harber, a Wits journalism professor, launched a vitriolic attack against Independent Media and its chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé. The Harber attacks are not new, but a continuation of long-waged acts of terror against Survé and his companies. History reveals that Harber’s attack has nothing to do with what he wrote. His primary aim is to inflict maximum reputational harm to Independent Media. The carefully co-ordinated attacks launched using opposition media are nothing but corporate sabotage and “corporate terrorism”. While some might argue that it is not terrorism, the effect is the same, except that corporate space is the arena where the acts of terror are conducted. The barrage of negative media reports against Dr Survé and his group of companies is meant…

Thirteen people have been killed and 17 were rescued following a shipwreck overnight on the Congo River near the Ibali village, Mai-Ndombe province, in the Western Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Crispin Ipondo Bonda, provincial minister in charge of the interior and security affairs, a boat from Kinshasa sailing for Inongo, capital of Mai-Ndombe, was shaken by a strong wind that led to the sinking. “According to the emergency report, 30 passengers were on board; 13 people died and 17 have been rescued,” he said, adding that the strong wind was the cause of the accident. Three shipwrecks have already taken place over the past two months on the Congo River in the Mai-Ndombe province. Shipwrecks are recurrent across the DRC, particularly on the Congo River, where night-time…

NEW DELHI: Twenty years ago, Parliament, the supreme legislative body of India, witnessed a dastardly terror attack that shook the conscience of the country to its core. The horror of the day, December 13, 2001, is still fresh in the minds of the people of the country. Five terrorists of the Pakistan-based militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) infiltrated the premises in a White Ambassador bearing fake stickers of the Home Ministry and Parliament itself. It would not be wrong to say that at the time, the security system at Parliament was as stringent as it is today. Carrying AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, pistols and grenades, the terrorists breached through security cordons deployed around Parliament complex. As they further drove the car inside, one of the staff members, Constable…

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities yesterday put on show what they said was the world’s largest natural corundum blue sapphire, weighing 310 kilograms, which was found in a gem pit about three months ago. Local gemologists, who have examined the sapphire, said it was one of the rarest gems in the world as it weighed more than 300 kilograms. International organisations are yet to certify the precious stone. The sapphire was put on display at the home of one of the gem pit owners in Horana, 65kmsouth of Colombo. A group of Buddhist monks chanted blessings for the gemstone before it was unveiled.…

Lille: Fishermen in northern France have threatened to disrupt British imports in a bid to increase pressure on London to grant them more licences for UK waters. Britain agreed to issue another 23 licences to French fishermen at the weekend, a step aimed at easing tensions between the neighbours who have been at loggerheads over the issue for the last six months. But France believes it is entitled to around 80 more UK licences and a group representing fishermen in the key port of Boulogne-sur-Mer and others along the northern coast said late on Saturday that they would launch protests “in line with blockades of ports”.…