Table of contents for 2021-09-28 in Mercury

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za A group claiming to be members of the now defunct Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKVA), supported by other organisations, led a march in Durban yesterday protesting against mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, proposed vaccine passports, and demanding the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The protesters have established an umbrella body, the People’s Revolutionary Movement (PRM), which includes organisations such as the Unity Group, Phepha, the SACP and the Unemployed Graduates Movement (UGM). The group threw their masks outside the Durban High Court and set them alight, claiming that vaccines and the use of masks was a government method of killing people. Nhlanhla Buthelezi, president of the PRM KZN region, said the group was protesting against what it had seen as a deliberate attempt to impose vaccinations on…

The ROLLING Stones kicked off the US leg of their No Filter tour on Sunday with a video tribute to their late drummer Charlie Watts. The veteran British band, on their first tour since 1963 without Watts, displayed photos and video of him on huge projectors at the St Louis, Missouri, arena accompanied by a drum solo soundtrack. As the crowd of some 60 000 shouted “Charlie”, “Charlie”, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood bounded on to the stage for their opening number Street Fighting Man. “It was quite emotional seeing those pictures of Charlie upon the screen. This is our first tour that we’ve ever done without him,” said Jagger, holding hands onstage with Richards. He thanked fans for their messages of support and tributes to Watts, saying…

MARGE MITCHELL | Hillcrest I VISIT the Durban CBD travelling from Hillcrest every six months or so. I did so today and I was shocked at the difference in riding quality and general road condition between the N3 national road managed by Sanral, and the Western Freeway managed by the municipality. In an instant, the smooth ride on the N3 is rudely interrupted by the atrocious ride on the Western Freeway shortly after passing through the “4-level” interchange travelling eastwards. This section of road has numerous places where the riding course is peeling off, there are small potholes, and the road markings are barely visible. I doubt whether the Western Freeway has seen any maintenance for five or more years. The rest of the municipal roads are not…

FAROUK ARAIE | Johannesburg The political circus is in full swing as political trapeze artists visit neglected areas in a five-year ritual to garner your vote with lofty promises that ooze with deception and monumental lies. We need to cleanse the political system if we are to survive in the difficult years ahead. Our country needs a new economic vision to overhaul and restructure our state-owned enterprises. Institutions that cannot be salvaged must be disposed of. Any return to a trustworthy governance system across the political landscape will require a herculean leadership that will direct a divided nation. Our past political parties, far from being stable platforms, have proven to be nebulous entities that can be set up, merged with others, slit, regurgitated, reconstructed, renamed, repackaged, recycled or…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za Nine asylum seekers can renew their appeal for refugee status after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled on how refugee applications must be dealt with and adjudicated. The asylum seekers, who fled Somalia, sought an order reviewing and setting aside decisions of the Refugee Appeal Board (RAB) after they were refused refugee status. As ordered by the SCA, the applicants’ appeals were referred to the RAB for fresh hearings to commence no later than October 4, with decisions to be made by November 5 this year. The appeal dealt with the legality and fairness of the process adopted by the RAB, including whether it complied with its duty to assist asylum seekers to get evidence and information for decisions it had to take. In their founding…

The Durban metro police have welcomed the 20-year jail term handed to a former constable who shot dead his ex-girlfriend using his service pistol. Constable Ndumiso Simiso Khumalo, 31, was sentenced to 20 years by the Pietermaritzburg High Court. He was found guilty of shooting his ex, Zinhle Muthwa, in January last year with his service pistol. Metro police spokesperson Parboo Sewpersad said they welcomed the sentence and would not tolerate any form of gender-based violence, saying that officers were supposed to uphold the law, not break it. He confirmed the officer had been employed by the metro police for 10 years. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the couple were in a relationship but broke up in 2019 after he suspected her of being unfaithful. |…

Sihle Mavuso and Sibusiso Mboto DESPITE the internal divisions within the Zulu royal household, the sister of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini has frowned on the decision of the KwaZulu-Natal government to freeze funds for all royal cultural events. Princess Thembi Zulu-Ndlovu who is backing Prince Simakade to take the throne that is currently occupied by King Misuzulu, albeit on a de facto basis as he has not been officially coronated, said the decision took them by surprise as they were not consulted. Cultural experts and historians, meanwhile, believe that the decision by the KZN government would have an impact on how the royal household conducted its work. On Sunday, the provincial government led by Sihle Zikalala publicly announced that it would freeze the funding until the fight for the…

EVER since our liberators came to power in 1994, nothing was and will ever be spared by unco-operative forces to unseat them, by hook or by crook, even if it means taking our country down. Our country had numerous chances to correct its course away from narrow, selfish destinations, but 1994 was our last chance to set our course correctly once and for all. Unfortunately, what was decided at Codesa was not carried out by all participants. Some went there in bad faith only to carry on with their old ways. Unfortunately, it was never foreseen that things could go wrong as they did, as we can see all around us, begging the questions: Where did we go wrong? And, how do we correct it? Didn’t the Nobel Commission reward…

PARIS: Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s personal guard contingent has been beefed up amid concerns he might be the target of attack or abduction by organised crime units, De Telegraaf newspaper reported yesterday. The measure was taken after the “spotters” hired by criminal organisations to prepare the ground for an attack or abduction – were seen around Rutte, the newspaper reported, adding that these “spotters” are affiliated with the Moroccan mafia. Rutte often uses a bicycle while moving around The Hague without personal protection. But now trained officers of the Royal and Diplomatic Protection Service will ensure his security.…

Berlin: Germany yesterday braced for a period of political unpredictability after the Social Democrats narrowly won a general election but faced a rival claim to power from outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative camp. For a country synonymous with stability after 16 years of Merkel’s steady leadership, the coming weeks and months promise to be a rocky ride as both Finance Minister Olaf Scholz’s SPD and the conservatives led by Armin Laschet scramble for coalition partners. The power struggle risks putting Germany out of play in the international scene for some time, even though the upcoming COP26 climate summit will be demanding action from the world’s biggest powers. Europe’s largest economy will also hold the presidency of the G7 club of rich nations next year, and will need a government capable…

LONDON: Daniel Craig can see a long future for the Knives Out franchise. The James Bond actor is set to return as Detective Benoit Blanc in two sequels to Rian Johnson’s 2019 whodunit, after Netflix agreed a big-money deal for the rights and hinted that he could play the sleuth for years to come. Speaking at a Bafta: A Life In Pictures event, Daniel said: “I talked to Rian the other day; we’ve got this crazy deal with Netflix, that’s great. I said, ‘What’s beyond that?’ He said: ‘Do you want to do another one?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, if you will.’”…

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a public warning yesterday that a growing number of pain medications bought on the black market are laced with the synthetic opioid fentanylor and the stimulant methamphetamine, driving overdose deaths to record levels. DEA administrator Anne Milgram said: “We are in the midst of an overdose crisis, and counterfeit pills are driving much of it.” The US saw a record number of drug overdose deaths last year – more than 93 000, which marked an increase of almost 30% from 2019. Officials said the DEA hasn’t issued such a public safety alert since 2015, when the agency warned that agents were seeing an alarming amount of heroin laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl, even in much smaller amounts, is deadlier than street heroin. The new…

Morgan Bolton morgan.bolton@inl.co.za Rugby Championship For just over 70 minutes, the Springboks relentlessly bombed the All Blacks into submission, executing a highly tactical kicking game, that although frustrating to watch at times, had the South Africans within a whisker of beating their old foes. In the end, it was not the game plan that resulted in the narrowest of defeats, but rather some poor decision-making and game management in the final 10 minutes that was arguably too reliant, too set in stone, and too instinctive to fall back upon when perhaps playing in the moment and what was in front of the Boks was the better option. There is very little reason to believe that this approach will change this Saturday against the All Blacks in the return match…

Bang Showbiz Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip “loved” things going “wrong” on royal engagements. The monarch and her late husband – who died in April aged 99 – couldn’t help but see the funny side when things didn’t run smoothly and would find it “exciting” if something didn’t go according to plan. This was among the anecdotes shared in a documentary, Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers. The documentary, which was originally conceived to mark Prince Philip’s 100th birthday, features interviews filmed both before and after the Duke’s death in April. Speaking in the documentary, which aired recently on BBC One, Prince William said of his late grandfather: “He enjoys playing practical jokes and foolery. “My grandparents love when things go wrong. You can imagine, they have lived…

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Grimes have broken up after three years together, Page Six reported. The SpaceX founder confirmed that he and the Canadian singer are “semi-separated” but remain on good terms and continue to co-parent their one-year-old son, the epically named X Æ A-12 Musk. “We are semi-separated but still love each other, see each other frequently and are on great terms,” Musk told Page Six on Saturday. “It’s mostly that my work at SpaceX and Tesla requires me to be primarily in Texas or traveling overseas and her work is primarily in LA. Page Six first revealed in May 2018 that Musk and Grimes were dating. They welcomed their son in May 2020. They were last seen together at the Met Gala earlier this month,…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za ARTISTS have vowed to return for sit-ins at the National Arts Council (NAC) offices after an independent forensic investigation into the misappropriation of funds to help artists during lockdown revealed that some applicants received more money than they should have, while other artists are still waiting for theirs. The R300 million Presidential Employment Stimulus Package (Pesp) programme was announced following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. It later emerged that some of the funds allocated to artists had been mismanaged. There were complaints that some artists did not get any money. Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa appointed a new council in January this year. The new NAC Council discovered several issues, including: u Applicants being approved and contracted for more funding than…

YESTERDAY I wrote that there are more than two sides to every story, conflict, misunderstanding and battle. I tried to express that we are each complex, deep and multifaceted. We are forever changing, learning (I hope) and revisioning our lives, re-evaluating our memories, and refocusing our efforts. Shifts, minimal and radical, can motivate or even force a change in direction. Marriages, births and deaths inspire or demand dramatic changes. A new house, a new job, the loss of a promotion or the loss of an opportunity can also bring change, wanted or unwanted. All shifts influence how we see ourselves, how we see and treat others, how we see the world about us. And, others are just as much in transition and change as we ourselves are. Under stress and…

GLEN CHRISTIE | Durban North THIS country has a serious problem when it comes to how our judiciary operates and the various other related organs of state. Lies and corruption never fail to amaze. It seems to be an inherited culture and blood line of the ANC. We read that Jacob Zuma has been back on his sprawling homestead since Wednesday, to party the weekend away and develop another way of getting himself back into pulling the strings of the ANC. The biggest question here arises from the statements or lies made by those involved with his mysterious life-threatening disease that he needs six months to recover from. If this were the case it then stands to reason that he would need 24-hour monitoring especially as his condition…

TAPIWA MUSKWE | United Kingdom WE HAVE just celebrated the International Day of Peace on September 21. It is worth remembering that in Zimbabwe there is no peace as citizens have been ravaged by appalling economic conditions. Activists, critics of the government, civic society members and trade unionists continue to be persecuted by state agents. MP Joana Mamombe and activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova have been persecuted in Zimbabwe for almost three years. Incarcerated MDC Alliance youth leader and pro-democracy activist Makomborero Haruzivishe was strangled in his sleep by fellow inmates at Harare Central Prison. Tinashe Choto was killed for demonstrating against the Zanu-PF government. He was only 22 years old. Countries which are bearing the burden of Zimbabwean migrants should rebuke President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the…

| Mercury Correspondent The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says it is encouraged by the downward trend of Covid-19 cases. As of September 23, 8.1 million cases had been reported in the different member states, accounting for 3.6% of the Covid-19 cases reported globally, the Africa CDC said. “The continent is still going through a severe third wave – 78% of our member states are currently going through the third wave. And of these, 32 are experiencing a severe third wave,” said Africa CDC director Dr John Nkengasong. The Africa CDC was, however, encouraged by the recent downward trend in the number of coronavirus cases registered across the region. “Between September 13 and 19, a total of 104 000 new cases were reported across the…

PREGNANT women hospitalised for Covid-19 face higher risk of death than infected women admitted for other illnesses. This is according to a new study published in the International Journal of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, which also found that maternal tuberculosis, but not HIV co-infection or other comorbidities, was associated with admission for Covid-19. The study’s co-principal investigator and head of the Global Surgery Division at UCT, Associate Professor Salome Maswime, said the national observational study which assessed the symptoms and associations between Covid-19 in pregnancy and maternal and neonatal outcomes showed around 7.5% of all admitted women required invasive ventilation, three- quarters of whom were admitted specifically for Covid-19 management. The researchers analysed data on pregnant women with Covid-19, hospitalised between April 14 and November 24, 2020. A total of 36…

| Mercury Reporter THE second phase of the R20 million Tourism Relief Fund opened for applications from distressed tourism businesses and operators in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) said together with the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea), it would work closely with community tourism organisations and tourism formations to ensure that as many as possible qualifying tourism businesses facing distress were supported. Tourism KZN said the first phase of the R20m fund saw only R858 500 being disbursed to support 29 qualifying tourism businesses and tour guides. The low uptake was as a result of many applicants being disqualified due to non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the fund. Some factors that contributed to the high number of unsuccessful applicants included: Incorrect and…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za With just a month to go before the matric class of 2021 sit for their final exams, an education expert has urged pupils to follow a learning plan and to take advantage of support resources available to them. The Department of Basic Education announced earlier this month that the matric class of 2021 would begin writing their exams on October 27. Asked about final exam preparations yesterday, Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the department would soon publish details regarding the preparations for the exams. “At the moment, work is being done to address the outstanding issues related to the exam administration,” he said. Mhlanga said pupils who tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of an exam and were able to write would follow the same procedure as…

It is time for President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the Zulu royal family succession dispute, or risk witnessing a messy battle that will tarnish the image of traditional leadership. Since the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini in March this year, the royal family has been embroiled in an unfortunate battle over who should succeed the late king. The installation of King Misuzulu has been vehemently opposed by some members of the royal family, with some recommending other family members as rightful successors to King Zwelithini. Last week there were allegations that King Misuzulu had been poisoned, worsening an already tense situation. It is clear to everyone who has been following the matters involving the Zulu royal family that they have not done a good job of dealing with the…

Vienna: The EU yesterday urged Iran to allow inspectors access to a nuclear site, while Tehran argued the facility was exempt from a recent agreement with the UN watchdog. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday it had been denied “indispensable” access to the Tesa Karaj centrifuge component manufacturing workshop near Tehran. Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, yesterday rejected the charge on Twitter. “During the discussions in Tehran and Vienna, Iran indicated that equipment related to this Complex are not included for servicing,” he wrote, referring to IAEA work on its surveillance equipment.…

The UK government’s crash programme of visas for foreign poultry workers risks being too little, too late to avert food shortages. The government’s post-Brexit immigration and trade policies “risk crippling British food security”, and longer-term solutions are needed, British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths said yesterday. The announcement of a temporary visa scheme for 5 500 poultry workers and 5 000 lorry drivers for the three months to Christmas was “a positive step in the right direction”, he said. Nevertheless, there is a risk that this intervention comes too late.” “Supply chains are not something that can be switched on and off, so plans for production are already under way and the necessary cutbacks due to labour shortages have been made.” Trade groups are warning of Christmas shortages for…

CAIRO: Egyptian authorities were holding the founder of the country’s largest dairy products and juices producer and his son in conditions that amounted to torture because of their refusal to cede their assets, Amnesty International said yesterday. There was no immediate response to a request for comment sent to Egypt’s state information service. The arrests of Safwan Thabet, founder and former chief executive of Juhayna, in December, and of his son Seifeldin two months later, shook Juhayna, a household name in Egypt. The authorities accuse them of belonging to and financing a terrorist group – commonly a reference to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood – according to state media. The Thabet family have denied any wrongdoing. Such charges had been widely deployed in a crackdown that has swept up dissidents from…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE MULTIPURPOSE Reactor (MPR) to succeed the Safari-1 nuclear reactor at Pelindaba will secure South Africa’s position as one of the top four producers of radioisotopes in the world and further nuclear technology research in the country. This was according to South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) board chairperson David Nicholls, who yesterday in a statement welcomed Cabinet’s approval of the MPR reactor. There are 12 nuclear research reactors in Africa. The Safari-1 reactor near Pretoria, a 20MW light water-cooled research reactor, went critical on March 18, 1965. Nicholls said some 5 000 direct and 26 000 indirect jobs would be created during construction of the MPR. The tentative date of start of construction is 2025. It would provide employment to about 750 full-time employees…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za MULTI-national diversified technology group 4Sight Holdings, which re-domi- ciled its operations from Mauritius to South Africa at the beginning of the year, surged by 14 percent on the JSE as the group recorded a 16.9 percent revenue growth during the six months ended June 2021. Later in the day the share closed 4.76 percent higher at R0.22 on the JSE yesterday. 4Sight said the 16.9 percent in- crease in revenue to R291.1 million compared with the R249.1m in the same period in 2020 demonstrated the strength of the diversified growth profile. It said key initiatives included implementing an account-based marketing strategy with an intentional approach in identifying and engaging with the top tier accounts using personalised buying experiences. The group also segmented…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@iinl.co.za THE initial budget for upgrades at former president Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead was estimated to be R27 million but it ballooned to R216m. A specialist of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), who could not be named as the matter was being held in camera at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, made this revelation yesterday while testifying in the R155m civil recovery proceedings against Nkandla architect Minenhle Makhanya. The decision to proceed with the matter in camera came as the Special Tribunal was alerted to the information detailing private security details which could compromise Zuma’s security. In March 2014, former public protector Thuli Madonsela released her final report on upgrades at Zuma’s Nkandla homestead. The report found that Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from the R246m spent…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that the ANC will field candidates who are honest and competent in the November 1 local government elections. Ramaphosa delivered the governing party’s manifesto and its pledge for the municipal polls at Church Square in Pretoria last night. The party has pledged to deploy action-oriented and honourable men and women who are committed to service delivery. Ramaphosa promised that the ANC would be better and deliver services promptly and consistently. “Many municipalities are confronted by corruption and mismanagement, which divert crucial resources needed to meet the needs of the people. Over the past two years, we have made important progress in ending state capture and fighting corruption. We have done this both within the government and within the ANC,” he said. Ramaphosa…

SOME extraordinary phraseology is beginning to enliven the political/diplomatic discourse in Old Blighty. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told President Emmanuel Macron, of France: “Donnez-moi un break” (Gimme a break) when Macron blew up in anger over a nuclear-powered submarine pact between Britain, Australia and the US. It was time for Macron to “prenez un grip” (Get a grip), he said. Later, addressing the UN General Assembly on the upcoming COP summit in Glasgow on global warming, Bojo quoted TV cartoon character Kermit the Frog to illustrate the importance of being “green”. How many UN delegates representing a spread of societies and cultures about the entire globe would have so much as heard of Kermit the Frog? Maybe that’s why Bojo didn’t get a standing ovation. And now Angela Rayner, the…

DHAYALAN MOODLEY | Mobeni Heights I was extremely saddened, but heartened at the same time, to read about the suspended Toyota employee who apologised for his utterance on Facebook. The despicable racist posting on Facebook by Khehla Mngwengwe against Indian South Africans must be condemned to the extreme. I was, however, glad to read that one of our brave leaders, Mr Narendh Ganesh, who has time and again taken on our corrupt bureaucracy, has come to the fore and our defence yet again, by laying charges against Mngwengwe in the Equality Court for hate speech and incitement to violence. Having followed Mr Ganesh over many years in all media, I am encouraged that we have a leader in our midst who at the risk of his own…

| Mercury Correspondent The Department of Basic Education announced that recruitment for Phase Two of the Basic Education Employment initiative opened today for applications. The employment initiative, which will close on October 3, seeks to employ 287 000 youth in the sector. It is part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) included in the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) to mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Of the 287 000, about 192 000 will be employed as Education Assistants and 95 000 as general school assistants. The BEEI is looking for applicants aged 18-35. The youth should not be in any education training, nor should the applicant be on any form of government grant. Youth who are disabled and women are encouraged to…

ITUMELENG MAFISA COSATU has appealed to public servants who receive an income to refrain from applying for the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. In his weekly newsletter yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa described the behaviour of some public servants as unforgivable. He said about 17 000 people employed at national and provincial government submitted applications in a bid to top up their salaries with money meant for the poor. Earlier this year, it was also found that around 16 000 employees on the government payroll were irregularly paid the Covid-19 SRD grant. It is common knowledge that applicants with other sources of income do not qualify for this grant. Cosatu condemned the actions of public servants who were stealing from the government to supplement their salaries. The…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za PARENTS of pupils attending a day-care centre in Phoenix embarked on a peaceful protest at the school’s gate yesterday morning, calling for the dismissal of the school’s principal and the teacher implicated in the alleged assault of a 2-year-old. Preshalin Pillay, a parent, said he was concerned when his child had bruises last week. “I noticed that my child was bruised and had a swollen nose when I picked him up from school on Thursday. “I asked the teacher what happened and she told me that the child fell, I left and on my way I got so concerned that I called them again to tell them that I want to inspect the CCTV footage to see how the child fell. “They were very reluctant and…

Colin Bosman | Cape Town WITH the local municipal elections around the corner and the various parties punting for votes by promising to fix potholes and supply toilets, housing, job opportunities, water and so on, one is reminded of a National Party politician, Piet Koornhof. He attracted the nickname “Piet Langneus“ (Piet Lies) for the many broken promises that were made by him during his term. History repeats itself today with the nonsensical promises being sprouted by politicians. First prize goes to the ANC which promises to improve the SAPS by increasing police visibility in order to keep the public safe. Really? Why now on the eve of the elections? Hundreds of ANC-run municipalities in rural areas are either bankrupt or crippled beyond repair, yet promises are being made to…

China committed to a more just international system with UN at its core ON SEPTEMBER 21, President Xi Jinping attended the general debate of the 76th session of the General Assembly of the UN and delivered an important speech, stressing that we must beat Covid-19 and win this decisive battle that is crucial to the future of humanity; we must revitalise economies and promote stronger, greener and healthier global development; we must strengthen solidarity and put into practice the concept of mutual respect and win-win co-operation in international relations; we must improve global governance and practise true multilateralism. President Xi proposed a Global Development Initiative, calling for staying committed to development as a priority; staying committed to a people-centred approach; staying committed to benefits for all; staying committed to innovation-driven…

SYDNEY: The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) announced the building of a new national park in Western Sydney that will become home to a number of locally extinct Australian wildlife species. NSW Minister for Energy and Environment Matt Kean said the project commencing construction in early 2022 “will be the first national park declared in Western Sydney in over one decade”. “We are turning it into a special conservation area, which will be home to some of our most threatened animals,” said Kean. Among the species is the Australian eastern quoll, listed as “endangered” since 2005.…

A Palestinian military court yesterday began the trial of 14 security officers charged with beating to death a prominent critic of President Mahmoud Abbas, in a case that has drawn widespread protests and calls for his resignation. Nizar Banat’s death following his arrest on June 24 has heightened criticism of Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) and his security forces, who human rights groups say regularly arrest critics in the occupied West Bank. Abbas denies the charges. An autopsy carried out the day Banat died showed he was struck on the head and body with metal rods, leading to his death. The PA, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank, has vowed to hold those responsible to account. Appearing in yesterday’s court session in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the…

Souad Hdidou is challenging social norms and breaking stereotypes from behind the wheel as the only female taxi driver in the Moroccan capital of Rabat and one of a few in the country. Hdidou, 33, started work as a truck driver after dropping out of school and worked for a fish distribution company, but switched to taxis for the better pay and greater freedom, she said. “I’m the kind who likes challenges,” Hdidou said. She now earns enough to pay the mortgage on her flat near Rabat as well as supporting her family in the countryside and has built up a solid customer base. “Mothers often trust me to pick up their kids from school when they’re busy,” she said. “I also receive calls to pick up women at night…

Uefa Champions League Lionel Messi is expected to play in Paris St Germain’s Champions League clash against Manchester City today after taking part in a training session. The Argentine forward missed two Ligue 1 games with a bruised knee but did not appear to be struggling with the injury yesterday morning. “We will confirm the starting XI (today),” coach Mauricio Pochettino told a news conference when asked about Messi ahead of the Group A clash at the Parc des Princes. “But I think he will be in the squad tomorrow.” Pochettino added that Messi, who joined the French club on a two-year contract from Barcelona, would need time to adjust in Paris. “He did 20 years in Barcelona, it’s normal he felt at home there and here, everything is new…

Lewis Hamilton retook the lead in the Formula One championship with his 100th win in Russia on Sunday, but engine concerns are hanging over the Mercedes driver’s bid for a record eighth title. Teammate Valtteri Bottas took a hit and started 16th on the grid in Sochi after Mercedes replaced some power unit elements in his car. While the Finn is now using his fifth engine, two more than permitted without penalty, Hamilton is still within his allowance. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said there were “some question marks” and decisions to be made regarding the power units, with customer teams Williams and McLaren also experiencing problems in Sochi. “We are in a phase of assessment how to continue this season in terms of power units,” added the Austrian. Adding…