Mercury içinde 2022-01-19 için içindekiler tablosu

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za ESKOM admitted yesterday it would have to burn closer to R8 billion on its open cycle gas turbines (OCGT) rather than the R1bn it had originally envisaged in this financial year, as it faces bleaker generation prospects. It will likely deal with more blow-outs from its coal fired plants and a scheduled shutdown of Koeberg if it is to keep the lights on and the economy ticking over this year. At the second day of public hearings for a 20.5 percent increase in electricity tariffs before the National Energy Regulator of South Africa., Eskom chief financial officer Calib Cassim said the utility had to override costs of production against the necessity for power in the economy, hence it would be prudent to spend more on diesel…

“I have had worse partings,” writes Irish poet Cecil Day-Lewis in Walking Away. “Like a satellite wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away,” writes Lewis, having watched his son, “a hesitant figure, eddying away like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem”. Lewis, observing from a distance, sees the boy disappear into a mass of boys each beginning his new phase of life at boarding school. Lewis knows the inevitable separation is necessary for his son’s selfhood, independence, then interdependence, but it nonetheless “gnaws” at his soul. He accepts the process of “nature’s give and take”. I have held on to these words for decades, tried, for much longer, to live within the idea that everything that is living requires space. Everything living desires room to grow, room to…

Ireland will allow adopted people automatic access to their birth records for the first time under new laws the government hopes will end a “historic wrong”, including for thousands sent for adoption in secret by Catholic institutions. International laws say all children should be able to establish their identity but tens of thousands of adopted people in Ireland have no automatic right to their birth records or access to tracing services. The legislation was published a year to the day since an inquiry found that thousands of infants died in Irish homes for unmarried mothers and their offspring mostly run by the Catholic Church from the 1920s to the 1990s. Many infants were also taken from mothers and sent overseas to be adopted, that report, the latest in a series…

EBRAHIM ESSA | Durban IT SEEMS like the Rohingya are being pressurised to restore a new democracy in the state, by Teodoro Locsin of the Philippines, and have felt that Madame Aung San Suu Kyi is “indispensable” and must be included in this attempt to restore peaceable order and end “suffering” of the civilian population. Excuse me, I would like to know what Madame Suu Kyi was doing to assist Rohingya refugees while she was president and dawdling with her ego on receiving the Nobel “Peace” Prize not so long ago? Thousands of mainly Muslim refugees suffered (and are still suffering) after being booted out of their homes, only because of their religious faith. And that too from people who follow what is advertised as the most peaceful and non-violent…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE North Gauteng High Court ruling which ordered that the National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric results be made public on media platforms has elicited mixed reactions from the education sector. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) said it would abide by the ruling made by Judge Anthony Millar yesterday regarding the release of the NSC exam results on media platforms. The ruling came after AfriForum, Maroela Media and Anlé Spies (a 2021 matriculant) served court papers in order to oppose the DBE’s sudden decision not to publish the 2021 matric results in the media on an urgent basis in court. “It is in the public interest that this information is shared on public platforms, and that is one of the reasons why we brought this application. We…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za THE meeting between ANC employees and the party’s treasurer-general Paul Mashatile over the long-running non-payment of salaries has been moved to today as staff undertook to stay away from work until they are paid. ANC staff representative committee chairperson Mvusi Mdala yesterday told Independent Media that they would meet Mashatile on Wednesday. “We hope we will get the exact date when we will get all outstanding salaries. We will be on stay away until we are paid,” Mdala said. ANC employees have not been paid their salaries for months and were set to meet Mashatile yesterday but the meeting was moved to today. Mdala said some ANC employees were last paid in August, others in November and last month. He said the employees were now on a…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za KwaZulu-Natal matric pupils from the Class of 2021 excelled and soared above the stress and uncertainty of two years of Covid-19 and last year’s July unrest to achieve excellent marks. Yash Panday, of Crawford International College North Coast, said the final exams were difficult and there was a lot of pressure that was compounded by the pandemic. “Covid-19 and the unrest did make it a bit more difficult, but I believe that there is no point in complaining about a bad situation. Instead, you need to find solutions to make the best of it,” he said. He added that it was important to have a balanced life, and his parents made sure of that. His advice to the class of 2022 is that matric is a lot…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za Taking time for leisure activities was important for The Wykeham Collegiate pupils who performed well in the Independent Examinations Board exams. Maeve Miranda said the final matric exams were a little scary, but also exciting. She said she was an introvert, and that both the pandemic and online learning had turned her into more of an introvert. “I usually don’t talk to people, and with Covid-19 I was isolated, which made me become even more distant with my friends, and I’m struggling to reintegrate,” she said. She said she found that riding horses and playing the piano was a welcome break from her schoolwork. She added that during the week of the unrest, her school gave them a light workload. “It kept us busy during the…

| ANI For the first time, astronomers have imaged in real-time the dramatic end to a red supergiant’s life – watching the massive star’s rapid self-destruction and final death throes before collapsing into a type II supernova. Led by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), the team observed the red supergiant during its last 130 days leading up to its deadly detonation. The discovery was published in The Astrophysical Journal. The discovery defies previous ideas of how red supergiant stars evolved right before exploding. Earlier observations showed that red supergiants were relatively quiescent before their deaths, with no evidence of violent eruptions or luminous emissions. The new observations, however, detected bright radiation from a red supergiant in the final year before exploding. This suggests…

Almost six months since the management of the State Security Agency (SSA) was transferred to a directorate of the Presidency after the riots in July that left more than 300 people in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng dead, President Cyril Ramaphosa had another change of heart this week. This time, Ramaphosa decided to appoint Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, as the political head of the country’s spy agency. Previously, the agency was headed by Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, a minister who was seemingly not in the good books of the dominant faction of the ANC. She was later shifted to the Department of Public Works. Although some people applauded Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Gungubele, the move does not adequately address the concerns that the SSA could still be turned into a private…

KABUL: About 1 000 displaced and needy Afghan families received relief assistance in the capital Kabul yesterday as the Taliban-led caretaker government and aid agencies redoubled efforts to help destitute families in winter, authorities said. “The families received assistance packages which included food and non-food items as well as kitchenware and tarpaulins … in eastern Kabul,” Acting Minister of Disaster Management Mullah Mohammad Abbas Akhund said. The distributed assistance supplies were donated by Turkmenistan, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan and Russia. The families also received special food packages for children provided by Unicef. |…

Around 14 people were killed and others injured in retaliatory airstrikes on the Yemeni capital of Sana’a overnight, Houthi officials said yesterday. Images from the scene show Yemenis sifting through the rubble of buildings destroyed in the strikes. The Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Sana’a came after the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and control most of Yemen’s north, claimed responsibility for attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday that left three people dead and six wounded. The UAE is a partner of the coalition that has been battling the Houthis since 2015, shortly after the group took over the Yemeni capital. On Monday, police in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi said that three petroleum tanker trunks had exploded near the city’s port and that a…

LAS VEGAS: Adele will make more than “£500 000 (about R10.5 million) per gig” during her Las Vegas residency. The 33-year-old singer will soon perform at the Colosseum theatre at Caesars Palace, and she’s poised to become one of the highest-paid female artists in the history of Las Vegas residencies. A source shared: “Adele is the hottest ticket in Las Vegas right now and she’s raking in a pretty penny from it. “She is expected to make over £500 000 per gig thanks to ticket sales alone, even before the merchandising.” Adele will earn a cut from ticket sales, as well as a share of all merchandise sold at the venue. The London-born star will also be given access to a £30 000-a-night private suite throughout her residency. The Easy…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za BUSINESS Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has announced that it has accepted the resignation of Bain & Company from its membership as the business entity’s reputation has come under fire for its stance on the US management consulting firm. This comes after the local unit of Bain was criticised for its consultancy work for the South African Revenue Services (Sars) at the peak of state capture. When the State Capture Inquiry’s report was released earlier this month, it was critical in its assessment of Bain’s consultancy work for Sars. The inquiry’s chairperson and acting Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, recommended that law enforcement agencies investigate how contracts were awarded to the firm. In a statement, BLSA said it had noted Bain & Co’s decision to withdraw its membership.…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE WORLD Economic Forum (WEF) has agreed that Covid-19 vaccine equity should be a global concern to prevent the further spread of the pandemic and its associated variants. Meeting the challenge of vaccine equity was the common sentiment shared at the WEF Davos Agenda 2022 yesterday as the global vaccine apartheid continued unfolding. This as poor countries continue lagging behind in immunising their populations while rich countries have more than enough supply of the vaccines. In a session to discuss this, experts agreed that the failure to ensure universal global distribution risked not only bad health outcomes but also economic upheaval and geopolitical tensions. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said there had been a collapse of global co-operation and solidarity…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za We didn’t see this one coming, but Brutal Fruit, a popular cider in South Africa, is taking another spin by launching its first fragrance range. The brand announced that it is launching the “You Belong” fragrance, something crafted for Brutal Fruit lovers and those who enjoy a beautiful scent. It is a huge step because although most perfumes contain alcohol, no alcohol brand has launched its own fragrance range until now. Ramona Kayembe, marketing manager of Brutal Fruit South Africa, says with this new fragrance they want to remind women of their inner confidence and strength. “It may seem unexpected, a fragrance – but in actual fact, it makes perfect sense that we are fortunate enough to be able to bring our consumers such a unique offering,…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za THE termination of the leases for tenants at Virginia Airport was a well-thought-out process with valid reasons behind it. This is according to acting city manager Musa Mbhele, who addressed the matter during an executive committee meeting yesterday. This is after the city was lambasted by councillors over the handling of the leases at the airport, which is earmarked for further development, and the apparent slow pace and lack of transparency regarding the city’s catalytic projects. “We are aware of the Virginia Airport issue and concerns around it. I do know the rationale behind it. I am looking to ensure that the termination of leases does not have a negative impact on the city’s economic development,” Mbhele said. He, however, did not reveal the details behind the…

N PADAYACHEE | Phoenix Since 1994, Lindiwe Sisulu has been a member of the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC, of Parliament and of Cabinet. During this time, we have never heard her speak out against state capture, corruption or the general poor state of the country. She was also silent when former president Jacob Zuma was facing various criminal charges and the ANC is facing its biggest crisis since it was formed in 1912. Reports in newspapers suggested that Sisulu used her position as minister of water to raise funds for her campaign to be deputy president under Ramaphosa. Why didn’t she use this same enthusiasm to ensure that ANC staff were paid their salaries? Her recent attack on the judiciary is driven by nothing else…

SABER AHMED JAZBHAY | Newlands West Dear Lindiwe Sisulu, I support the statement of a retired judge of the Constitutional Court referring to you as someone being irrational. So after 27-years, like Rip van Winkel, tell us at what point did you experience the eureka moment? When did you get up from your deep slumber and trash the institution of the judiciary, whereas you swore to uphold the principle you’ve spoken out against? So, quit government. Let those who will eventually vote in 2024 recognise you as a wrecking ball that is prepared to destroy an impartial judiciary. Resign, for you will be the one who will live in infamy as you will fail in your bid to convince even the poorest of the poor who know who…

MICHAEL TARR | Morningside I WAS amazed to read The Mercury letters page on January 17 in which regular contributor Duncan du Bois again says that America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the vaccines we use in South Africa, and worldwide. He also penned a similar column on Friday (January 14) repeating his misinformation, saying the Covid-19 drugs were not authorised by the FDA. If he had googled the date when the FDA gave its permission for Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson and other drugs to be legalised, he would have seen the real facts. At the beginning of August, 2021, more than four months ago, the following press release said: “The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first Covid-19 vaccine. “The vaccine has…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za TRADE union Solidarity as well as AfriForum will approach the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in a bid to end the state of disaster. The Solidarity Movement, including Solidarity and AfriForum, said it took a stand yesterday by declaring that no further reasons existed for the current state of disaster – which has been in place for about 22 months – to remain in force. This comes after the state of disaster was extended again by the government. Solidarity Movement chairperson Flip Buys said it seemed the pandemic was now entering an endemic phase. It furthermore appeared that increased group immunity against Covid-19 could now be detected with the omicron variant, resulting in less serious illness and fewer deaths. “The fact that the virus is now endemic means…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za UNISA vice-chancellor and principal Professor Puleng LenkaBula was in no way involved in the renovations to her official residences in Pretoria, which cost twice as much as the R1 million budgeted for it. The university issued a letter to its stakeholders following media reports that LenkaBula had requested refurbishments to the official residence, Cloghreen, which it said was incorrect. The information regarding the exorbitant expenditure was contained in a report titled “Consolidated progress report on the renovation of Cloghreen”. In the letter, the university came to the defence of its head, indicating that she had not been able to take occupation of the said residence due to the delayed renovations and the unavailability of the handover report by the operations and facility portfolio. In fact, it…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the case in which a prison warder and a private citizen were charged for allegedly trying to smuggle contraband into Westville Prison had not been enrolled in court due to insufficient evidence. “For a matter to be enrolled there must be sufficient evidence as well as prospects of a successful prosecution,” NPA spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal Natasha Kara said. Police in KZN said the duo, aged 24 and 45, faced a charge of possession of drugs and were expected to appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday following their arrest over the weekend. Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said a vehicle with two occupants was stopped by the patrolling officials at about 1.18am on January 15. “One person opted…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the urgent application lodged by the EFF in which the party sought an interim interdict to suspend the implementation of sanctions against its MPs. The sanctions against EFF MPs Nthako Matiase, Nokulunga Sonti and 14 others arose from a report by the National Assembly’s (NA’s) Powers and Privileges Committee that was adopted in December last year. The committee had disciplined the EFF members for disrupting Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s Budget vote speech on July 11, 2019. Matiase and Sonti were penalised by losing their salaries for a month, while the other 14 MPs were fined one month’s salary and allowances. According to Parliament, the EFF MPs repeatedly raised points of order, ruled as being invalid by Presiding Officer NA…

Nomonde Zondi nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za OUTSTANDING matric pupils from Midlands schools said working smart was the way to achieve good results. The pupils said being active and working smart was the recipe behind their outstanding results. The pupils featured on the Independent Examinations Board Outstanding Achievements list. Jonathan le Roux, who attended Hilton College, said the final examinations were easy, it was the trials exams that challenged him. He said he did not feel the effects of Covid-19 and the riots as he was focusing on his studies. Furthermore, Jonathan said he was waiting to see whether he would be accepted to study statistics and data science at a US university. Giving his advice for the class of 2022, he said: “Just keep your head down; it’s only one year and it’s…

As bitcoin heads into 2022, a growing cohort of long-term investors is doubling down on its stashes of the cryptocurrency, hoping a December dip was merely a festive blip. Some industry watchers point to the underlying stability of such long-term investments as potentially promising indicators for the capricious cryptocurrency. Since last July, for example, the amount of bitcoin held in digital wallets with no outflows for more than five months has been steadily increasing, according to digital currency brokerage Genesis Trading. In addition, the amount of the bitcoin held in “illiquid” wallets – which spend less than quarter of their inflows – is also rising, meaning fewer coins are being actively traded, it added, citing wallet data across several exchanges. “The number of bitcoins that haven’t moved in over a…

For the ANC to live, greed, corruption, deception, lies, betrayal, and murders must die “Angathin’ uTamb’ ukuba angasibona sinje? Angalila, angalila!” That song was sung by the current Minister of Public Administration, Ayanda Dlodlo, while she was still Minister of the State Security Agency, at the funeral service of her comrade Kebby Maphatsoe. Maphatsoe was the former president of the now dismantled uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association. He died amid the tension between two factions in the ANC, the Radical Economic Transformation (Jacob Zuma) camp, and that of CR17 (President Cyril Ramaphosa). Today, a 10-year-old political party is strong with a certain amount of influence. You might differ with the EFF, but in barely 10 years it grew with direction. At 110, the ANC is supposed to be growing…

LONDON: The British broadcaster BBC’s TV licence fee has been frozen for two years to support families as they struggle to pay living costs. “At a time when families are facing a sharp increase in their living costs we simply could not justify asking hard-working households to pay even more for their TV licence,” secretary of the UK’s digital and culture ministry Nadine Dorries said. The free will remain at an annual £159 (about R3 300) until 2024. BBC chairperson Richard Sharp called the decision “disappointing” and warned that tough choices would be made to allow the broadcaster to absorb rising inflation.…

Police have taken down a global virtual private network used by criminals to do business online, which left more than 100 firms at risk of cyberattacks, the EU’s policing agency said yesterday. Officers in Europe and North America seized or disrupted at least 15 servers hosting users and VPNLab.net, a service provider that offered criminal groups shielded communications and internet access, on Monday, Europol said. “The VPN provider service ... was being used in support of serious criminal acts such as ransomware deployment and other cybercrime activities,” Europol said. Available for a subscription fee of as little as $60 (about R925), VPNLab.net was “a popular choice for cybercriminals, who could use its services to carry on committing their crimes without fear of detection by authorities”, Europol said. Law enforcement agents…

Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian man behind one of that country’s most heinous crimes in recent memory, was in court yesterday to argue for early release from his 21-year prison sentence – a move that is being opposed by prosecutors. In July 2011, Breivik killed 77 people by setting off a bomb outside the prime minister’s office in Oslo and opening fire at a youth summer camp organised by the left-leaning Labor Party. In 2012, he was given the maximum prison sentence permitted under Norwegian law after being convicted on terrorism and murder charges. At the time, the judge ordered “preventive detention”, reserved for criminals seen as dangers to society beyond the length of their sentence. That makes it unlikely that he will ever be released, but Breivik became eligible…

India’s Jasprit Bumrah says former captain Virat Kohli still has a big role to play for the Test side following the latter’s surprise resignation in the wake of the 2-1 series loss to South Africa last week. Kohli, 33, stepped down from the Test captaincy on Saturday, saying the time was right for a new direction for the team, and Bumrah has seemingly put up his hand to be his replacement. The seamer, who is vice-captain of the One-Day International side under new skipper KL Rahul, praised the contribution of Kohli, and said he remains a key figure in Indian cricket. “Virat told us about leaving his Test captaincy in a team meeting. We congratulated him on what he had achieved with the side,” Bumrah told reporters this week. “It’s…

Alyssia Birjalal alyssia.birjalal@inl.co.za South African fashion influencer Tshepi Vundla and her musician boyfriend Thabo Bogopa Junior, better-known as JR, have become parents to a baby girl. The couple also have a son, Sibabalwe, 4. Vundla took to Instagram where she posted a back view picture to announce that her baby had arrived. In the caption, she wrote: “14 • 01 • 2022 Our healthy beautiful Princess is here”. Her celebrity friends, fans and followers flooded her comments section with congratulatory messages. Rapper Boity said: “Congratulations mommy!!!” TV Personality K Naomin, who became a first-time mom in December, said: “Hello Ginger, welcome to the world beautiful!” Former Top Billing presenter and celebrity chef Lorna Maseko said: “Congratulations Tsheps, so happy for you”. In the lead-up to the birth of her “bouncy…

Mercury Reporter THE matric class of 2021, who sat for the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) National Senior Certificate exams, has received resounding praise from KwaZulu-Natal private school principals for their resilience and commitment. The IEB said in a statement that the 2021 NSC pass rate was 98.39%, slightly higher than last year’s pass rate of 98.06%. KZN schools achieved excellent results and some had pupils on the Outstanding Achievements list. For pupils to make the list they must achieve within the top 5% in six or more subjects. IEB chief executive Anne Oberholzer hailed the success of the pupils. “As with an iceberg, the achievement we see in the class of 2021 hides the depth of the struggle and effort that underpins this success. These Grade 12 learners were the…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za ETHEKWINI Municipality’s recent disconnection of electricity for one government department illustrates the city’s tough stance in recouping millions of rand owed to it by government departments and other parastatals. This was said by acting city manager Musa Mbhele when he briefed senior councillors during the executive committee meeting yesterday. He was responding to questions on how the city was dealing with government customers sitting with millions of rand in unpaid debts. Mbhele indicated that the city was going after the main culprits contributing to the municipality’s ballooning debt. DA councillor Nicole Graham questioned the city’s political will to go after defaulting government departments. She said it was easy for the municipality to disconnect individual households as opposed to government departments. However, Mbhele pointed out that in recent…

| Albert Guinon A LINGUISTIC quibble. TV newscasters and commentators talk constantly of the threat to Novak Djokovic’s ambition to become the greatest tennis player “of all time”. All time? That’s a heck of a stretch. It starts millions of years ago with the arrival of sentient life on Planet Earth, or maybe even earlier – the Big Bang? – when nobody was there to count. Granted though, not too much tennis was played in those early millennia. “All time” also stretches ahead to whatever the ultimate fate of Planet Earth might be, perhaps millennia ahead. There might even be no ultimate fate, things might go on forever, who knows? It’s surely absurd to suggest that if Djokovic should win 21 tennis world championships, that’s it. Nobody in the…

JOHN GARDENER | Howick David Cartwright’s letter (The Mercury, January 17) refers and I must place on record my wholehearted agreement. To the best of my understanding, Mr Du Bois regards Covid-19 as a non-event but, if that is the case, he has devoted hundreds of column inches to broadcasting his views on the matter. Why not ignore the issue in the hope that it will simply go away? But what irritates me the most is when, in response to concerns expressed by ordinary folk who are simply doing their best to cope with the stresses of daily life, Mr Du Bois scornfully dismisses their views out of hand as utterly unworthy of consideration. He then quotes all manner of sources, from Patagonia to Pakistan, in support…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof A prince, a prime minister and a tennis star… what have they got in common? They thought they were above the law. They thought because of their standing in society, they could do as they pleased and get away with it. Let’s start with the man with royal blood flowing in his veins. Prince Andrew had the world at his feet. But he left the stifling world of royalty and Fergie and went for the fast life of America, where the lecherous Jeffery Epstein, a convicted paedophile, befriended and introduced him to a raunchy lifestyle. Now Virginia Giuffre has a lawsuit against him for sexual assault. As soon as news spread that the judge had given Giuffre permission to proceed with the lawsuit, the…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za A DURBAN woman is overwhelmed after becoming the first deaf graduand, to use South African Sign Language as a means of communication, to acquire an undergraduate and postgraduate qualification in the history of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Voloshni Annamallay, 24, who is due to graduate with an honours degree in criminology and forensic studies this year, said that she developed a passion for criminology after a conversation with a friend which intrigued her about the subject matter. Annamallay, who attended Fulton School for the Deaf in Gillitts, said: “I am the only deaf child in my family. All the members of my family are hearing. I went to one of the best schools available for the deaf. On her field of study, she said: “Well, my…

| Mercury Correspondent A University of Pretoria (UP)-led study has revealed that the Covid-19 Delta variant can be transmitted from humans to animals. A team of scientists from UP yesterday announced that they had published the only study from Africa that entailed genomic One Health investigations, an approach that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and a shared environment, revealing the transmission from human to animals. The team found that reverse zoonotic transmission of Covid-19 from asymptomatic animal handlers at a private zoo in Gauteng posed a risk to big cats kept in captivity. The animals tested PCR positive for up to seven weeks after becoming sick. “This extended period of potential virus-shedding poses a risk of infection to animals in…

Nomonde Zondi nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za TOP-ACHIEVING matric pupils who wrote the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams said the support they received from their schools, friends and family had a huge impact on their success. The pupils all made it on to the IEB’s Outstanding Achievements list. Shristi Sooklal, from Morningside, who went to Maris Stella, said the trial exams were hard but had prepared her for the final exams. “Our matric year was challenging. The July riots had an effect on me mentally as I was preparing for the trials. The support I got from my family, friends and teachers kept me going.” She added that the class of 2022 needed to know they should seek out support from their family and friends. “You must not isolate yourself…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to business leaders this week to support developing countries “in their hour of need” with access to Covid-19 vaccines, help to combat the climate crisis and reform of the global financial system. Speaking virtually to the World Economic Forum, Guterres said: “Across all three of these areas, we need the support, the ideas, the financing and the voice of the global business community.” He said there has been a “global inability to support developing countries in their hour of need” and warned that without immediate action inequalities and poverty would deepen, fuelling more social unrest and more violence. “We cannot afford this kind of instability,” said Guterres, who began a second five-year term as UN chief on January 1. He has long been pushing for…

The world’s largest known cut diamond went on public display for the first time this week ahead of its sale, when it is expected to reach $5 million (R77.3m). The Enigma, the name of the rare black carbanado diamond, was put on display in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The diamond is believed to have been created when a meteorite or an asteroid hit the Earth more than 2.6 billion years ago, according to Sotheby’s auction house jewellery specialist Sophie Stevens. One of the most difficult substances to cut, the 555.55-carat diamond has never been shown by its unnamed owner of the past 20 years, but experts turned it into a 55-face jewel. Its shape was inspired by the Middle East palm-shaped symbol of power and protection, the Hamsa,…

TOKYO: Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi yesterday said recent missile tests by North Korea indicated that Pyongyang was rapidly improving its weaponry technologies. “It is obvious that North Korea is rapidly enhancing the technological level of weapons, operational capabilities and diversifying the launching methods,” Kishi said at a briefing. Earlier in the day, Pyongyang confirmed the launch on Monday of two tactical guided missiles that hit an island target in the East Sea of Korea. The recent missile launch was the fourth North Korean test-fire this month.…

WELLINGTON/SYDNEY: The South Pacific archipelago of Tonga could spend days, or even weeks, cut off from the rest of world because of difficulties in repairing its sole undersea communications cable, which an operator said was ruptured during a massive volcanic eruption. The challenge underlines the vulnerability of undersea fibre-optic cables, which have become the backbone of global communications, thanks to a capacity to carry data that is about 200 times that of satellites. Saturday’s explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean so that connectivity was lost on the line, operated by Tonga Cable Ltd, in waters about 37km offshore. But the repair of Tonga’s critical 827km fibre-optic link to Fiji depends on the arrival of a specialised ship now days away in Port…

Vatican City: Pope Francis has pledged ¤100 000 (R1.75 million) to help migrants blocked on the border between Poland and Belarus, the Vatican announced yesterday. The money includes support for the Catholic charity Caritas Poland “to deal with the migration emergency on the border between the two countries”, it said. Thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the Polish frontier from Belarus and enter the EU. The pope has made defending migrants a priority of his papacy, and has called on EU leaders to be more welcoming to those arriving at its borders.…

Kenya’s highest court began weighing a legal bid to revive government plans to shake up the country’s political system yesterday, just months ahead of crucial elections. The Supreme Court ruling on the proposed constitutional changes, expected after three days of hearings this week, may have major consequences for the August 9 presidential and parliamentary polls. The government is seeking to overturn previous court rulings that rejected the sweeping reforms and the way they were introduced as unconstitutional, dealing a blow to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his allies. The so-called Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) aims to expand the executive and overturn the winner-takes-all electoral system blamed for frequent explosions of poll-related violence in the East African nation. But Kenyatta’s detractors see it as little more than a naked grab for power…