Table of contents for 2021-12-21 in Cape Times

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za THE LONG-AWAITED unbundling of Eskom into three separate units, generation, transmission and distribution, has begun, with the utility issuing a notice yesterday of having executed the separation of its transmission division in line with an end-December deadline set in a restructuring plan. It said in an announcement to debt investors that it had executed an order to transfer the transmission division to wholly-owned subsidiary, the National Transmission Company South Africa SOC Limited. The process remained subject to conditions, including obtaining the applicable consents from creditors. Under the plan, its generation and transmission units have to be separated by the end of this year and the distribution division by December next year. Analysts have suggested, however, that the deadline would likely be missed, and the completion of the…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za STELLENBOSCH University PhD student Takunda Gwanzura has invented a diagnostic biosensor that claims to do rapid testing for Covid-19 in 15 to 30 seconds. Currently the gold standard method of testing is the PCR test, which has a turnaround time of 24 hours or more due to the laboratory processing required. Gwanzura said in a telephone interview yesterday that the new technology, called the Covidometer, could deliver results within 15 to 30 seconds, and was a portable device that required no lab work. The device would allow large-scale screening of groups of people as they enter a space where social distancing may not always be possible. He said most of the validation work had been done with the help of the PathCare pathology laboratory group. There are…

THERE is an expression that says: “You cannot please all of the people all of the time”, and we acknowledge the truth in this. However, the move to generate greater levels of local procurement in both the public and private sectors is not about pleasing people. It is part of the country’s social compact known as the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan and is a well-considered response to our economic circumstances and to the ever-rising levels of unemployment. It is designed to improve the former and reduce the latter. Detractors of localisation as a policy claim that it reduces competition, stymies sectoral growth and results in higher prices for consumers (being the public and private sectors as well as individuals). They also claim that it leads to less innovation in…

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za When it comes to Christmas decorations, there are so many ways to get creative with your ornaments than simply settling for plastic store-bought options. Try these eco-friendly decoration ideas for your Christmas tree: Forage for decorations The outdoors is home to some of the most beautiful ornaments, to rival even the most expensive store-bought offerings. Pine cones, green foliage, seashells, leaves, flowers (fresh or dried) and seeds of all sorts can be foraged for. You can get creative, turning what you find into something even more exquisite, or let the natural beauty shine through. Metallic permanent markers, paints and glitter glue can be used to draw festive designs on anything from leaves to rocks. Use wooden pegs or yarn to tie ornaments to your tree.…

from page 1 that one day he would also become a teacher. Joshua, who first graduated in May, graduated for the second time this month with a post-graduate certificate in Education (PGCE), “My first graduation was on May 3 this year where I got my BA degree. “My second graduation was on December 15 where I got my PGCE. “When I look back it still feels surreal. I had to overcome a lot of adversity. My family and I went from being roommates to being backyard dwellers to finally living in flats in an area which is known for its rampant poverty, gangsterism and unemployment. “These conditions can have psychological implications on anyone but I did not break because I had a dream which surfaced to my conscious state…

ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE parents of a 6-year-old girl, who was electrocuted and died after she climbed on to a metal cage encasing an electrical distribution kiosk on the premises of a sectional title scheme in Richard’s Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, have lost their bid for a second time to hold the municipality liable for their loss. Arthur and Zelna Lucas initially turned to the Durban High Court to claim damages from the Umhlathuze Municipality as well as against Ocean Rest 3 body corporate. The body corporate, meanwhile, entered into a confidential settlement with the parents. Following a damages trial, the parents lost their case against the municipality, as the high court found that it could not be held liable. The Lucas couple subsequently turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal, insisting…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za DEATH threats directed at some of South Africa’s leading Covid-19 scientists and researchers are being probed by the Directorate for Priority Crime (Hawks), as experts continue to defend the detection of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office also condemned the incidents. South African scientists last month became the first to detect the Omicron variant, and have since reported attacks and threats from some members of the public, mostly on social media. Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Study at Stellenbosch University, Professor Eugene Cloete, said despite the criticism, not making the information public would have been “irresponsible science”. “Given the pandemic stage that we are in, it is our responsibility to make the broader public aware of any new variant.…

THE World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) notes with concern the mounting threat of incompatible developments along the Wild Coast of South Africa. The most recent is news of Shell’s proposed exploration for oil and gas which has attracted much adverse publicity in the past weeks. In this regard, WWF does not believe that the development of an expanded fossil gas industry is necessary for South Africa’s energy mix transition, and certainly it is not aligned with South Africa’s recent climate commitments that were made at COP26. Natural gas remains a fossil fuel with fugitive and combustion emissions that drive climate change. At present, we are quickly exhausting the remaining global carbon budget needed to stay within a critical 1.5°C world as per the Paris Agreement. This means that we…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za BLANKET manufacturer Aranda Textile Mills, and reseller Mzansi Blanket Supplies, fined R5 million and R500 000, respectively, for alleged price fixing and collusive tendering, have been vindicated after winning an appeal against the Competition Commission, with costs. The matter dates back to 2015, when, according to court papers, the national Treasury had invited prospective bidders to participate in a tender process comprising some 20 contracts. Both Aranda and Mzansi had submitted bids for the procurement of blankets on behalf of multiple state departments, including the Department of Correctional Services, the SAPS, the SA Military Health Service and Emergency Medical Services. “Aranda and Mzansi scored first and second out of the six tenderers for the blanket contracts. “Although the Aranda tender was lower in price, Mzansi was awarded…

Investments to the value of R5.7bn were brought into the province in 2021/22 THIS year has undoubtedly been another challenging one, but the more I reflect on it, the more impressed I am by the outstanding innovations we’ve implemented as a provincial government. I am also very proud of the constructive and pioneering way in which we have worked alongside civil society and the private sector during times of adversity. This year has shown me that despite the difficulties we’ve encountered, the Western Cape government has, and will continue, to overcome these challenges innovatively, for you. In prioritising the well-being of our residents amid the pandemic, we have fully vaccinated nearly 50% of the province’s population and found innovative ways of doing so, including the roll-out of the Vaxi Taxi…

Record crowds of more than 700 000 revellers flocked to Saudi Arabia’s MDLBeast Soundstorm music festival, authorities said yesterday, at the end of the four-day event in the oil-rich desert kingdom. The electronic music festival comes as Saudi’s leaders are pushing to change its conservative image and diversify its economy, only a few years after the country lifted a ban on music and dancing. International entertainers and musicians – including superstar French DJ David Guetta – performed at the event despite boycott calls over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. The festival, which ended on a Sunday, comes as Saudi Arabia sees a spike in coronavirus cases amid increased fears over the spread of the new omicron variant. Saudi Arabia has recorded the highest number of Covid-related deaths among Arab Gulf…

The top UN rights body agreed to send international investigators to conflict-hit Ethiopia amid warnings of looming generalised violence, in a move slammed by Addis Ababa. Following an emergency meeting, the 47-member UN Human Rights Council narrowly voted in favour of ordering the probe into a wide range of alleged violations by all sides in Ethiopia’s 13-month conflict. Ethiopia had objected to the special session and the resolution, with Ambassador Zenebe Kebede saying ahead of the vote that the council was “being used as an instrument of political pressure” and had been “hijacked by a neo-colonialist mentality”. The council decision came after the UN and dozens of countries took the floor to voice alarm at alleged atrocities, including mass killings and sexual violence, since the conflict erupted in Ethiopia’s northern…

PARIS: A French migrant charity has filed a judicial complaint alleging that French and British rescue services ignored distress calls from migrants aboard an inflatable dinghy that sank in the middle of the Channel on November 24. Twenty-seven people drowned in the worst tragedy of its kind on record in the seaway separating mainland Europe from Britain. The complaint, filed by the NGO Utopia 56 at a Paris court, accuses the heads of the French maritime authority, the French rescue service Cross Gris Nez and the British coastguard of “involuntary homicide and failing to deliver help”.…

TEHRAN: Iran has executed a Kurdish man for armed rebellion despite international pressure for his life to be spared, activists said, after a trial that was alleged to be unfair with forced confessions. Heidar Ghorbani was executed on Sunday in Sanandaj prison in western Iran’s Kurdistan province, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said, adding that neither his family nor his lawyer had been given prior warning. UN human rights experts had urged Iran to repeal his death sentence over “serious concerns” that he did not receive a fair trial and was tortured during pre-trial detention.…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler has appealed to his players to show a will to win ahead of tomorrow’s Premiership clash away to SuperSport United at Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium. Tinkler was thrilled by his players’ determination to press for victory after the team was a goal down and forced to play with 10 men for the entire second half against Swallows FC on Saturday. They emerged 2-1 winners after tactical changes worked to City’s advantage in the second half. “They showed the will to win, but I would like to see them do it in every game,” said Tinkler. “The team, although a man down, were forced to adapt and those tactical changes worked well for us in the second half. “The spaces in…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE RAND firmed to a two-week high yesterday, ignoring investor concerns about the fast-spreading Omicron variant that drove a risk-off sentiment against emerging markets currencies. The wide spreading of the Omicron variant saw new restrictions being introduced in Europe and New York recording the highest cases on record, forcing emerging market currencies to trade softer yesterday. The Turkish lira, for one, fell to an all-time low after the country’s central bank slashed its policy rate by 100 basis points to 14 percent, meaning the currency has lost nearly 50 percent of its value since the beginning of November. However, the rand regained its strength by 0.04 percent back to R15.78 by 5pm to the greenback on the back of the US Federal Reserve’s hawkish…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s Just Transition journey, the shift from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy set to peak by 2035, got off to a good start this year with France, Germany, the UK, the US, and the EU throwing their hats into the ring for the rainbow nation to suckle on a R131 billion ($8.25bn) funding lollipop as it ponders its baby-steps. It is no coincidence that South Africa is the blue-eyed boy of energy transition. Boasting ample sunlight for VHF capacity, wind capability, ample gas reserves, a varying geographical incline, technical expertise fodder, an ailing coal fleet and best of all pressure to conform, it is a no-brainer as a poster child of the developed world’s aspirations. The country has certainly displayed its milk-teeth.…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za TIGHTLY-HELD Onelogix Group’s share price shot up 27.5 percent to R3.06 yesterday morning after it announced a plan to de-list from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The logistics and supply chain solutions group said that trading in its shares has been characterised by “extremely low liquidity” due to its tightly held strategic and controlling shareholding that has deterred potential institutional investor interest in the shares. Previous media reports suggest that the company directors, staff and management hold about 56 percent of the issued share capital. The proposed de-listing would be accompanied by a cash offer of R3.30 per share. The annual report of end-August 2021 said there were 1 170 individual shareholders holding an 8.9 percent stake, directors own 41.2 percent, while 263…

Sonri Naidoo SIX-year-old Sheronique Alysha Men-gie and 10-year-old Cayson Jude Cerfonteyn, who were operated on to repair the holes in their tiny hearts, were released from Busamed Private Hospital in Paardevlei, Western Cape, on Saturday. Their operations were made possible by Pelo Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds for children in serious need of heart treatment and surgeries. Cayson Cerfonteyn’s mother, Janice, said that she was very excited her son had finally received the surgery that would change his life. “Cayson was operated on a few days ago and he is doing well. Before going to hospital, we explained the surgery to him as best we could, but he was quite scared and our family was nervous about the operation as well. “After coming out from the intensive care…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za WHEN his home burnt down while he was in matric, leaving him and his family homeless for weeks, Nurdeen Joshua from Lavender Hill said he never thought his dream of becoming a teacher would ever come true. The 23-year-old who graduated for a second time this month said it had not been an easy journey. Joshua, then 18, was at school when his home went up in flames, nearly killing his grandmother. The fire also destroyed his study material, sports accolades and coursework. “In my matric year I struggled a bit trying to catch up in all of my subjects, and unfortunately, I failed maths. “Because I did not get accepted into various universities with my first applications, I didn’t know how I would get to a…

Staff writer FOR the second year in a row, Universal Motorsport took the prevailing Rookie of the Year title at the VW Polo Cup championship, thanks to 16-year-old Leyton Fourie. “It is all still a bit unreal. This is something that I have been dreaming about since I was a little boy,” said the Team Red Racing member. Team Principal of Universal Motorsport, Dr Johan Pretorius, said the team comprised talented and skilled drivers. “The pressure was on, and it was all quite nerve-racking,” said Fourie. “With four push to passes, I knew I had to clinch at least third place in the final round to take the championship. “This I couldn’t have done without the support from my teammates, Visser and Van der Merwe on the track and the…

Okuhle Hlati okhule.hlati@inl.co.za MAKHAZA residents in Khayelitsha are hoping that the boost of 50 additional SAPS personnel and 10 vehicles will assist in combating house break-ins, motor theft and contact crime which they say have spiked since the start of the festive season. The additional resources were handed over yesterday to the new mobile police station in the area, which was unveiled last month. During the police ministry’s annual Safer Festive Season Inspection Tour yesterday, Police Minister Bheki Cele together with other top brass, including his deputy and national commissioner Khehla Sitole, inspected the readiness of the police to deal with criminals during the festive period. Makhaza residents have been campaigning for and waiting on a promised “state-of-the-art” police station for the past eight years. Over the years residents had…

THE destruction and neglect of the country’s railway infrastructure under the ANC government is both shameful and embarrassing to witness. The country’s economy does not stand a chance if the government is allowed to get away with what can arguably be described as the biggest service delivery failure since 1994. From Kliptown in Gauteng to Volksrust in Mpumalanga our railway infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate to alarming levels, thanks to government neglect and inefficiency. Railway infrastructure is not only the primary mode of transport for millions of poor people in the country, it is also the lifeblood of the economy in terms of the transportation of goods and services. The use of freight to transport cargo from the Durban harbour to the rest of the country has also played…

LONDON: Britain yesterday refused to rule out curbs on gatherings, a day after the Netherlands imposed a fourth lockdown prompted by the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus and as other European countries considered putting a squeeze on Christmas. Omicron infections are multiplying rapidly across Europe and the US, doubling every two or three days in London and elsewhere and taking a heavy toll on financial markets which fear the impact on the global economic recovery. The variant was first detected last month in southern Africa and Hong Kong and so far been reported in at least 89 countries. The severity of illness it causes remains unclear. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a shutdown on Saturday, ordering the closure of all but essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers,…

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth missed church on Sunday to minimise her risks of contracting Covid-19. The 95-year-old monarch usually attends a service on the Windsor estate every weekend but opted not to go in order to preserve her plans for a family Christmas at Sandringham. Sources told The Sun the queen is in good health but has opted to “cut down” on social interactions ahead of the family gathering for safety’s sake. The queen is set to leave tomorrow for Sandringham, where she will be joined by family on Christmas Day.…

During his sentencing hearing, Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos broke down in tears as he pleaded for a judge to forgive him for a 2019 incident in which he crashed a big rig into a group of stopped cars on a Colorado highway. The collision killed four people, injured a half-dozen and started a fire that engulfed several vehicles and melted portions of the highway. “I would rather God had taken me instead of them,” Aguilera-Mederos, 26, said. The truck driver insisted the crash was not intentional, saying his brakes failed and he tried his best to avert disaster. Two months earlier, a jury had convicted Aguilera-Mederos on 27 counts in connection with the incident, including four counts of vehicular homicide, six counts of first-degree assault and 10 counts of attempted first-degree…

ANKARA: The Turkish police yesterday launched a new nationwide operation against illegal and bootleg alcohol as dozens died of alcohol poisoning in Turkey. The Turkish Interior Ministry said the police launched the “Poison 2” operation across 81 provinces against illegal and bootleg alcohol, the second nationwide operation since last week. The bootleg alcohol has become a matter of grave concern in the country as the death toll exceeded 45 people in the past 10 days. In October last year, more than 40 people died and over 50 were hospitalised after consuming bootleg alcohol in several provinces in Turkey…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.Maleke@inl.co.za ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) has announced yesterday it plans to sell its 49 percent stake in Bokoni Mine to Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals (ARM). In a statement, the mine said the transaction is set to generate R3.5 billion. The transaction is expected to be complete in 2022. Amplats owns the Limpopo-based mine through a joint venture with Atlatsa Resources, which holds a 51 percent stake. Amplats chief executive Natascha Viljoen said the company was pleased the Bokoni mine was sold to an operator with the technical and operational capability and funding to ensure the restart and sustainable future for the mine. “The restart of the mine by ARM is expected to benefit employees, host communities, broader stakeholders, and the regional economy, and allow…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za FOR COMPANIES struggling to retain talented employees amidst scarce skills, HR departments and organisational leaders need to understand what makes their employees tick to keep them engaged in their jobs, according to Sage Africa and Middle East. The multinational enterprise software company’s vice-president for medium business, Gerhard Hartman, said that given that Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) recently announced record-breaking unemployment numbers, the great resignation trend sweeping the developed world may appear to be of limited relevance to South Africa. “However, the reality is that local companies are struggling to hold on to their best talent in fields where scarce skills such as finance, technology, management and engineering are sought after,” Hartman said. The company said that the PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC’s) Workforce Preference Study offered some pointers about the…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za LIFESTYLE-focused group Long4Life said yesterday that an Old Mutual private equity fund had made a firm offer to acquire it at about 6.5 percent more than an initial offer proposal. Long4Life said it had received a firm intention letter from Ompe Bidco to make an offer to acquire all of the issued shares in Long4Life at R6.20 per share cash. Ompe Bidco had initially proposed an offer price of R5.50 per share. Long4Life’s share price rose 0.88 percent to close at R5.76 on the JSE yesterday. Ompe Bidco is a subsidiary of Ompe Fund V, a private equity fund managed by Old Mutual Private Equity (Ompe), as represented by Ompe V GP Proprietary, acting in its capacity as the ultimate general partner of the Ompe…

Keith Urban’s marriage to Nicole Kidman is one of his biggest achievements. The 54-year-old musician singled out getting wed to the Big Little Lies star – who he has daughters Sunday, 13, and Faith, 10, with – in 2006 and getting sober as some of the most significant moments in his life. Asked his biggest achievement on Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, he replied: “There’s a lot of things. Marrying the right person, massive. Marrying for the right reasons, getting sober 15 years ago, a big turning point in my life.” Before he got sober, Urban never “had specific goals” beyond playing music. The Wild Hearts hitmaker previously gushed that Kidman was “beyond” what he’d been looking for in his life. He said: “She’s just the one. She’s the…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE six men accused of murdering Gauteng health department whistle-blower Babita Deokaran have failed to prove that there were exceptional circumstances that warranted their release on bail. Magistrate Simon Sibanyoni handed down his decision in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday after hearing extensive submissions from the State and the defence. Sibanyoni ruled against the bail applications lodged by Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Hadebe, Sanele Mbele, Nhlangano Phila Ndlovu, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Siphakanyiswa Dladla. The six face counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Deokaran, a key witness in a probe into a R300 million personal protective equipment (PPE) fraudulant tender, was gunned down outside her home in Winchester Park, Johannesburg south, in August. During bail application proceedings, advocate Peter Wilkins submitted on…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za WHILE the demolition of a 1930s style Tudor manor at 6 Kloof Street, Sea Point will still proceed, an appeal against it has been upheld, making the replacement design subject to heritage indicators. Heritage Western Cape’s (HWC) Built Environment and Landscape Committee had initially concluded that the building had insufficient heritage significance to warrant protection or retention, and resolved to approve the demolition. The outcome of the appeal has since been welcomed by appellants, the Simon van der Stel Foundation. “It is a half a win because we did not want it demolished but we are happy it will comply with design guidelines and we will be a part of the process,” Foundation chairperson Ian Pretorius said. The outcome, dated December 7 stated: “The building can be…

Staff writer CAPE TOWN, Casablanca, Cairo and Rabat have received the nod from social media users as among the most beautiful African cities to explore by night. Premier Inn, a UK-based top-rated hotel chain, scoured Instagram to reveal the places that are being photographed the most after sunset. The number of hashtags for #citybynight were counted and compared to cities in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. In Africa, Casablanca was the most popular city for night-time Instragramming. In second place, Cairo was another favourite option for evening snaps featuring night time shots of al-Muizz Street and the Cairo Tower, with Rabat, Algiers and Cape Town also making the top five. Globally Paris, London, Athens, Rome, Warsaw and Budapest scooped the top six…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za ONGOING conflict over gang turf in Lotus River could be the motive behind a triple murder that’s rocked the community ahead of Christmas. A police source confirmed that the shooting at the Radiant Mews flats at the corner of Lake Road and 6th Avenue on Sunday night occurred in the 6 Bops gang’s stronghold where drugs are widely available. One person who was injured during the shooting fled the scene. Police are yet to make any arrests. “It appears that the people who were shot and killed were targeted during the shooting and (it) was not the result of crossfire,” said the source. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the case was being investigated by the Anti-Gang Unit. “Detectives attached to the Anti-Gang Unit are investigating the circumstances…

Kailene Pillay and Jolene Marriah-Maharaj President Cyril Ramaphosa has ended a week of self-isolation following his positive test for Covid-19 after delivering the eulogy at FW de Klerk’s state memorial on December 12. In a statement issued by the Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, yesterday, Ramaphosa thanked all South Africans and leaders and friends internationally who conveyed their good wishes during this period. In turn, the president wished all those infected with Covid-19 a safe and speedy recovery. Ramaphosa delivered his eulogy at the last apartheid president FW de Klerk’s state memorial in Cape Town last Sunday and then tested positive for the virus shortly afterwards. It was reported that the president started feeling ill shortly after the memorial service. Gungubele said that while Ramaphosa appeared to be…

December 16 each year is a critical date on our bloody calendar. Before December 16, 1838, this date was nowhere in our history. However, something thereafter to be known as The Battle of Blood River in KwaZulu-Natal changed the course of history. It was a fight to the bitter end for land between Boer, later calling themselves Afrikaners, and Zulu. Another big battle between the British and Zulu, also for land, was looming a few decades later. Many died. But the aforementioned was completely different since for the first time the help of a Higher Being, God himself, was invoked on the side of one of the fighting parties. And did they believe that he had assured them victory. They, and all future generations, were to celebrate the…

Conjoined twin boys from war-torn Yemen who were successfully separated in surgery in Jordan returned to the capital Sana’a this month, the UN children’s agency said. Ahmed and Mohammed were born on December 16 last year, joined at the chest and abdomen, in Sana’a, the country’s rebel-held capital, Unicef said. They were transported to Jordan after urgent calls for their medical evacuation and surgery. The twins were separated in July at Amman’s Speciality Hospital in a nearly eight-hour operation involving 25 surgeons and technical advisers. The twins were seven months old at the time. Their father, Yasser Albukhaity, was all smiles upon returning to Sana’a on a UN medical flight. “I can’t express my feelings,” he said. Yemen has been ravaged by war since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels…

Los Angeles: Veteran Hollywood star Meryl Streep will be seen playing President Orlean, who knows how to navigate her way around the system, in the upcoming satirical science fiction comedy Don’t Look Up. Talking about her role and how there’s been a rise in powerful female lead characters, Meryl said: “We’ve become accustomed to loving horrible people. The anti-heroine is much less common.” She added: “Take The Devil Wears Prada. Miranda Priestly is one of those people who’s disagreeable, but I understood her more because she had such a burden on her. But President Orlean wears the burden of leading the country very lightly. “She hardly gives a second thought to it. It’s really about self-aggrandisement.” Netflix’s upcoming satirical sci-fi black comedy Don’t Look Up tells the story of two…

BANGKOK: Ten people are missing and more than 41 000 others evacuated after several zones in eight states of Malaysia were inundated by unusually disruptive seasonal flooding, Malaysian news agency Bernama reported yesterday. The country was affected by severe floods on Friday as torrential rains hit the nation at the beginning of a stormy monsoon season. According to Bernama, 10 people, including a 6-year-old child, are missing, feared swept away by water in the state of Pahang. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a package of relief measures and humanitarian assistance to those affected by floods.…

ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has castigated Prime Minister Imran Khan for allegedly defaming the country and its political parties only to hide his own corruption at a time when foreign dignitaries were attending the 17th extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) here. The party’s Marriyum Aurangzeb said Khan’s interview with Al Jazeera on December 17 was an attempt to damage the country’s image. It seemed Khan did not possess the mental capacity to understand the importance of the OIC gathering and to present a positive image of Pakistan to the leaders of the Muslim world, the party said.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za Cricket South Africa suffered another blow yesterday, with the decision to postpone the 2022 version of the Mzansi Super League, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The tournament, which was cancelled last season as well because of the pandemic, was scheduled to take place in February next year, but was called off for what CSA described as difficulties in making it a “premium international T20 tournament,” because of the increased travel restrictions imposed by a number of countries against SA. Those travel bans were imposed after SA scientists identified the Omicron variant of Covid-19. “Restrictions such as stricter travel possibilities, the bio-secure environment frustrations, fear of the new variant, and the weak Rand/US Dollar exchange rate are some of the main reasons why CSA has taken the…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com The PSL yesterday announced that it has formally declined a request by Kaizer Chiefs to postpone all their Premiership matches during December. At the start of December, Chiefs informed the PSL that 31 individuals (players, technical and support staff) tested positive for Covid-19 when Gauteng was hit by the fourth wave of the pandemic. As a result, Chiefs were unable to field a team and their base at Naturena was closed down. Chiefs felt that they would be unable to fulfil fixtures against Cape Town City, Golden Arrows, Sekhukhune United and Royal AM. Yesterday the PSL finally declared its decision to decline Chiefs’ request and issued a statement which read: “On the December 2, 2021, Kaizer Chiefs Football Club wrote to the (PSL) requesting ’the postponement of…