Table of contents for 2023-07-21 in Mercury

The South African government consulted with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and BRICS before a mutual agreement was reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would not attend the group’s summit in Johannesburg next month. Putin is expected to attend the summit virtually and the Presidency said on Wednesday that the Russian Federation would be represented in person by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Professor Anil Sooklal, the Ambassador at Large: Asia and BRICS, at the Department of International Relations, said South Africa would fulfil its international obligations fully and respect these obligations, in terms of the treaties that the country had signed. The ICC, of which South Africa is a full member, issued a warrant of arrest for Putin and urged 123 countries who are signatories to the Rome…

I am sure things stick in your memory as they do in mine. My parents’ home on Blackburn Road was the most open home you could imagine. Strangers were simply people whom you were yet to know. Week in, week out, on a Sunday our home was open to a flow of family and friends who stayed for lunch and an afternoon around the pool, then often stayed for dinner after. All of this occurred while my parents also ran their grocery shop at the front of our property, to which our home was attached. Often there’d be a dozen or even 20 people for Sunday lunch and my parents were never alarmed when new people showed up, often unannounced. One couple, apparently our mother’s distant cousins, were regulars. Harold…

So the good news is that Putin is not attending the BRICS summit. I never thought he would. He is too afraid of a coup at home should he be away. With reference to Zuma, it is a bit strange that he would prefer Russian medical attention as opposed to South African. However, there may be a bit of paranoia behind that. Should he be returned to prison? We all know what happened the last time. We had anarchy on our hands. Is it worth it? Our economy is suffering, trucks are being torched and various mafia hold the country to ransom. We should balance the scales of justice in a logical, rational way. Put him under house arrest in Nkandla. That way he will be responsible for his…

As the Department of Correctional Services prepares to take over the management of the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein next month, it has instituted vetting of all personnel, including contract workers, at the facility. In May, the department severed ties with security company G4S that managed the centre, which is the prison Thabo Bester escaped from last year. It announced plans to take over the management of the prison after 90 days following the termination of the contract. Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said his department had since embarked on a project to conduct vetting of the correctional centre personnel, including contractors and staff members. “A total of 507 staff and 57 contractors personnel suitability checks (PSC) were conducted and processed,” Lamola said. He said the PSC included…

Zandile Khumalo, the first witness in the new murder trial of slain Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that her sister, Kelly Khumalo, and the soccer star were happy and in love. Khumalo was on the stand yesterday and testified on the events which transpired on the day Meyiwa was gunned down. She was under cross-examination by advocate Sipho Ramosepele who is representing two of the five men accused of killing Meyiwa during a botched robbery. She said her sister had a loving relationship with Meyiwa: “They were happy and in love.” Meyiwa was married to Mandisa Mkhize at the time of his death, and the couple had a daughter, Namhla (Nana) Meyiwa. Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, in Vosloorus while…

Adrift in the blue vastness of the Pacific Ocean with only a dog named Bella for company, Australian sailor Timothy Shaddock didn’t think he was going to survive. A storm had hit weeks into the Sydney man’s planned sail from La Paz, Mexico, to French Polynesia, disabling his catamaran and leaving him without fresh water or a way of cooking. Shaddock reportedly lived off rainwater and raw fish until finally, about three months after the storm, he was rescued by a Mexican tuna trawler. The 54-year-old sailor touched dry land for the first time Tuesday in Manzanillo, Mexico, walking down a gangway from the boat that saved him, the Maria Delia, and flashing a thumbs-up sign. Shaddock sported a shaggy blond beard tinged with white and a red baseball cap…

A Canadian farmer has been ordered to pay more than C$82 000 (R1.1 million) in damages over an emoji confusion that a Saskatchewan judge resolved by ruling that a thumbs-up image was enough to accept contractual terms. Chris Achter, the owner of a farming company in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, had sent a thumbs-up emoji in response to a photograph of a flax-buying contract sent to him by a grains buyer in 2021. Months later, when the time of the delivery arrived, the buyer did not receive the flax. That started a dispute that led to a search to unearth what a thumbs-up emoji meant. The buyer, South West Terminal, argued that the emoji implied acceptance of contractual terms, while Achter said he used the thumbs-up image only to indicate…

The DA has laid charges of terrorism against the five accused charged with the torching of trucks in three provinces last week. The party opened the charges at the Berea police station on Wednesday. The five suspects who were arrested for the incidents appeared on Monday at Ermelo Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga. A total of 21 trucks were burnt in attacks in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo last week. Dianne Kohler Barnard, a DA member of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, said the suspects were initially only charged with aggravated robbery, malicious damage to property, conspiracy to commit a crime, and one count of illegal possession of a firearm and attempted murder. She said they should be facing more serious charges due to the significant damage done, and the impact…

PEOPLE who were fined for infringement of the Covid-19 State of Disaster regulations will soon have their offences expunged from the criminal record, once amending legislation is passed by Parliament and then signed into law. This was according to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, responding to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Themba Msimang. Lamola said the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill was under deliberation by the National Assembly committee on justice and correctional services. The bill was approved by Cabinet for introduction to Parliament. It was also referred to the committee on March 30 and underwent public hearings and submissions. “The offence must be a statutory offence punishable with a fine, without or with an alternative sentence of imprisonment not exceeding six months in default of payment of such…

New Zealand kicked off the Fifa Women’s World Cup in fine style by clinching a surprise 1-0 victory over Norway at Eden Park in Auckland yesterday, and soon it will be the turn of African champions Banyana Banyana to grace the biggest stage of their sport. The South African team have been hard at work in Wellington this week before their tournament opener against Sweden on Sunday morning, 7am South African time. Coach Desiree Ellis’ side go into the event in a confident mood after they beat fellow World Cup qualifiers Costa Rica 2-0 in a friendly in Christchurch, New Zealand, last Saturday. That result was a relief for Banyana fans, as the squad left South Africa under a cloud because of a pay dispute with the SA Football Association.…

Russian missiles and drones hit the Ukrainian port of Odesa for a third “hellish” night in a row as Crimean authorities said a teenager had been killed in a drone strike in Kyiv’s latest attack on the peninsula. Russian forces also targeted Mykolaiv, another Black Sea port through which Ukrainian grain is exported, after Moscow’s exit from a key deal giving ships safe passage. At least two people died and more than 20 people were wounded after strikes on the port cities, officials said. The Chinese consulate in Odesa was also damaged, they said. Russia pounded Odesa and Mykolaiv with 19 cruise missiles and 19 drones, the Ukrainian air force said, after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to exact revenge after an attack on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia.…

Protests in Kenyan cities against tax hikes and high living costs largely subsided yesterday as police maintained a heavy presence, although the opposition hoped to rally its supporters anew in the afternoon. The Wednesday-to-Friday demonstrations are the third round of protests that the opposition has called this month. Protests this year have cost the economy more than $20 million per day. Several people were reported shot, some possibly fatally, in clashes with police, and at least 300 people have been arrested, including several senior opposition leaders. Apart from minor skirmishes between about 500 protesters and police in Kibera, a vast shantytown in the south-west of Nairobi, yesterday most residents were going about their daily business. Many shops in the city’s central business district reopened. Schools also reopened in Nairobi, the…

SEOUL: North Korea said yesterday that the deployment of US weapons like aircraft carriers, bombers or missile submarines in South Korea could meet the conditions for its use of nuclear weapons, the defence ministry said. The comments raise the stakes as each side steps up displays of military force in a stand-off over the isolated country’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The ministry also accused the US and South Korea of escalating tensions in the region while criticising the first meeting by their nuclear consultative group. Last year, the reclusive state codified a new, expansive nuclear law declaring its status as a nuclear-armed state “irreversible”. | Reuters…

BEN SHEMEN: Hundreds of Israelis opposed to the government’s judicial overhaul plans are trekking under a scorching summer sun on the main highway to Jerusalem in hope of drumming up support ahead of a reform vote next week. The protesters set off from Tel Aviv on Saturday for the uphill 66km walk along the three-lane Road 1, turning off for overnight camping in nearby parks or farmlands. They plan to reach Jerusalem and rally outside Parliament as it begins ratifying a bill that would limit Supreme Court powers to void decisions by the executive – and which critics see as a curb on judicial independence. The planned reforms have dented the economy. | Reuters…

Freshwater fishing has been good despite the cold. There have been fish to be caught for all facets. The bass fishing has been doing very well these past few weeks. The fish have been feeding strongly at most of the KZN venues. Most of the popular methods have had their moment in the spotlight this past week with reports of everything from finesse to power fishing producing the goods. The key has been to find what is working on the day and then figuring out the pattern. This is the big difference between catching a couple and slaying the fish. If you are wanting to cover water, using a crankbait or bladed jig is a great way to locate the fish. Both of these methods require special tackle to be…

ACTRESS Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello were “always very different”. Vergara and Manganiello recently announced their split, describing their break-up as being a “difficult decision”. The 51-year-old actress and Manganiello, 46, tried to make their romance work, but they’ve always been distinctly different characters. A source told PEOPLE: “Sofia is down to earth and fun to be around when she is stress-free, but as a career woman, she also cares what people think about her, and revels in what makes her a major star.” Manganiello, on the other hand, has been described as being a “guy’s guy”. The celebrity duo recently split after eight years of marriage, with the insider admitting there were “several things that didn’t work” for them. The source explained: “Their physical attraction to each other only…

At least eight of the more than 40 victims of the Joburg CBD blast, which claimed the life of one person, are still in hospital, with two of them said to be in critical condition. This was the latest report given by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who addressed members of the media yesterday following Wednesday afternoon’s gas explosion in the Joburg CBD. Lesufi added that reports of a second gas explosion in Braamfischerville, Soweto, were not connected to or similar to the Joburg CBD gas explosion. He said this incident was a domestic incident that was due to a stove and not a gas leak, as suggested by reports. Lesufi said ongoing investigations by various stakeholders and government departments have also confirmed that most of the victims of the gas…

The northern hemisphere is in the grip of an extreme heatwave. All three continents are experiencing scorching temperatures. America, Europe and Asia are tinder dry and wildfires rage in several countries including Spain and Greece. Even Canada has experienced high temperatures and wildfires. No more is it only California that struggles with heatwaves and wildfires in summer, but other countries in the northern hemisphere are also feeling the effects of climate change. Europe was never a hot continent. But now summers have become unbearable. But while people in the northern hemisphere swelter under the intense heat, floods and storms are wreaking havoc in other parts of the world. South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan and Italy have experienced the wrath of nature. South Africa, too, hasn’t been spared. Cape…

The NFP expresses its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the recent suspected gas line explosion in Bree Street, Johannesburg. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the entire community impacted by this incident. This incident is unfortunate and could possibly have been avoided. We have repeatedly raised concerns regarding the potential risks of gas line explosions in the greater Gauteng area, stretching from the East Rand to the West Rand, including areas like Riverlea, which are known for illegal mining activities. This tragic incident, which has resulted in chaos in the Johannesburg CBD, emphasises the urgent need for action to assess the integrity and safety of gas lines across Gauteng. The possible link between illegal mining activities and the vulnerability of gas lines necessitates…

The whereabouts of the Gupta brothers, Atul and Rajesh, were unknown to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities, according to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola. Lamola revealed this when he was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach. Breytenbach wrote to the minister about Interpol’s Red Notice attached to Rajesh and Atul Gupta for their arrest to face fraud and money laundering charges in South Africa, among others. She wanted to know whether the government had been informed of the Gupta brothers’ current whereabouts. South Africa’s extradition application was dismissed earlier this year based on “technicalities” after the extradition application was heard in a closed court. The Gupta brothers were arrested in the UAE in June 2022, and the formal extradition request was delivered the following…

Debate around the proposed new tobacco bill has seen small businesses raise their fears about the proliferation of trade of illicit products if it is approved. The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems and Control Bill is currently before Parliament for consideration, with the public comment period closing on August 4. The bill aims to regulate the sale and advertising of tobacco products and electronic delivery systems; regulate and standardise packaging; provide standards concerning manufacturing and exports; prohibit the free distribution of tobacco products; and prohibit the sale of tobacco products in vending machines. Small businesses have raised their concerns about the regulations placing a complete ban on the display of all tobacco products. This will mean products may not be visible in shops. In a survey by distributor Clippa…

Google was exploring using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to write news articles and was in talks with news organisations to use the tools to assist journalists, a company spokesperson said this week. The spokesperson did not name the publishers, but the New York Times reported that Google had held discussions with the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal-owner News Corp and even the New York Times (NYT), among others. These AI tools could assist journalists with options for headlines or different writing styles, for instance, in a way that “enhances their work and productivity”, the Google spokesperson said, adding that it was in the “earliest stages of exploring ideas”. “Quite simply these tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating, and fact-checking…

A lottery player in the US state of California won the $1 billion (about R17bn) Powerball jackpot this week, the state’s lottery said. “California has a new Powerball BILLIONAIRE!” the California State Lottery announced on Twitter. “One lucky ticket sold at Las Palmitas Mini Market in Los Angeles was the only ticket across the country to match all 6 numbers in the July 19 Powerball draw, winning the $1 billion Powerball jackpot,” it said. The billion-dollar jackpot is the biggest prize since November and only the third time the pot has reached the billions, The Washington Post reported. The winner can choose to take $558.1 million in cash up front, or receive $1.08bn, broken into yearly payments over 30 years, which increase by 5% annually, the newspaper said. Most winners…

A Durban metro police officer was shot dead on the M7 yesterday while intercepting a truck hijacking. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the officer was on duty when he noticed a truck was driving contraflow to traffic. “It is alleged the officer instructed the truck driver to stop. “Little did he (the policeman) know that a truck-jacking was in progress,” he said. Netshiunda said four suspects driving a silver VW Polo had hijacked the truck. “The suspects shot and killed the police officer and reports indicate that the suspects took the police officer’s vehicle, his firearm and fled the scene,” he said. The police vehicle, according to Netshiunda, was later recovered in Stapleton Road in Pinetown. Police are on the hunt for the suspects. Garrith Jamieson, from ALS…

Norman Afzal Simons, the man dubbed the “Station Strangler” and suspected of murdering 22 young boys in the Western Cape, has been released under strict conditions. The 56-year-old was set free on parole yesterday after serving 28 years in prison. Simons was arrested in 1995 after the murder of Elroy van Rooyen, 10, from Strand. The murders prior to this took place between 1985 and 1994. He was identified after an identikit was distributed. Simons is now a resident of Parow and will be there for the duration of his parole. Parow councillor Franchesca Walker said she spoke to the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) officials who informed her that Simons had been released under strict parole conditions. “Emotions flared on Tuesday during a meeting with the DCS and the…

I feel compelled to write this article to provide basic facts and scientific data with regard to the article entitled “BRICS summit must discuss release of Fukushima nuclear wastewater and its harmful effects on the planet” written by Mr Jaya Josie on June 29, and “Nuclear waste discharge extremely irresponsible” written by H E Mr Chen Xiadong, Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, on July 13. The government of Japan will never discharge “nuclear waste” nor “nuclear-contaminated water” that exceeds regulatory standards into the sea. The water to be discharged is “ALPS treated water” that has been sufficiently purified until the concentration of radioactive materials other than tritium is below the regulatory standard, and will be further diluted. After the dilution, the concentration of tritium will be 1/40…

THE latest apex court judgment on former president Jacob Zuma has the potential to destabilise the country. Perhaps President Cyril Ramaphosa should heed EFF leader Julius Malema’s plea and pardon Zuma. We cannot afford any upheaval of the magnitude seen in July 2021. A repeat will decimate and destroy our fragile economic order. Zuma’s legal battles have cost the state via the embattled taxpayer a massive R50 million. Correctional Services commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale can set aside the judgment on humanitarian grounds. Pardoning the former president will be an act of statesmanship by Ramaphosa, which will undoubtedly bring stability and tranquillity to our fractured political system. During July 2021, 350 lives were lost, R50 billion of damage was done to infrastructure and businesses. The private sector suffered losses amounting to over…

THE “Geneva patient” is the latest person with HIV to be declared in long-term remission. However he did not receive a transplant with a virus-blocking gene mutation like previous cases, researchers said yesterday. But they stopped short of saying the man was “cured” of HIV, warning there was still a chance the virus could return. Five people have previously been declared cured of HIV: the Berlin, London, Duesseldorf, New York and City of Hope, California patients. All had bone-marrow transplants to treat serious cases of cancer, receiving stem cells from a donor with a mutation of the CCR5 gene. This mutation is known to block HIV from entering the body’s cells. In 2018, the Geneva patient received a stem-cell transplant to treat a particularly aggressive form of leukaemia. This time…

HONG KONG: Fans from Hong Kong and around the world gathered at the feet of a Bruce Lee statue yesterday to pay tribute to the late kung fu legend on the 50th anniversary of his untimely death. Standing in front of the life-size bronze statue with Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour behind them, a stream of fans snapped pictures, bowed and laid down flowers. Those who travelled to Hong Kong for the anniversary included people from mainland China, Asia and Europe. Lee passed away at the age of 32 on July 20 in 1973 from a brain swelling. | Reuters…

London: Voters headed to the polls yesterday in three by-elections across England, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ruling Conservatives braced for defeat in each as inflation-battered Britain’s economic woes bite. The Tories are defending hefty majorities in the seats in London, Yorkshire in northern England and Somerset in the south-west, but appear to be haemorrhaging support as the scandals of recent years and dire economic conditions take their toll. Results are expected early today. The contests come ahead of a general election due next year, with the main opposition Labour party enjoying poll leads of around 20% and poised to retake power. | AFP…

LONDON: The British government said yesterday it would cut the proportion of funds going to the royal family from the Crown Estate next year, after King Charles said he wanted bumper windfarm profits to go to the “wider public good”. Each year, the royals receive a “Sovereign Grant” to cover the costs of running their households and for official travel expenses, which is based on surplus revenue of the Crown Estate, a property portfolio belonging to the monarchy but which is independently run with its profits going to the Treasury. Deals for offshore wind farms struck in January are expected to see Crown Estate profits surge by £900 million (R20 billion) a year. | Reuters…

Team: Zambia Nickname: Copper Queens Fifa Ranking: 103 Coach: Bruce Mwape How they qualified Zambia squeezed past Cosafa rivals Malawi 4-3 on aggregate to reach the second-round stage. The Tokyo Olympic campaigners went on to edge another Cosafa neighbour, Namibia, on the away goals rule to clinch their second consecutive and third qualification ticket after a 1-1 draw on aggregate. Coach Bruce Mwape is highly optimistic heading to the World Cup, calling it “history in the making, but nothing is impossible. The results can go either way, and victory is possible”. The Copper Queens have finally cracked a Women’s World Cup ticket and they are hoping to make their mark on the biggest stage in women’s football in their debut appearance. As the winners of the Cosafa Women’s Cup, Zambia…

IF NIACINAMIDE were a person, it would be the unassuming, back-of-the-classroom student that scores straight As to everyone’s consistent awe, wrote the features editor for Lifestyle Asia. Niacinamide might not get quite as much buzz as ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, but the skincare superstar is an unsung hero that deserves equal praise. In short, niacinamide is a name for the combination of two forms of vitamin B3. It has been used widely to treat acne and pigmentation issues and minimise wrinkles. Niacinamide, at its core, is the gateway to important molecules that help bolster your skin’s natural repair functions. It’s been found that women on average use 12 beauty products a day and spend nearly R80 000 per year on products to improve their appearance. It’s with this…

EThekwini Municipality is planning to revive the orange bag recycling initiative that has been rendered defunct in most areas of the city for some time. The recycling project had been beset with problems over the past few years due to issues with the non-delivery to or collection of the bags from ratepayers’ properties. In addition, The Mercury reported some years ago on the allegations related to the alleged irregular awarding of a multimillion-rand contract for the supply of the bags. In a council document that came before a full council meeting recently, the municipality acknowledged that the project yielded benefits for the city in the past, and this was one of the reasons for the proposal to reconfigure it. The mooted revival of the orange bag recycling initiative has been…

DISCUSSIONS on alternative energy sources and making the tourism sector self-sufficient when it comes to energy generation were the focus of a forum hosted by the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) KwaZulu-Natal branch this week. Brett Tungay, Fedhasa’s East Coast chairperson, said the forum brought together installers and energy monitoring consultants to help businesses learn what they could do to mitigate the effects of load shedding. “Load shedding has been devastating to the tourism and hospitality industry. Businesses can’t cook food, accommodation establishments don’t have hot water or air conditioning, and the only solution is alternative energy. It’s also the only option for members of the public as there is no timeline for the energy crisis to be solved,” said Tungay. Peter Rose, the owner of a guest…

HUMAN intelligence agents will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) even as machines make information “infinitely more accessible”, according to the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service, MI6. This is most reassuring. Sir Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, made this known during a rare public speech on a visit to Prague this week. AI could not match “unique” human agents, he said, and certainly could not put human intelligence-gathering organisations like MI6 out of business. “In fact, the opposite is likely to be true. As AI trawls the ocean of open source, there will be even greater value in landing, with a well-cast fly, the secrets that lie beyond the reach of its nets.” How true these sentiments, as conveyed by Sky News. How could…

I am forced to respond to the blazing debate regarding the arrest warrant for Russian President (Vladimir) Putin. For health reasons I was content to be and remain a spectator. Until now. Russia states categorically that the arrest of its sitting president would be an act of war. Not to be ignored or taken lightly. Should SA execute the warrant to oblige the useless ICC comfortably seated in distant Europe, South African citizenry would be seriously engaged in a war with Russia with unimaginable consequences. Aside from that, SA is part of the geo-political BRICS. Memo to Biden: When your country through the CIA connived to support apartheid by the arrest of Nelson Mandela, it was the Russians and the Cubans, as well as the PLO, that supported the…

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says the student allowance payment process is in full swing. This comes after student allowance payments were delayed due to the restructuring of the system. Wits University said last week in a statement that over 8 000 of the 9 950 students had been paid their allowances on July 14. According to its figures, the scheme said that 7 684 student allowances were paid on July 14 in addition to the cohort paid during the end of June payment run. The scheme said there were a number of its beneficiaries whose payments were outstanding, and this would be examined and corrected as soon as possible where appropriate. “We will continue to liaise with all institutions to ensure that whatever obstacles…

Mpumalanga police have arrested four parolees after they were found with a consignment of items suspected to have been stolen during a housebreaking incident committed at a shop. The spokesperson for the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, said the break-in happened in Standerton on Saturday night. “The Standerton police in partnership with other stakeholders launched a massive search for the perpetrators and their hard work paid off as information led them to a house where the four suspects, aged between 32 and 36, were found with suspected stolen items, as well as loose dagga,” Mohlala said. During further investigations, police discovered that the suspects they had arrested had been released on parole just last month. | Mercury Correspondent…

What happens when 500 extra-large lap dogs converge in one place? The answer is you get a chaotic crowd of eager-to-please golden-coated canines sitting on command, rolling over and chasing tennis balls with abandon in the Scottish Highlands. And while the humans they arrived with often have a lot in common, the pups are the focus of the “Guisachan Golden Gathering” – an event hosted by the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland. The purpose of the five-day summer festival is to celebrate the breed on the grounds where the first golden retriever puppies were born in 1868. For people who have a deep and abiding love for golden retrievers, travel was no obstacle to be able to celebrate the 155th anniversary of the breed. “People do tend to talk to…

The IFP has tightened its grip on two northern KwaZulu-Natal municipalities after winning crucial by-elections on Wednesday. The IFP snatched ward 6 from the ANC, cementing its place in the Mthonjaneni (Melmoth) Local Municipality. The ward was won by the ANC during the November 2021 local government elections but the party’s councillor later resigned, setting the stage for a bitter by-election fight with the IFP. A week before the elections, the IFP accused the provincial government, run by the ANC, of abusing state resources to score a victory. The provincial government has denied the allegations, saying it was undertaking routine service delivery programmes in the ward. Meanwhile, the latest win for the IFP is a big one as its margin of victory was significant and it included triumphs in voting…

EThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has announced that steps that will be undertaken by the municipality to assist waste pickers at the Buffelsdraai landfill site, north of Durban. The announcement was made yesterday after the City said it had had a fruitful community meeting on Wednesday. The meeting came after a violent confrontation last week between waste pickers and security guards that led to the death of one person and injuries on both sides, the City said. The provincial police said last week that Verulam police were investigating charges of murder and attempted murder following the incident on July 12. Kaunda said landfills had adverse effects on human life, and the municipality cannot risk having waste pickers on such sites. “Following the confrontation and the destruction at the site, the municipality…

They’ve been unwavering in their advocacy for paying royalties to artists THE EFF is celebrating 10 years of “unbroken struggle” having been formed on July 26, the anniversary of the movement that sparked the Cuban revolution. This was after the expulsion of then leader of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema, and the suspension of his colleagues. While many believed the EFF didn’t have what it takes to establish themselves as a key roleplayer in South African politics, positing that the hype around the party’s formation will eventually wear off and disperse, they replaced the Congress of the People (COPE) – another ANC breakaway – as the third biggest party in South Africa and, unlike COPE, who had a strong showing at their first elections only to shrink almost to…

Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador yesterday in protest at a planned burning of the Qu’ran in Stockholm that had prompted hundreds of protesters to storm and set alight the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. An Iraqi government statement said Baghdad had also recalled its charge d’affaires in Sweden, and Iraq’s state news agency reported that Iraq had suspended the working permit of Sweden’s Ericsson on Iraqi soil. Anti-Islam protesters, one of whom is an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden that burned the Qu’ran outside a Stockholm mosque in June, had applied for and received permission from Swedish police to burn the Qu’ran outside the Iraqi embassy yesterday. In the event, the protesters kicked and partially destroyed a book they said was the Qu’ran but left the area after one hour without setting…

US soldier Travis King was being escorted to Seoul’s airport this week, due to fly to Texas, after a drunken bar brawl, an altercation with police, and a stint in South Korean jail. But instead of getting on the plane to face disciplinary hearings at Fort Bliss, King slipped away, joined a tourist tour of the Demilitarised Zone, and fled across the border. He is believed to be in North Korean custody. His family say they are “shocked” by his actions, which they have described as out of character. They said King, 23, had struggled with being far from home and was grief-stricken after the death of a cousin this year. But Seoul police said King had a history of run-ins with the law. Released from prison on July 10,…

Barcelona: A Spanish court said yesterday it had opened a new probe into Colombian music superstar Shakira for alleged income tax fraud. The 46-year-old Hips Don’t Lie singer is already due to stand trial at the end of the year in Spain for allegedly failing to pay E14.5 million in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014. Now a court in the north-eastern town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona, said it had agreed with prosecutors to investigate two possible cases of tax fraud by Shakira from 2018. Prosecutors have asked for an eight-year sentence and fine of E24m in the first case after Shakira rejected a plea deal over the accusations of tax evasion. That case centres on where the singer lived between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors…

Mumbai: At least 10 people were killed after a landslide triggered by heavy rains smashed into their village in India’s Maharashtra state, with dozens more feared trapped, officials said yesterday. Rescue teams were battling lashing rain in the remote, hilly Raigad district, with people scrambling at mounds of earth and rubble. Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, said 10 people had died in the landslide, which overwhelmed the village overnight. Police said that nearly 50 people were feared still buried under the debris. India has been battered by rains since the start of the annual monsoon season in June. | AFP…

Dane Kasper Asgreen won stage 18 of the Tour de France yesterday as a long-range escape edged a fast-closing peloton to the line at Bourg-en-Bresse. Another Dane, Jonas Vingegaard, retained his 7min 35sec lead atop the overall standings. As the Tour returned to flat terrain, three members of a four-man escape group crossed the line just metres ahead of the elite sprinters. Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn of Lotto-Dstny was second and Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X was third. Their escape companion Belgian Victor Campenaerts, who had ridden hard to give teammate Eenkhoorn a winning chance, was engulfed by the peloton at the line to show what a close call it was after a 20km chase fell short. The 28-year-old Asgreen dedicated the victory to his escape partners after they combined in…

Declan Rice made his Arsenal debut and Kai Havertz scored his first goal for the Gunners as Mikel Arteta’s side hammered the Major League Soccer All Star team 5-0 in a friendly at Audi Field on Wednesday. Rice became the most expensive British player in history when Arsenal signed the England midfielder from West Ham for a reported £105-million. The England international was introduced from the bench in the 65th minute to huge cheers from the overwhelmingly Arsenal supporting crowd. German Havertz, who joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea last month, was brought on after half-time and grabbed the fifth goal in the 89th minute. The Premier League runners-up began their pre-season tour of the Us, in style with Gabriel Jesus’ brilliant chip in the fifth minute. The move began…

Lesedi Kapinga, who recently became a free agent, feels that he is in a “good space” despite an unsuccessful time at Mamelodi Sundowns. The 28-year-old midfielder signed with the Chloorkop outfit in 2020 on a three-year contract (with the option to extend by another two seasons). However, the Limpopo-born player did not enjoy the best of times at the Brazilians and was often restricted to the sidelines, infrequently came off the bench, and the club elected to release him at the end of his contract. Speaking to the media during his time with Bafana Bafana recently, Kapinga opened up about his feelings during his time at Sundowns and highlighted some of the lessons he learnt. “Mentally I think it got me in a good space, because I have learnt a…