Unusually dry weather in the Western Cape has prompted officials to consider imposing water restrictions in the region. Water levels are worryingly low and restrictions may be ”inevitable”, according to Rashid Khan, regional director of the Western Cape Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
Attorneys representing one million smokers in a class-action lawsuit are urging justices to force tobacco giant Philip Morris USA to pay the ,1-billion judgement in the case. The lawsuit pertains to the cigarette-maker misleading smokers into believing that light cigarettes are less harmful than regular ones.
Villagers marooned by floods that have stranded at least two million people in northern Bangladesh said they were running out of food and fresh water on Tuesday as rescuers struggled to reach them. The country has been hit by torrential rains that have hampered rescue efforts.
FirstRand announced on Tuesday that Cyril Ramaphosa has resigned as a non-executive director of the banking group. "Mr Ramaphosa … has been offered an opportunity to participate in a BEE [black economic empowerment] transaction, which will result in a conflict of interest with his existing position," a statement said.
South African business will speak the common language of investors around the world for the first time when South Africa adopts global auditing standards on January 1 next year, the chairperson of the South African Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, Suresh Kana, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Anglican bishops from five nations, including the United States, Scotland and South Africa, have completed a two-day fact-finding mission to Swaziland. The delegation examined issues such as constitutional reform, economic development and the high HIV/Aids rate.
Police have made no progress in their search for Leigh Matthews, who was abducted on Friday and held to ransom, the investigating officer said on Monday. Her parents have offered a ”substantial” reward for any information leading to her return, and her mother has repeatedly said they will not try to prosecute anyone.
An acute shortage of doctors trained to deliver life-saving drugs to people living with HIV/Aids in Asia is severely hampering treatment efforts, a report said as the 15th International Aids Conference entered its second day on Tuesday. India has only one trained doctor for every 10 000 people living with HIV.
Microsoft will release a major update to the Windows XP computer operating system in August that focuses on boosting protection against malicious intrusions. The company had previously said the free update, called Service Pack 2, would be available sometime this summer but did not offer a specific date.
The Ministry of Defence on Monday evening expressed deep concern about reported allegations of South African National Defence Force members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo being involved in sexual attacks on minors in that country. The Democratic Alliance said the allegations bring South Africa’s integrity into question.