Rescuers on Wednesday raced against time to get stragglers away from the rumbling Philippine volcano Mayon, with nearly 40 000 people so far fleeing the danger zone. A two-day effort by the military and local government has seen 39 278 people safely evacuated from villages surrounding the mountain.
The United States Federal Reserve has finally suspended a run of interest-rate hikes stretching back more than two years, explaining that slowing economic growth will vanquish the menace of inflation. But the reprieve for investors, consumers and businesses around the world could be short-lived, economists warn.
”In 1956, on the day of the big march I ranked among South Africa’s fortunate: I was lucky enough to be free to be able to march to the Union Buildings, the centre of the apartheid domination. I was also one of the four women chosen to lead the march. Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and I took the thousands of protests to the Nationalist prime minister, JG Strijdom,” writes Sophia Williams-De Bruyn.
Israeli air strikes killed 14 villagers in south Lebanon on Tuesday as Beirut pleaded for a swift end to Israel’s war with Hezbollah guerrillas that has cost up to 1Â 000 Lebanese and 100 Israeli lives in four weeks. Diplomats at the United Nations in New York said a vote on a resolution to end the war might not take place before Thursday as fighting in south Lebanon raged on.
South African rugby management expressed their continued support for Springbok coach Jake White and the springboks on Tuesday, despite recent poor results. South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Oregan Hoskins, chairperson of the Saru board Mpumelelo Tshume and the SA Rugby managing director issued a statement on behalf of both Saru and SA Rugby.
The police will arrest a ”drug kingpin” who escaped from the Johannesburg International airport at the weekend if the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will give them his name. ”I call on the DSO [Directorate of Special Operations] to provide the South African Police Service [SAPS] with the name of the alleged ‘kingpin’,” Commissioner Sean Tshabalala said on Tuesday.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has applied for permission to broadcast the upcoming appeal of Durban businessman Schabir Shaik live on television. According to papers filed at the Supreme Court of Appeal on Tuesday, the public broadcaster wants to broadcast both television footage and live radio.
The Johannesburg High Court found Sipho Dube guilty on Tuesday of murdering six children and a woman, raping three girls and indecently assaulting boys. Judge Seun Moshidi also convicted Dube (30) of 10 kidnappings, one theft, one robbery, one common assault and one assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
It would be unfair and unjust to force alleged millionaire fraudster David King to enter his marathon criminal trial without legal representation, a High Court judge said on Tuesday. Judge Ronnie Bosielo directed the National Prosecuting Authority to assist King to have reasonable funds made available for his defence.
National Democratic Convention (Nadeco) leader Ziba Jiyane has disputed his ”suspension” on Tuesday by the national executive committee (NEC) of his party. He said the members of the NEC seeking to depose him would be expelled. The NEC is ”an old structure” that is not mentioned in the party’s constitution, Jiyane said.