The investigation into an alleged conflict of interest in a home loan to Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya’s wife from Imvume Investments is at an advanced stage, the Public Protector said on Tuesday. Lawrence Mushwana said his office was still looking for certain documents to complete its investigation.
South Africa celebrated World Refugee Day on Tuesday by promising to fast-track its backlog of 100Â 000 asylum applications. The Department of Home Affairs launched four refugee-reception offices around the country to process the applications dating from 1994 to July last year.
Israel on Tuesday threatened a tougher response to Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, faced with a general strike in the town of Sderot to protest the salvos. "The prime minister, others and myself have reached the conclusion no one will be protected if … [it] continues," chairperson of Israel’s parliamentary defence and foreign affairs committee Tsahi Hanegbi said.
Japan was jubilant on Monday after the International Whaling Commission voted to oppose the 1986 ban on commercial whaling, a move that conservationists fear could lead to the resumption of large-scale hunting and bring whale populations to the brink of extinction.
Three United States troops have been charged with murder for shooting three Iraqi prisoners and threatening to kill a fellow soldier who wanted to report the incident, the Pentagon said on Monday. The three men killed were among 200 Iraqis held after a raid on a former chemical factory south-west of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown, the Pentagon charge sheet said.
Taiwan’s tourism shares have soared over the past few months despite an overall drop in the market, but analysts say a few can rise even further as the island prepares to cut restrictions on travellers from rival China. Currently, Taiwan allows Chinese tourists to enter its territory only through a third point, usually Hong Kong.
Come up and see my coloured toilet rolls on a string, said the southern grey hornbill to his mate. That wasn’t all he was offering. The Johannesburg Zoo had recently installed a state of the art hornbill love nest on a pole. Tricky to get there –at least until they installed a ladder. It made a hornbill feel, well … horny.
Former South African president FW de Klerk was making good progress in his recovery, said his spokesperson Dave Steward on Tuesday. Steward said De Klerk remained in the intensive-care unit at Cape Town’s Panorama Medi-Clinic. This follows an operation to remove a cancerous growth on his colon on June 3.
The JSE was firmer in noon trade on Tuesday, with platinum stocks flying, fuelled by a higher platinum price and weaker rand. The underlying picture was a mixed one, however, and on the all-share index decliners slightly outnumbered advancers. By 11.59am, the all-share index added 0,68%.
Zimbabwe has set up roadblocks to prevent private buyers from purchasing maize from farmers, Harare’s Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday. ”We have our personnel on the ground to get hold of culprits that were illegally buying maize from farmers,” said Grain Marketing Board head Samuel Muvuti.