Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021-05-07 i Mercury

THE RAND strengthened to a one-week high yesterday, rising 0.73 percent to R14.25 against the dollar, its highest level since April 29, before closing at R14.23, up 13 cents. The ANC on Wednesday suspended its secretary-general, Ace Magashule, which is seen as a sign of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s growing control over the fight against corruption. The US government decided to support South Africa and India’s proposal to waive intellectual property right protections for Covid-19 vaccines. The Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Waiver is one critical element in the toolbox to boost supplies of vaccines in the shortest possible time. It can enable the use of unused manufacturing capacity across the world and speed up the expansion of production facilities. The rand also made gains after the dollar fell from…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za While the US government’s support of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) waiver proposal for intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines is an important step forward, a number of issues need to be clarified. This is according to Professor Yousuf Vawda, who is a Senior Research Associate at UKZN’s School of Law, and a member of the Active Citizens Movement. Reuters reported that US President Joe Biden on Wednesday voiced support for a waiver in a sharp reversal of the US’s position, and his top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, swiftly backed negotiations at the WTO. Vawda said this did not mean that the proposal had been passed. He said the US was supporting a watered-down version of the waiver sponsored by South Africa, India and about 50 other…

Sir Paul McCartney is being honoured with a collection of stamps by Royal Mail. The 78-year-old music icon’s solo career will be celebrated with a set of 12 postage stamps featuring photographs from the making of his 1970 solo LP McCartney to 2020’s McCartney III. The Royal Mail’s head of public affairs, David Gold, said: “Paul McCartney remains a vital figure at the centre of rock and pop. “This dedicated stamp issue is a fitting tribute to one of the UK’s much loved and revered musical icons.” Fans can get their hands on the sought-after stamps from May 28. The former Beatles legend follows in the footsteps of Sir Elton John and the late David Bowie in being recognised as a solo artist by Royal Mail. However, the Let it…

NARENDH GANESH | Durban North THE ANC should have expected a pushback from Ace Magashule and those affected by the step-aside resolution. No leader of the ANC will go gently into that good night – for no leader of the ANC is capable of being corrupt or is guilty of criminality! Whether it is human nature or just a human defence mechanism, anyone fingered in an act of criminality will generally recoil into some form of denial so as to minimise personal accountability for their alleged malfeasance. Of course, one has to assume the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The ANC is no different. While the ANC is an entity, it must be noted, like any other organisation, it is made up of individuals who form the…

THILLAY NAIDOO | Durban North I expected Mr Araie to be discourteous to me (The Mercury, April 23). So many others who think the way he does do the same. My letter defied his logic, not mine. The debate will never be futile to me as a student of world religions. My question will always concern itself with the partition of India for religious reasons. Many people who believe in God will be similarly concerned. I would be grateful if Mr Araie would stop expressing opinions and concern himself with facts. Four other religions born in the Middle East have peaceful places in India. It is only the presence of Islam there that leads to discussion on nuclear exchange, nuclear weapons and nuclear roulette. I want desperately…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has revealed that it almost ran out of oxygen during the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak. Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane revealed this when she was addressing the Finance Portfolio Committee meeting in legislature this week. Some MPLs said they were worried that the department had not given assurances that a second supplier had been found, as they feared that should a third wave emerge, the province would be caught off guard. Giving a brief report on how they managed Covid-19, Simelane said that during the first wave, the numbers grew gradually and the department could adjust its plans, but with the second wave, infection numbers grew very rapidly. “One of the issues we thought we might have a challenge with was…

British street artist Nathan Murdoch contemplates the mural he has just spray-painted, a giant image of two hands wearing rainbow-coloured gloves and joined in prayer, then hurls a large dollop of white paint straight at it from an open tin. The destruction of the mural is part of an artistic project straddling the physical and virtual worlds. The original image will not survive, but two versions will, one a print and the other a digital file called an NFT. “We’re going to do a singular print which will go to an eBay auction, and then we’ll do a singular NFT print, which will also go to auction, which is essentially crypto-art,” said Murdoch. NFT stands for non-fungible token, a type of digital asset verified using blockchain technology. NFTs are increasingly…

Lee Rondganger lee.rondganger@inl.co.za KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay has slammed the criminality of business forums who have stopped construction work on projects worth millions of rand in the province, declaring that provincial government would not tolerate the acts of “economic sabotage”. Pillay made the comments at the construction site for the first phase of a R4.5bn chemical manufacturing plant that is expected to create 800 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs on the KZN north coast. Pillay officiated the launch of Nyanza Light Metals Centre at the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) yesterday. Described as one of the province’s catalytic economic projects, the investment by Nyanza Light Metals – a chemical manufacturing company – to construct a chemical complex will see the building…

THE Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has warned against calls to make public the national register for sex offenders. It is believed that making the register public would curb sexual offences against children, but according to the department, this would fuel mob justice against perpetrators. The department was responding to a campaign called #unmaskthemonsters launched by a civil rights organisation Action Society last month. The group’s spokesperson, Dr Rineé Pretorius, said the idea behind the campaign was to pressure the government to declare child pornography a priority crime and request double life sentences for offenders found guilty of the possession or production of child pornography. Department spokesperson Steve Mahlangu said publicising the register could not be done without violating the right to privacy of an individual as enshrined in…

The move to halt the hunting of captive big cats is a victory for our wildlife FOUR winters ago, my family and I were in the Kruger National Park, mesmerised by the sighting of five black-maned male lions lying in wait on a sandy bank overlooking the Crocodile River. There they were – Africa’s Apex predator in all their glory, and nothing could compare with coming so close to such majestic beasts. That day in the Kruger store we found a DVD called Blood Lions, which piqued my curiosity, only to be horrified by the story it told. The renowned conservationist and director of Blood Lions, Ian Michler, narrated the award-winning documentary film which exposed the horrors that captive bred lions endure on farms across South Africa – lions just…

ONLY time will tell whether the South African Football Association (Safa), after much pussyfooting, made the right call by appointing Hugo Broos as the new Bafana Bafana coach. Benni McCarthy was the clear favourite among fans and pundits alike, and the choice of Belgian Broos has justifiably raised a degree of cynicism rather than optimism, given Safa's track record of hiring coaches who have been failures. The position became vacant after the unceremonious sacking of Molefi Ntseki, who was surprisingly appointed to the Bafana Bafana hot seat after a string of national team appointments at youth level. There remains a great deal of unnecessary secrecy about the selection process, but reports over the past few weeks from “insiders” indicated that Carlos Queiroz, who steered South Africa to the 2002 World…

A dozen children crowd around plastic tables in the Majidun neighbourhood of Lagos. Intently focused on plastic mats printed with chess boards, the children thoughtfully move pieces on the board as supervisors observe their moves. The waterside shanty town is just across the lagoon from the mansions and towering office blocks of Nigeria’s commercial capital. They hope the cunning and strategy they learn on the chess board will help them make the leap out of their homes in the slum. “To live here is hard,” said Michael Omoyele, who at 14 has already dealt with food scarcity and worked to feed himself. Inspired by “Queen of Katwe”, the 2016 film about a girl who escapes poverty in a Kenyan slum through chess, Omoyele hopes chess will help him, too. “On…

The Taliban have captured Afghanistan’s second-biggest dam after months of fierce fighting in their former bastion of Kandahar, the insurgents and officials said yesterday. Dahla Dam, which provides irrigation to farmers via a network of canals as well as drinking water for the provincial capital, was now under Taliban control, local officials said. Haji Gulbuddin, governor of an adjacent district, confirmed the dam “is now in the control of the Taliban”. The dam’s capture comes after clashes erupted in neighbouring Helmand province this week, just days after the US military formally began withdrawing its remaining troops from Afghanistan. Kandahar water department chief Tooryalay Mahboobi said the Taliban recently warned Dahla employees not to go to work. Last month the insurgents blew up a bridge that connected the dam to adjacent…

BRASILIA: Billionaire Richard Branson’s modified Boeing 747 may soon be taking off from Brazil’s northern coast to launch rockets into orbit as the country seeks a piece of the small satellite market. The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and Air Force announced last week the selection of four companies, including Branson’s Virgin Orbit, to operate from the Alcântara launch centre. Its location near the equator allows for larger payloads and less costly rocket launches, said AEB head Carlos Moura, who forecast the first-ever orbital flight launched from Brazil for the second half of 2022. He expects contracts to be signed by the end of this year. | Reuters…

Mike Greenaway SHARKS coach Sean Everitt says he has rewarded the character of the side that came back from the dead to beat the Stormers last week by making no changes as he turns his attention to the visit of the Lions on Saturday (4pm kick-off). “I think the guys deserve consistency in selection after the way they fought back to win that game,” Everitt said. “We were really good in the last 60 minutes against the Stormers and now we have to be good over 80 to make sure we beat the Lions.” Interestingly, Everitt has made a change in his scrum-half back-up, bringing in Junior Bok Jaden Henrikse for Sanele Nohamba, while keeping Grant Williams as the starting 9. Nohamba for some time was Everitt’s first choice, but…

INTO the fifth month we go and the fishing continues to surprise. With reports of sardines starting to gain momentum, the excitement of the silver tide is spreading. The geelbek and daga are starting to make a real appearance on the reports from the bottom fishing guys while those targeting gamefish have managed to land some impressive fish (including late season dorado). Couta have been the main species targeted up north and for good reason. The number of crocodiles that have appeared on social media in the last few weeks is jaw-dropping. For those who don’t know, a “crocodile couta” is a fish which has gone over the 20kg mark (at least) but normally closer on the 30kg mark. This bigger fish generally patrol the closer inshore waters and are…

THERE’S been so many twists and turns. But the fact that Bafana Bafana has finally got their man Hugo Broos will hopefully trigger the South African Football Association (Safa) to forge a much more healthy relationship between them and the public, and I’m including the media. Chaotic scenes of division erupted between a section of the media and the association during the unveiling of Broos this week. Broos was announced by Safa chief executive committee Tebogo Motlanthe live on national TV at 1pm. But the Safa delegation led by president Danny Jordaan only announced Broos to the present media at the venue 30 minutes later. The national broadcaster is entitled to some privileges as they pump millions of rand into Safa as their official broadcaster. But such a delicate…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za KAROOOOO, which owns 100 percent of Cartrack Holdings, added 59 percent or 59 911 net new subscribers in the fourth quarter to February 28, 2021, year-on-year, chief executive Zak Calisto said yesterday. He said the fourth quarter was traditionally the weakest of their financial year, but the group, which makes and distributes fleet asset management software in 23 countries, had the best fourth quarter in its history, and the first quarter of the new financial year was also looking strong. “We are feeling good about the business at this stage,” he said in an interview. “We are committed to our mission, to build the leading mobility Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that maximises the value of data, which drove our strong fourth quarter and full year…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za OUTGOING Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng will face off during his long leave with the three organisations that lodged complaints against him with the Judicial Conduct Committee. Chief Justice Mogoeng’s appeal of retired Gauteng Judge President Phineas Mojapelo’s sanction that he apologise for his pro-Israel comments will be considered by the committee next month in the Constitutional Court. Judge Mojapelo ordered Justice Mogoeng to publicly apologise and issue a retraction of the statements he made last year during a Jerusalem Post webinar, at which he claimed to be under an obligation as a Christian to love Israel and pray for Jerusalem’s peace. “If I curse Abraham and Israel the almighty God will curse me too,” he said. “I cannot do anything, as a Christian, other than love and…

TONY BALL | Gillitts PLEASE could someone enlighten Masibongwe Sihlahla on the perils of nationalising banks as he so stridently suggests on May 5 in The Mercury? Perhaps I could remind him of Nelson Mandela’s visit to Davos in 1992 where the world bankers quietly reminded him that if South Africa were to step into the new age, the old Marxist policies must be buried and capitalism should be grasped. Despite Madiba being out of circulation for so many years his intelligence and pragmatism took precedence over political gobbledygook. Sihlahla trots out the usual rhetoric which, quite frankly, is way past its sell-by date and takes up valuable space in your newspaper.…

FAROUK ARAIE | Benoni Words cannot describe the enormous sadness, as we come to terms with losing Ronnie Govender, who has left an indelible mark on all our lives, and will forever be part of everything we have achieved, and everything we will strive for. A name that is synonymous with a plethora of institutions, Ronnie bequeathed a legacy to South Africa that is unsurpassed. He was the ultimate renaissance man of his era and his generation. Talk of one man whose name cannot be forgotten as far as our rainbow nation’s theatre is concerned; then you must be referring to our late theatre guru, Ronnie Govender, without any shadow of doubt the best of his time as a theatre practitioner. He was a colossus in every avenue…

Black boys with a Caucasian dad in the mid-west of the US is only a head-turner in certain areas of the state of Indiana and with a very small section of the population. Bi-racial families are plentiful. Nonetheless, I am aware that racist attitudes prevail in the hearts of some. It is usually in those who swear blind that they harbour none. It’s a dance and you have to learn the steps and the music, and what to confront and to fight, and what to ignore and to let go. At almost every age and stage of my sons’ growth I have questioned my approach to matters of race, identity, culture and wondered if I was doing enough to expose the boys to black culture. I would worry that I…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za UGU District Municipality needs R1 billion to rehabilitate its ageing water infrastructure that is causing frequent water outages on the KwaZulu- Natal South Coast. This financial year, the municipality has budgeted R30 million towards this function. In a telephonic interview with The Mercury yesterday, Ugu mayor Sizwe Ngcobo laid bare the extent of the water challenges they face. These show the water insecurity could last for years. He said the municipality was working on solutions. Water outages have been an ongoing problem for several years and raised the ire of frustrated residents and businesspeople in the area. Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Ravi Pillay recently warned municipalities to address such issues, saying this was key to reviving the province’s economy. He highlighted the impact…

Helmo Preuss THE case of South African club rugby player, Lindani Myeni, who was shot dead by police in Hawaii, highlights the danger of US policing. This comes in the wake of the guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who murdered George Floyd on May 25 last year by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes in full view of onlookers. A 12-member jury swiftly and unanimously found Chauvin guilty on all three counts he faced, following three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses. This rare guilty verdict against a police officer is considered by many, including US President Joe Biden, to be a milestone in the fight for justice and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of racial minorities such as African Americans,…

When an Indian children’s rights group tracked down two boys aged 6 and 8 after it was told that their parents were both severely ill with Covid-19 and unable to care for them, the children had not eaten for days. The case, reported by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) group, which located the boys in a small town in India’s rural heartland, was one of a growing number of emergencies involving children affected by India’s devastating coronavirus crisis. The exponential rise in infections and deaths have left some children, particularly in poor communities, without a carer because their parents or other relatives are too ill to cope or have died. “Because the number of deaths has increased, the crisis is that either children are losing their parents, or their caregivers…

London: Four-time Grammy winner Ed Sheeran will be the shirt sponsor for his boyhood team Ipswich Town next season, the club announced yesterday. The 30-year-old, who grew up in Suffolk, will see his logo appear on the men’s and women’s first-team shirts. “This is my way of showing my support,” Sheeran said. “I’m looking forward to going back there as soon as supporters are allowed into stadiums again. “With the new owners from the US coming in, there are sure to be exciting times ahead for Ipswich fans, including myself,” he said. | AFP…

The EU will consider sending a military training mission to Mozambique to help the government withstand a growing insurgency, and Portugal is already sending troops, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said yesterday. Mozambique’s government has been facing an Islamist insurgency since 2017, and rebels have stepped up attacks in the past year, threatening natural gas projects that are aimed at transforming the impoverished country’s economy. Mozambique wrote to the EU last year to ask for help in training its armed forces to battle the insurgency, and Borrell said it was important for the bloc to make up its mind quickly. EU defence ministers discussed the possibility of a mission in Brussels yesterday, but took no decision. He also clarified that the mission to Mozambique, if agreed, would be a…

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s lights may go off this month because cash for electricity generation is running out, an MP said yesterday. Parliament had approved a $200 million (R2.84 billion) emergency loan to finance fuel imports for power generation in March, but a committee reviewing the loan has yet to approve it. “We should not forget that starting on May 15, gradual darkness will start,” said MP Nazih Negm. Lebanon’s power cuts have run for at least three hours a day in Beirut and much longer in other areas, because the state’s power plants cannot meet demand. The government is struggling to find enough foreign exchange to pay for fuel. | Reuters…

Comment by Mike Greenaway ALL Black great Sean Fitzpatrick was the biggest thorn in the side of the Springboks for over a decade, so when he suggested Warren Gatland pick the fiercest players he could for the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa, he was talking from experience. Fitzpatrick captained the All Blacks to a historic series win in SA in 1996, so he knows what it takes to win a series in this country, and that’s why I believe Gatland has picked a squad that won’t beat the Boks. Fitzpatrick suggested Gatland pick the biggest beasts possible if he hoped to beat a Bok team that showed in the World Cup final that they had “even stronger players off the bench than they had started.”…

THE Port Natal Bowls Men’s Interclub League has seen a change at the top of the first division log following Stella Park BC’s successful home encounter against Umhlali CC, which saw them gain the points they needed to go two and a half points clear of Durban Wanderers BC, who now hold second spot. Well positioned in third spot, six points behind the leaders, is the side from Hillary BC. To accommodate those men travelling to the Western Cape for the Bowls South Africa Nationals from 8–16 May the ICL is taking a two week break and the battle for league supremacy will resume with the fifth round on May 22, when the first round of the Wynn Cup Women’s Interclub League will be played. Unfortunately, the entries for the…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE widow of the late Lindani Myeni is seeking assistance from the government in order to obtain South African citizenship. Lindsay, who is an American citizen, was speaking after her husband’s memorial service held at eMpangeni Rugby Club yesterday. Myeni was shot dead by Honolulu police in the US island state of Hawaii three weeks ago. He had moved to the island early last year with his wife and children. According to the Hawaiian police, Myeni was shot dead when officers were responding to a “home burglary”. It is alleged that when the police arrived at the scene, a scuffle occurred between Myeni and three officers outside a home. More than 200 people gathered at the rugby club for the memorial service for Myeni, whose remains arrived…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za AS THE KwaZulu-Natal ANC executive denounced secretary-general Ace Magashule for defying his suspension, former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and other leaders affected by the step-aside resolution are also expected to dig in their heels. All eyes will be on this weekend’s ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting as it is expected to decide on whether to recommend the dismissal of leaders facing criminal charges who have failed to step aside. The party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) was of the position that the rebellious comrades should be summarily dismissed, said its spokesperson, Nhlakanipho Ntombela. Gumede and other eThekwini councillors, who are facing fraud and corruption charges, are said to have taken a decision to not heed the step-aside call. Ntando Khuzwayo, the spokesperson for the ANC faction behind…

| David Letterman AN AUSTRALIAN surfer who lost his leg in an attack by a great white shark has won the right to keep a tooth the shark left behind. In the state of South Australia, it’s against the law to possess any part of a protected species. But in the case of Chris Blowes, who very nearly died, the authorities have relented and allowed him to keep the shark’s tooth the police found embedded in his surfboard. Chris describes the attack six years ago at Fishery Bay when a 5.5m great white struck him from behind. “It shook me about and played with me for a bit,” he told the BBC. “And it ended up pulling my leg off.” That’s a pretty laconic account of a terrifying experience.…

EBRAHIM “EBKOYBIE” ESSA | Durban My original unedited manuscript for my book made reference to my voyage to India, via a number of seaports such as Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, in 1965. I described the upheavals, wars, revolution and violence in these African countries and commented that “this is the usual story for African countries” and “a repeated failed formula for backward people”. My son, Azad, who was at the time a journalist for Al Jazeera, volunteered to edit the book and wiped out these remarks completely. He then went on to explain that this was not true in all cases but, where it was, it always had the hand of some past, present or even future foreign, neo-colonial predator in the Jekyll-and-Hyde form of a…

VERNON MCHUNU vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za THE Competition Tribunal is expected to decide if the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) should pay the R1.5 billion fine recommended by the Competition Commission in relation to the agency’s alleged uneven treatment of interprovincial bus operators. “The commission is seeking an administrative penalty against Prasa not exceeding 10% of its annual turnover as well as an order directing it to stop abusing its monopoly over (Joburg) Park Station,” commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele has said. The agency’s annual turnover was currently R15bn, said Prasa’s audit risk committee chairperson, Thinavhuyo Mpye. The damning findings come after several interprovincial bus operators filed complaints with the commission about two years ago, crying foul over a sudden spike in parking fees, which the commission has found was being passed on to…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za Crime analysts in South Africa said gun violence was driven by the circulation of illegal guns in the country. They were part of nearly 500 participants from 100 countries that gathered virtually for the 5th Interpol Firearm Forensics Symposium. The three-day symposium, which ended yesterday, was organised in co-operation with Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology, ballistic experts, forensic scientists, law-enforcement professionals, policymakers and public safety officials addressing the latest challenges facing law enforcement in firearm-related crime. Through interactive sessions, participants explored the fundamental processes and technologies required for a successful firearms programme. Those included building sustainable anti-gun-crime strategies; the benefits of using multiple technologies to gather, intercept, trace and compare illicit firearms material; understanding offenders and how they interact; and using Interpol as a central intelligence hub for…

Nonhlanhla Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za The Department of Water and Sanitation announced yesterday that the province’s water storage capacity was sitting at a firm 73.9% this week. The department said that while this was a moderate increase from last week’s 73.8% level, it was a significant improvement from last year’s capacity of 63.6% in the same period. According to the department, the Umgeni Water Supply System is stable at 85.7%, and all five dams that are part of the water supply system have recorded upward movements. Midmar Dam has expanded from 100.0% last week to 100.5% this week; Nagle has risen from 85.1% to 89.0%; Inanda moved up from 99.5% to 99.9%; Albert Falls witnessed a slight rise from 54.9% to 55.3%; and Spring Grove rose from 97.8% to 99.1%. The Woodstock…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za THE Zulu nation’s late Queen Regent, Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, was buried today within KwaKhangelamankengane Palace and she will later be honoured with a state-sponsored memorial service. The 65-year-old was buried in the early hours of the morning according to the Swati royal culture of wrapping royals in a cow's hide. Her private burial was conducted by a special team of traditional cultural experts from eSwatini and the Zulu monarchy. It was attended by family members from both monarchies. Among those from the Swati monarchy was the queen’s brother, Prince Guduza Dlamini, who was assigned by King Mswati to lead the high-powered delegation. Before the burial, the queen’s body was brought home from Johannesburg on Wednesday evening and welcomed by Zulu regiments. As per culture, she was “rested” for…

Future Africa and Nepoworx are pleased to announce that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pave the way for implementing a solar photovoltaic (PV) green skills, enterprise development and sustainability research programme. The objective of the programme is to upskill a total of 900 youth, women and entrepreneurs over the next three years, ensuring their participation in the green economy and more importantly, forming part of the Just Energy Transition that is currently unfolding in South Africa. “The MoU signed with Nepoworx is a milestone towards robust engagement with like-minded enterprises for sustainable development pathways that build on Africa’s best asset, which is renewable energy”, said Professor Cheikh Mbow, Future Africa at the University of Pretoria. The green skills being developed are important in contributing towards…

France and Britain deployed maritime patrol vessels to the waters off the Channel island of Jersey yesterday as a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights escalated. The EU called for calm over the row, which yesterday saw a flotilla of French trawlers sail in protest to Jersey’s main harbour and a French minister suggest earlier in the week that Paris might cut electricity to the island. French fishermen say they are being unfairly deprived of access to rich fishing grounds off the coast of Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency. Jersey says it is following the rules for issuing licences set out in Britain’s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. Talks between island officials and representatives of the fishermen were not positive, said Hugo Lehuby, spokesperson for the Normandy Regional Fisheries…

LONDON: World leaders need to come up with much more than “hot air” at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November if the planet is to have any chance of cooling down, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday. COP26, which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, is important as it could accelerate measures by the world’s biggest polluters to tackle the climate change which activists, scientists and world leaders say could ultimately endanger the planet. “If all that emerges from COP26 is more hot air, then we have absolutely no chance of keeping our planet cool,” Johnson told the virtual Petersberg Climate Dialogue summit. “It must be a summit of agreement, of action, of deeds, not words. For that to happen, over the next six months, we must…

KAMPALA: The International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday sentenced a former Ugandan child soldier who became a commander of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to 25 years in prison for crimes including rape, sexual enslavement, child abduction, torture and murder. Dominic Ongwen, who was taken into ICC custody in 2015, was convicted in February of 61 out of 70 alleged crimes. Presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt said the panel had considered sentencing Ongwen to life imprisonment. Prosecutors had demanded he get at least 20 years in prison, while his defence argued he should get no more than a 10-year sentence. | Reuters…

REAL Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane had no regrets about picking Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard against Chelsea, despite the pair only recently returning from injury after his side lost 2-0 in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg. The Blues, who had been the better side in last week’s 1-1 draw in Madrid, outplayed Real again and goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount sealed a 3-1 aggregate win to set up an all-English final against Manchester City in Istanbul. Captain Ramos, a veteran of big occasions like the decider at Stamford Bridge, had not played for his club since 16 March owing to two injuries in quick succession plus a spell away from training due to testing positive for Covid-19. But he was thrust straight back into the line-up alongside…