Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-10-01 i Mercury

WHAT further horrors await innocent communities in the Middle East whose ethnic boundaries overlap all sorts of internationally recognised frontiers? In a discussion on Sky News the other night, it emerged from an expert wrestling with such problems as the fighting in Lebanon, that the different communities have values and beliefs that reach back centuries. They just don’t merge easily with their neighbours. Maybe they should introduce rugby to the Middle East. Those of us who watched last weekend’s international in the lowveld against Argentina would have noted the ecstatic support of the huge crowd for the Boks – absolutely irrespective of ethnicity or pigmentation or past history of those on the field or those in the crowd. I suppose it started all those years ago in Pretoria with Nelson…

The DA in Ugu welcomes the long overdue resignation of the Umdoni municipal manager, Thabisile Ndlela. She has given a month’s notice with her last day being October 24, 2024. The resignation comes after much controversy surrounding Ndlela that led the DA to lodge charges of misconduct and dereliction of duty against her and the Mayor, Councillor Mbali Cele-Luthuli. Ndlela had also been involved in a court battle with the DA when she had unlawfully tried to expropriate an Executive Council seat belonging to the party. In January 2024, the Durban High Court ruled in favour of the DA. In the municipality, we succeeded in getting the KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC to recognise the extremely dysfunctional manner in which the Umdoni leadership and senior management were…

YOUNG swimmers from the Olive Tree Swimming Club had a special opportunity to train with Olympic medallist Chad le Clos at Kings Park Pool on Sunday, marking the launch of the Chad le Clos Foundation’s new initiatives. The event was not only a memorable experience for the young athletes, but it was also part of the launch of the foundation’s activities for the year ahead, with plans to conduct clinics regularly across South Africa. Le Clos, currently in Durban for the SA Short Course Championships, where he qualified in four events for the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, joined the young swimmers in the pool. He teamed up with Wayne Riddin, a seasoned coach, to impart valuable skills to the enthusiastic swimmers. “This is what I love to do, just…

Calls have been made for Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to provide more clarity on the R1 billion procurement process for new driving licence production machines. With the last official update provided over three months ago, concerns are mounting regarding the progress and transparency of the investment. Rise Mzansi has called on Creecy to provide an update on the tender process for the machines without interfering in the work of the bidding committee. Creecy recently disclosed that the current machine was nearing the end of its operational lifespan due to its age, necessitating the urgent roll-out of new equipment. It was previously reported that the country relies on one machine to print all driver licence cards and since its commissioning in 1998 up to June last year it had printed over…

An Eastern Cape woman who hired her neighbour to kill her uncle so that she could benefit from an insurance policy has been sentenced to an effective 26 years behind bars. Nompelo Maloyi, 37, and her neighbour and hitman Yithulwazi “Lwazi” Kay, 35, were sentenced in the High Court of the South Eastern Cape Division. Kay also received a 26-year jail term. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the duo were convicted of the murder of 66-year-old Mynhardt Maloyi. Maloyi was killed at his Umasizakhe township home in Graaff-Reinet on November 25, 2022. Nompelo, who was Maloyi’s niece, was the beneficiary of several insurance policies, which she had taken out on him. The total insurance was worth R165 000. “Evidence presented in court revealed that she orchestrated the murder by…

THE Activists and Citizens Forum (ACF) has called for new rules to be implemented to prevent political deployees from being designated to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). This comes after the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) deputy president and parliamentary leader, Dr John Hlophe, was on Friday interdicted by the Western Cape High Court from taking part in any JSC activities. Following an application by the DA and Corruption Watch, Judge Johannes Daffue handed down judgment interdicting Hlophe from being on the JSC. The Western Cape High Court indicated that this interim interdict will be in effect until such time that his appointment to the body is reviewed. Hlophe, who was impeached by the very same institution for alleged gross judicial misconduct, was elected to the JSC on July 9, after…

In a move towards modernising government services, the minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, has announced an ambitious five-year plan to fully digitise the Department of Home Affairs. According to Schreiber ,the initiative, known as Home Affairs @ Home, aims to shift the department towards a digital-first model, allowing South Africans and international visitors to access services entirely online. He noted that under the new strategy, the government intends to eliminate in-person visits to Home Affairs offices for routine services such as obtaining IDs, passports, and other certificates. Schreiber said clients will be able to apply through a secure online platform that utilises biometric technology, with documents delivered directly to their homes or made available digitally. “Over the next five years, all of the department’s services must become fully automated,…

The Police Ministry must pay more than R2.3 million in damages to the mother of a child who was shot in the face by the police during a service delivery protest in Ottosdal, North West province. The child’s mother claimed millions of rand in damages from the police on behalf of her son, who was 7 years old in 2018 when he was shot. The North West High Court, sitting in Mafikeng, earlier found that the SAPS was 100% liable for the damages the child had suffered. This was after the SAPS conceded full liability for the child’s injuries. Deputy Judge President Tebogo Djaje now had to determine the amount of damages payable to the child. This was in respect of general damages, loss of earnings, and future medical…

Israel yesterday conducted its first strike in the Lebanese capital since it launched an operation to secure its northern border, killing three members of a Palestinian militant group, according to their organisation. Israel, which has not yet commented on the strike, launched a wave of air strikes on Lebanon last week, mainly targeting strongholds of Iran-backed Hezbollah. On Friday it dealt Hezbollah a seismic blow by killing its chief, Hassan Nasrallah. The strikes have killed hundreds and forced hundreds of thousands more to flee their homes, and left people across crisis-racked Lebanon and the wider region fearful of more violence to come. Most of Israel’s strikes over the past week have targeted Hezbollah strongholds in eastern and southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, the main bastion of the…

Nearly 200 people across the capital, Kathmandu, and elsewhere in Nepal were killed in the weekend’s floods, with nearly three dozen more still missing. Army search and rescue teams carried more than 4 000 people to safety and relief crews are working frantically to clear highways around the capital blocked by debris from landslides. Entire areas around Kathmandu were inundated, damaging schools and medical clinics including many servicing the city of nearly a million people’s poorest residents. More than two dozen computers at a community-run school were wrecked by the rising waters. “They are of no use now,” teacher Shyam Bihari Mishra said. “Our pupils will be deprived of education.” Deadly rain-related floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season between June and September. Experts say…

Tehran: At least three policemen were killed in separate attacks by jihadists and gunmen in Iran’s south-eastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, state media said yesterday. One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni extremists. A separate attack on law enforcement in the same region yesterday left another border guard killed and two others wounded. The news agency also reported that a member of the police special force was killed in the town of Khash, also in Sistan-Baluchistan. A Sunni jihadist group claimed responsibility for earlier attacks. | AFP…

LAGOS: The World Bank has approved a $1.57-billion (R361bn) financing package for Nigeria under a new programme to support its health and education sectors and help provide sustainable power, the bank said yesterday. The World Bank is the largest lender to Nigeria, with more than $15bn in loans at the end of March, data from the Debt Management Office showed. The bank said that the money would help increase availability and effectiveness of financing for basic education and primary health-care service delivery. The bank said part of the money would be used to improve a dam safety to protect people from floods. | Reuters…

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has expressed great pleasure in his team’s shift in mentality in the opening rounds of the 2024/25 season. The Buccaneers have one of the busiest schedules in domestic football with their participation in the CAF Champions League where they have qualified for the group stages. The Sea Robbers are also heading into the final of the MTN8 this Saturday with historic ambitions of being the first club to win the competition three times in a row. Riveiro warmed up for that spectacle with a victory over Richards Bay in the Betway Premiership last Sunday and Pirates have also kept their 100% winning record going with three matches played. They currently sit second behind Mamelodi Sundowns in the standings, a position they’ve finished in in…

YORK TIMBERS has posted a notable rise in headline earnings per share, reaching 30.11 cents for the fiscal year ending June 2024, bouncing back from a substantial headline loss of 77.43c in the previous year. However, dividends continue to evade shareholders as the company navigates through its cautious recovery phase. Smalltalkdaily Research analyst Anthony Clark, however, said: “The process of maturity of the (company’s) timber continues to have an impact” on the company. “There has been a like-on-like improvement, but investors and shareholders still have a 12 to 18-month wait for the turnaround strategy to start to pay. Top line results look fair but core headline earnings per share (Heps) still going in the wrong direction with a loss of 10.74c per share,” said Clark. York Timbers operates across…

Investigative journalism resulted in Watergate becoming the major story of 1973-1974. Why is it not being assiduously pursued in uncovering what motivates the increasing alarm of opponents of Donald Trump at the prospect of his return to the White House? Having governed successfully in terms of the economy and foreign affairs when he occupied the White House between 2017 and 2021, why is there paranoia among his opponents as the November election looms? When on MSNBC (September 16), Hillary Clinton declared Trump “a danger to our country and the world”, while Congresswoman Maxine Waters views him as “an enemy of the US”, but why are journalists not probing the basis of such extreme statements? How can Trump’s commitment to upholding the constitution, particularly the first and second amendments; returning America…

THE Aerospace and Defence Expo revealed the military capabilities of many nations including host nation South Africa. It showcased man’s progress in aviation over a 100-year period. The invention of the airplane shook the planet and it never looked the same again. Airborne flight enhanced our power of movement and gave us the awesome vision to observe Earth from high altitudes. From 1908 to 2022, man has traversed the skies above and sent his aerial machines into the cosmos and into our vast planetary neighbours, clocking millions of kilometres. Today and every day the ability to travel anywhere has opened up a level of globalisation unheard of in the previous century. Space flights became a reality as a result of the aeroplane invention over 114 years ago. Since then, more…

THE eThekwini Municipality has announced that it will be implementing a raft of water curtailment measures that will impact the supply of water to all consumers in the city. The municipality yesterday unveiled a number of measures that are set to come into effect in a few days, including the installation of restrictors on water meters for all consumers and reducing pressure in the reticulation network. A few months ago, The Mercury reported that the City had been warned by the Department of Water and Sanitation that it must reduce water consumption. The department had written to the uMngeni-uThukela Water Board demanding that it reduce the amount of water it is extracting from the water systems. The demand had a direct impact on eThekwini, which is the largest customer of…

Three people allegedly linked to the kidnapping of Alize van der Merwe have been arrested. Eastern Cape police said the suspects are a part of a kidnapping syndicate that kidnapped Van der Merwe and a Chinese national in the past two weeks. Van der Merwe was kidnapped on September 20, while travelling from East London to a resort in Port St Johns. She was released on September 26, with another woman, a 34-year-old Chinese national, who was snatched in a separate kidnapping incident. The Chinese national, travelling in a Mercedes Vito, was kidnapped on September 17, between Elliot and Barkley East. Both women were dropped off by a white Toyota bakkie near the Sulenkama police station. Speaking about the arrests, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said…

Namibian company, Namib Mills, has launched an investigation after three children died, allegedly after consuming its Top Score Instant Porridge, in the Eastern Cape. Namib Mills’ senior brand manager, Marné Bouwer, said the company had recalled the products from shelves while the investigation was under way. “This is a proactive measure, reflecting our commitment to consumer safety. We are co-operating fully with all relevant authorities and have also initiated our own internal investigation to ensure complete transparency,” Bouwer said. She said the group was deeply saddened by reports of the children's deaths. “First and foremost, the loss of life, especially of young children, is a tragedy. Our deepest condolences go out to the families and communities affected. While there is currently no evidence linking our product to this unfortunate event,…

A teacher has been suspended following allegations that he raped a Grade 10 pupil at Toli High school in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade said such incidents affect the trust relationship between teachers, pupils and parents. The incident was reported on September 24. “The district has swiftly moved to suspend the alleged perpetrator, while investigation is under way,” said department spokesperson Mali Mtima. The department said the pupil was receiving support from the Education Social Support Services unit (ESSS) that included counselling and debriefing sessions. “Since the alleged incident has caused distress and trauma to the school’s community, the School Governing Body (SGB) visited the home of the alleged victim. “Additionally, the family has already opened a case with the SAPS.” MEC Gade cautioned…

KwaZulu-Natal police are investigating a brazen cash-in-transit (CIT) heist and attempted murder after armed suspects swooped on a CIT van on Aberdare Drive in the Phoenix industrial area yesterday. Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said its Phoenix operations centre received multiple calls from the public reporting a robbery and shooting at a liquor wholesaler, and reaction officers were immediately dispatched. Balram said when officers arrived at the scene at approximately 12.14pm, they discovered that a 43-year-old security guard had been shot in the abdomen. “Rusa paramedics stabilised the injured male before (transporting) him to hospital by ambulance,” he said. He added that the Rusa helicopter was unable to launch an aerial search for the suspects due to inclement weather conditions. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed…

AS THE manhunt continues for the suspects who shot and killed 18 people in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape’s AmaPhondo kingdom, police said they are confident of a breakthrough in their investigation. Two homesteads in the same area were targeted in the early hours of Saturday morning. Seventeen people were shot and killed in the incident while an 18th victim, who was in a critical condition, later died in hospital. According to police, the victims were preparing for a traditional ritual to mark the end of mourning for a mother and daughter who were murdered a year ago. The names of the victims were released yesterday. Most of them were women ranging in age from 64 to 19. The youngest victim was a 14-year-old boy. Two people are receiving treatment…

A South Korean court handed a three-year jail term yesterday to a former Seoul district police chief over a crush that killed more than 150 people, the Yonhap news agency reported. Tens of thousands of people –mostly in their twenties and thirties – had been out on October 29, 2022, to enjoy the first post-pandemic Halloween celebrations in the popular Itaewon nightlife district. But the night turned deadly when people poured into a narrow, sloping alleyway between bars and clubs, the weight of their bodies and a lack of effective crowd control leading to scores of people being crushed to death. Former Yongsan district police chief Lee Im-jae was found guilty of failing to prevent the crush – the first police officer to be convicted for their direct…

EU member states were expected to vote on whether to slap hefty tariffs on imported electric vehicles (EVs) from China on Friday, European diplomats said yesterday. The European Commission, in charge of EU trade policy, plans to levy additional duties of up to 36% on electric vehicles imported from China but the issue has divided the bloc. Brussels announced its plans in July for the tariffs – on top of current duties of 10% – after an anti-subsidy probe found Chinese state subsidies were unfairly undermining European competitors. The tariffs would become definitive for five years after a vote by the EU’s 27 member states that must take place before the end of October. That vote is now planned for October 4, EU diplomats said. One diplomat said the hope…

Paris: The main defendant in a mass rape trial that has sparked horror and protests in France was absent yesterday because he is “unwell” and must undergo medical treatment, the presiding judge said. Dominique Pelicot, 71, has been on trial since September 2 over raping and recruiting strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife Gisele for nearly a decade. The trial had already been briefly suspended in mid-September due to the absence of Dominique Pelicot, who was suffering from intestinal problems. Dominique Pelicot had already been excused from the hearing on Friday to undergo a medical examination. He has admitted to the charges. | AFP…

MOSCOW: Russia’s Battlegroup Zapad has taken control of the village of Makeevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Russian Defence Ministry has said. The Ukrainian armed forces have lost up to 1 965 soldiers over the past 24 hours against Russian forces, the Russian Defence Ministry said. Kyiv lost up to 620 soldiers in battles with Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr, while 610 Ukrainian were lost in clashes with Russia’s Battlegroup Yug. Russia’s Battlegroup Zapad 450 Ukrainian soldiers; and Kyiv lost 135 soldiers in clashes with Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok. Ukraine lost up to 70 soldiers against Russia’s Battlegroup Sever and 80 soldiers to Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr. | Sputnik…

The Proteas Women have a final opportunity to fine-tune their skills today ahead of their ICC T20 Women’s World Cup opener against the West Indies in Dubai on Friday. Laura Wolvaardt’s team came unstuck in their opening warm-up game against New Zealand on Sunday with the batting unit in particular struggling to adapt to the conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They will face an even sterner test of their credentials against a powerful Indian team today in their last warm-up match. The Proteas have always relied on their top order to get the batting unit firing, and are largely dependent on their opening pair. Skipper Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits were crucial in the Proteas’ run to the T20 World Cup final last year at Newlands. Brits, however, has…

Private sector companies have begun showing great appetite in taking credit to boost their businesses as interest rates, structural reforms and policy direction under the Government of National Unity (GNU) bring certainty to the markets. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) yesterday said private sector credit extension (PSCE) increased by 1.4% month-on-month in August, translating to 4.95% when measured on an annual basis, 4.95% year-on-year in August, accelerating to its highest in one year from a five-month low of 3.5% rise in July. This marked the 38th consecutive month of growth in private credit and the highest level since July 2023 and was ahead of the consensus forecast of 4.25% year-on-year. Specifically, the SARB said credit uptake by corporates which comprises more than half of total PSCE increased by a…

RENERGEN, operator of South Africa’s only onshore gas extraction facility, said its helium plant was at temperature and operational and its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production was moving back into a stable, reliable trend. The group, which operates from a site in Virginia, in the Free State, and which only brought its helium train into full production in August after a series of start-up related delays, said in a second-quarter update yesterday that LNG production was stable when compared to previous quarters in the prior 12 months. Two new, high helium exploration wells were completed in the quarter and converted to production ready status. Geological data confirmed the presence of an unmodelled gas-bearing fault, which would be targeted for future drilling. LNG production came to 1 249 tons, this…

The soul – enigmatic, yet so incredibly powerful – is what brings to life, and is the essence of life, fuelling and energising an inner-being. We may refer to a young person, even a toddler, as an “old soul” and we know the toddler is, as many toddlers are, or appears to be a deep thinker. We may say a sprightly person of advanced age is a “young soul” and we ready ourselves for an elderly person with a “spring in her step” or a youthful inside. Soul is often packaged with a prefix: broken-, angry-, critical-, abandoned-, creative- and all reflect an inner-condition. The soul is the person housed in flesh and bones; pulsating immortal vitality ferried, decade upon decade, within the mortal corpus, while not limited to it…

EBRAHIM Essa bemoans the fact that the ANC has forgotten about Gaza in his letter titled “Why is ANC silent about Gaza after the elections?” (The Mercury, September 11). So disappointing, Essa, the ANC has turned its back on you and the people of Gaza. How sad you must feel. A seasoned man like you fell for the wiles of the scheming politicians. South Africa stunned the world when it laid a charge of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. In court papers it claimed that Israel was contravening the Genocide Convention and asked the court to order Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza immediately. The claim by South Africa had immense cultural, diplomatic, historical and political significance. After two days…

Everybody speaks of Nelson Mandela’s greatness and his legacy, and so we should, but nothing of what he fought for, is alive and well today. This is sad! The ANC should hang its head in shame. In strong contrast to the damaging effects of Zuma and Ramaphosa’s ANC thieves, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has signs of greatness written all over him! Never before has a South African rugby coach invested so truthfully in his players! Never before have we seen such genuineness, such humility, and such passion for a sports team who represents our nation so well! Rassie and Kolisi’s men have shown South Africa what unity really looks like, and despite the ANC racist regime which keeps using the apartheid card as a weapon to further its false narratives,…

Electricity and Energy Minister, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, yesterday said backlogs of over R270 billion in infrastructure projects and in the energy space have been cleared through intense engagements with directors-general as he gave assurance to Independent Power Producers (IPP) that issues pertaining to procurement were being addressed. Speaking at an energy seminar yesterday, Ramokgopa said improvements were being made to the bid windows to iron out inefficiencies. “As part of our quest and to ensure that we see an exponential rise in renewables as part of energy mix, we are going to be a bit more aggressive in embodying bid windows,” he said. “Of course we were looking at catalytic projects but I can imagine that whatever challenges that these catalytic projects had are almost the same as smaller…

ELEVEN alleged drug mules have been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia) over the past two months. In the latest incident, a 21-year-old South African woman was nabbed for alleged drug trafficking in a joint operation between police and South African Revenue Services (Sars) Customs at the airport. “The drug mule was profiled and intercepted as she was arriving on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday morning, just before 9am,” SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said. The woman was taken to a local hospital where an X-ray confirmed that she had “foreign objects” in her stomach. “She has already released a number of bullets from her body and is in police custody. Police are closely monitoring the release of further drug bullets. This process is still unfolding,” Mathe…

A judge rejected claims by hospital staff at a Mpumalanga hospital, that a baby was born with severe brain damage because his mother, shortly before giving birth, took a mixture of what she had described as “good luck herbs”. The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled that the Mpumalanga MEC was fully liable for the damages suffered by the mother and child. Judge Anthony Millar found that the baby was born with cerebral palsy due to the negligence of the staff at Themba Hospital in Kabokweni. While the mother urgently needed to undergo a caesarean section, the procedure was delayed for hours. The child, now 14 years old, was born in 2010. The mother was first admitted to Themba Hospital on December 15, 2010, but discharged the next day as…

THE Border Management Authority (BMA) is grappling with a staggering R4.3 billion budget shortfall that threatens its operations over the next three years. The repercussions are expected to affect critical areas such as human resources, technology investment, and essential equipment procurement. This was revealed by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber in response to a parliamentary inquiry by DA MP Adrian Roos. “The shortfall for the BMA over the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) period is R4.353bn. The shortfall was as a result of the BMA not having received the full requested funding from the National Treasury,” Schreiber said. He also said the transferring departments transferred an accurate budget for compensation of employees and did not allocate a comprehensive budget for goods and services. Now, the DA wants the National Treasury…

Members of the Stilfontein K9 Unit in the North West arrested a suspect allegedly linked to truck hijackings during a routine patrol at the weekend. The officers noticed an Isuzu truck losing its cargo of alcohol products while driving on Davill Street, Walkerville, Klerksdorp. North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, stated that after pulling the truck over, both the driver and passenger fled the scene. The driver was quickly arrested, and two firearms were recovered, including a toy gun. The suspect, lacking a firearm licence, was immediately arrested. Further investigation revealed that there was blood in the driver’s seat. This prompted additional police units to join the case. The Potchefstroom Flying Squad later located an injured man at a Klerksdorp hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper body.…

THE People’s Republic of China (PRC) is celebrating its 75th anniversary, this is a milestone for China and also a moment to reflect on the profound and positive influence the PRC has had on Africa. Since its establishment in 1949, the PRC has been a beacon of transformation, resilience, and collaboration. Under its leadership, China has emerged as a global powerhouse, fostering deep and mutually beneficial partnerships with the African continent. From the early days of African liberation movements, the PRC stood in solidarity with African nations fighting for independence. The revolutionary spirit that drove China to break free from imperialism resonated deeply with Africa’s own struggles against colonial rule. China’s unwavering support for African liberation movements, from Algeria to Angola, and its recognition of African…

Mozambique will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on October 9, marking the end of President Filipe Nyusi’s two-term tenure. The vote will take place as the government continues to fight Islamic State-linked militants in the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado, where a major attack in 2021 forced Total- Energies to halt its $20 billion (about R344bn) liquefied natural gas project. There are four candidates vying to succeed Nyusi. Daniel Chapo, 47, is the candidate from Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo party that has governed the country since its independence in 1975. He is widely expected to win due to the party’s dominance, despite his relatively low profile in national politics. Chapo, who has previously worked as a TV and radio presenter and taught constitutional law at university, entered politics as a district…

London: French President Emmanuel Macron was a “positive nuisance” during Brexit negotiations and wanted to punish the UK for leaving the EU, former British prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed. In the latest excerpts from his memoir, Unleashed, due to be published next month, Johnson said the French leader saw Brexit as “a terrible snub to the EU”. Johnson argues in the book that Macron tried to “put his Cuban-heeled bootee into Brexit Britain” over various issues during the protracted divorce talks. Johnson, who took power in 2019, three years after Britain voted to leave the EU, said that included “weaponising” the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, and “discreetly allowing” the migrants to come across. He said that Macron was “personally charming”. | AFP…

MOSCOW: The Austrian Interior Ministry published the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections, saying that the Freedom Party of Austria” (FPO) has won them with 29.2% of the votes. According to the results published on the ministry’s website, FPO may receive 58 mandates. The Austrian People’s Party of the incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer took second place with 26.5% of the votes and may receive 52 mandates. In third place is the Social Democratic Party of Austria with 21% of the votes, it may receive 41 mandates. On Sunday, elections to the National Council were held all over Austria. | Sputnik…

Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter has pleaded for “patience” as the growing pains continue in the limited-overs formats. Walter had opted to rest a host of senior players for the tour to the United Arab Emirates where they would face Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series followed by a two-match T20I and a further three-match ODI series against Ireland. However, the inexperience of the group has been exposed thus far with Afghanistan claiming a first ODI series victory over the Proteas before Ireland also pulled off a maiden T20 victory on Sunday to level the series in Abu Dhabi. It certainly has been a chastening experience with Walter having to endure a painstaking collapse at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium as the Proteas failed to get over the line despite needing…