South Africa

Pretoria - The estimated manufacturing production for May fell by 17.1 percent after dropping a revised 21.8 percent in April, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) announced on Thursday.

Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has launched the district Human Rights Forum in each municipality to educate communities about their rights so they can effectively use government services

Johannesburg - The Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities has commissioned a study to investigate the causes of child murders.

Pretoria - The number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu, in South Africa has increased to 48.

Kimberley - Government will continue to bring justice facilities closer to poor communities to ensure the human rights of the marginalised are protected.

Pretoria - The Hawks, or Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, have arrested two South African Police Service (SAPS) members on charges of kidnapping, extortion and corruption.

Pretoria - Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe is expected to meet with rape activists in Cape Town this morning in what organisers describe as a call for action on 'corrective rape'.

Pretoria - Motorists will from Friday onwards conveniently be able to pay for petrol after filling up with their credit cards.

Kimberley - President Kgalema Motlanthe has urged political parities that will be contesting in this year's General Election to respect the rights of voters as enshrined in the Constitution.

Pretoria - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has commended the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) and National Union of Mineworkers' (NUM) for their efforts to end the strike in the construction industry.

Pretoria - Tighter monitoring of alcohol trading outlets and pushing up the legal drinking age to 21 years will be among the proposals to be put forward during the second Biennial Substance Abuse Summit.

Pretoria - The North West Police are currently negotiating the release of mine supervisors being held hostage by temporary mine workers at the Crocodile Mine, near Hartebeespoort.

Pretoria - Tickets for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Bafana Bafana and Egypt are on sale countrywide.

Polokwane - Limpopo authorities will on World Population Day commit to redouble efforts to keep girls in school and enable women to earn a living.

uMgungundlovu - Over 12 000 orphans in KwaZulu-Natal will go to school this winter sporting warm school uniforms.