South Africa

Mthatha - The Eastern Cape Department of Transport and Safety has launched a Village Committee to help fight crime in the deep rural areas of the province.

Johannesburg - New York will take world centre-stage on 18 July, Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday, when the city hosts the inaugural "Mandela Day".

Pretoria - Boxing should be turned into a leading sport code in South Africa by 2017, the Sports Department said on Wednesday.

Johannesburg - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana is hopeful that a solution to the wage dispute which has halted construction work at 2010 FIFA World Cup stadia will be found soon.

Kimberley - Public Protector, Lawrence Mushwana has encouraged South Africans to use Chapter 9 state institutions such as the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to protect their human rights.

Pretoria - Government has declared the month of July, Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) Month.

Italy - Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised countries and five leading emerging economies (G5) began their meeting on Thursday to discuss economic issues, climate change, trade and other international affairs.

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.