South Africa

Parliament - President Kgalema Motlanthe has agreed that crime, corruption and a revamp of the criminal justice system are critical issues government needs to deal with.

Washington - The Obama administration on Monday unveiled a plan to help unlock credit for the nation's small businesses, which have generated about 70 percent of net new jobs annually over the past decade.

Pretoria - The Job Shimankane Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg has opened its newly revitalized Accident and Emergency Trauma Unit to help improve service delivery in the province.

Johannesburg - As the date for the country's national elections draws closer, the City of Johannesburg says it is ready for the task, and will ensure operations on the day goes off smoothly.

Orkney - The health of the elderly should be a priority, as more and more are becoming caregivers to HIV positive children, says North West MEC for Health and Social Development, Rebecca Kesienyane.

Durban - Durban's Mayor Obed Mlaba has pledged his support for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Earth Hour 2009 campaign, a global initiative to raise awareness around energy and the effects of climate change.

Pretoria - The Department of Trade and Industry is to embark on a consumer protection awareness campaign countrywide, next week.

Pretoria - There are 23 million South Africans registered to vote in the provincial and general elections set for 22 April 2009.

Pretoria - Within the next three years, every child from Grade 1 to 12 within the Western Cape will have a textbook in every subject he or she is taking.

Harare - South Africa and Zimbabwe have discussed measures to support the recovery of that country's productive sectors as well as trade facilitation measures between the two countries.

Pretoria - The Department of Health has confirmed that four people have died since an outbreak of measles earlier this year.

Bloemfontein - Not even the heavy rains managed to spoil the revelry in Bloemfontein today as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) marked its 10th year of participation in Peace Support Operations.

Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs has cleared the backlog in permits for foreign nationals who had applied for permanent and temporary residency in South Africa.

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has extended warm wishes to all Hindu and Tamil communities ahead of the Diwali weekend.

Pretoria - Although there are low levels of Escherichia coli, known as E. coli in Loskop Dam, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has warned that water quality in the dam is deteriorating fast.