South Africa

Bloemfontein - The Free State farming community is to receive much-needed relief after being severely affected by wild veld fires.

Durban - South Africa managed to notch a win in their first of a five-match One Day International (ODI) series against India - defeating their opponents by 135 runs at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.

Pretoria - More than 1000 Pretoria residents will have an opportunity to test their eyes, as well as other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, as the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development embarks on an eye care campaign this week.

Mbombela - Mpumalanga military officials have revealed that some of the rifles used to poach rhino in the Kruger National Park date back to the Mozambican civil war.

Pretoria - Looming threats to the country's national electricity grid are expected to take centre stage when Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe chairs a meeting of the National Stakeholder Advisory Council on Energy on Friday.

Brisbane - The official death toll from Australia's Queensland flood disaster has now reached 15, with 61 still missing.

Pretoria - Cabinet has condemned the poaching of more than 200 rhinos in parts of the country, saying this act poses a threat in the conversation of rhinos in the country.

Cape Town - Cabinet has praised South African athletes' performance in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, while congratulating India for overcoming the odds in hosting the games.

Pretoria - Banyana Banyana are looking to start their 2011 Olympic qualifying campaign with an away win when they face Zambia at Lusaka's Nkoloma Stadium on Saturday.

Pretoria - The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has warned retailers who sell expired products that should consumers suffer harm as a direct result of eating these products; the law will be strictly enforced.

Pretoria - An investigation has been launched by the Gauteng Department of Education into an incident in which parents are believed to have locked teachers out of a school in the north of Johannesburg.

Pretoria - Inmates with appropriate CD4 counts are on anti-retrovirals (ARVs), Correctional Services revealed on Wednesday.

Pretoria - The University of Johannesburg has closed applications for candidates to be admitted to register at the institution for the 2011 academic year - with the number of new applicants exceeding all expectations.

Durban - Nearly 1 000 people will undergo cataract surgery in KwaZulu-Natal after the provincial Health Department joined forces with Discovery Health and the International Centre for Eyecare Education.

Pretoria - The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has warned South Africans to exercise extreme caution when in or making use of dams and rivers.