South Africa

Pretoria- The improvement of service delivery remains government's top priority, says President Jacob Zuma.

Pretoria- International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister, Marius Fransman, has encouraged interactions between the diplomatic corps and local business saying they play a vital role in the promotion of economic development, entrepreneurship and skills development.

Pretoria- Education stakeholders in Gauteng have agreed to hold a Learner Summit and to develop a framework to turn around underperforming schools in Soweto,

Cape Town - The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has increased its turnaround time for approval of loans to businesses and has increased loans approvals by over 35%, the Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel said in his Budget Vote speech today.

Pretoria - In a bid to produce more teachers in the country, the Higher Education and Training Department is planning to open three former teacher training colleges next year.

Johannesburg - The newly launched South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) is expected to assist government in addressing South Africa's energy needs, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said on Thursday.

Pretoria - A group of retired chartered accountants are to be moved in to the Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges to work as Chief Financial Officers (CFOS).

Pretoria - The Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) have been ordered to move their offices closer to Further Training and Education colleges, where they are needed.

Pretoria - South Africa has congratulated the people of Timor-Leste for successfully holding a second round of Presidential elections.

Pretoria - The South African Football Association (Safa) has refuted media reports claiming that its President Kirsten Nematandani has been toppled as the chairperson of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Local Organising Committee (LOC).

Pretoria - Police have confirmed that former Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant General Richard Mdluli has been suspended.

Johannesburg - The South African Olympic Team were treated to a rousing send-off by hundreds of South African supporters just hours before they departed for the 2012 London Olympic Games, on Thursday.

Pretoria - Government and landowners of the Vredefort Dome on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Agreement, taking the site a step closer to becoming a new World Heritage Site and protected under South African law.

Pretoria - The South African senior women's team, Banyana Banyana, has been drawn in the toughest group of the 2012 London Olympics, which includes World Cup champions, Japan.

Cape Town - Universal health coverage is a worldwide phenomenon supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi reiterated on Tuesday when tabling his department's Budget Vote in Parliament.