South Africa

Pretoria - Charges against suspended Crime Intelligence Unit head Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli have been provisionally withdrawn.

East London - Unemployed residents of Mdantsane outside East London will be considered for employment first when the fourth phase of the upgrade of one of the Eastern Cape's largest hospitals begins.

Johannesburg - About 34 000 students who have been overcharged interest on study loans by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in previous years are to be refunded.

Pretoria - While sipping on bottled water has almost become something of a voguish statement, a survey has revealed that many South Africans are happy with the high quality water that comes straight from the tap.

Durban - Government is giving all South Africans a chance to voice their feelings through its "South African at Heart" campaign.

Durban - South Africans turned out in their numbers on Monday to welcome senior Springboks and management home - proving that win or lose, they are behind the men in green and gold.

Pretoria - Some 100 refugees in Libya rallied in the capital Tripoli on Monday, demanding assistance from the ruling authorities to return home, as the violent domestic conflict seems to have entered its last stage.

Pretoria - Crime Line, the anonymous tip-off service, is fast approaching the 2 000 mark in arrests ahead of its fifth anniversary in June.

Pretoria - Dr Sekwaila Masenya is a young medical doctor at Helen Joseph Hospital, who is passionate about saving peoples' lives but recently when her shift starts, she wonders if she will return home alive.

Pretoria -The South African Football Association (Safa) has officially filed a protest letter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the controversial 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

Pretoria - Deputy Human Settlement Minister, Zou Kota-Fredericks, says the formalisation of 206 informal settlements in the country has been completed.

Pretoria - The Department of Labour's Compensation Fund (CF) is undertaking a major decentralisation drive in an effort to improve the fund's operational efficiency.

Mbombela - Nearly 500 young people from Mpumalanga have graduated from the National Youth Service skills development programme.

Pretoria - The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to establish 50 000 commercially-orientated smallholder farmers focusing on homelands.

Pretoria - South Africa and Cuba have signed a R350-million Economic Assistance Package Agreement geared towards helping that country improve its food security,