South Africa

Parliament - The National Assembly is alive with activity and excitement, ahead of President Kgalema Motlanthe's State of the Nation Address on Friday morning.

Pretoria - South Africans who apply for a new passport from next month will be introduced to a new document with complex security features.

Parliament - President Kgalema Motlanthe on Friday paid tribute to the fallen struggle veterans who contributed immensely to the country's democracy.

Durban - A provincial disaster management workshop in KwaZulu-Natal is to help the province to address the challenges affecting disaster management.

Pretoria - Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Enver Surty has reiterated that any member of the public who has evidence that the grounds on which Shabir Shaik was granted medical parole was tainted, should make a representation to the minister of correctional services.

Bloemfontein - The decision to place a moratorium on initiating new patients on Anti Retroviral (ARV) treatment in the Free State due to a shortage of funds, was a difficult one, says the Minister of Health Barbara Hogan.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has decided to implement a 7 percent salary increase across the board for public office bearers.

Johannesburg - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is not in a financial crisis and not under liquidation, says the public broadcaster's Acting Chief Executive Officer Gab Mampone.

Pretoria - The Kha Ri Gude (Let us learn) mass literacy campaign has made huge strides since its inception last year, with nearly 80 percent of learners enrolled being women.

Pretoria - Bafana Bafana lost against an unimaginative Iceland team in Reykjavik on Tuesday night, in their eighth defeat out of nine matches.

New York - The current global financial crisis has highlighted the need for greater participation for women in financial decision-making, says Minister in The Presidency Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Pretoria - Police and other law enforcement agencies will be out in full force to ensure security during the General Elections to be held on April 22, says Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Pretoria - The Sakhile township outside Standerton remains calm this morning after violent protests broke out again in the informal settlement on Tuesday.

Franshoek - The R1.5 billion Berg River Dam, opened on Thursday, is expected to augment Cape Town's water supply by almost 20 percent.

Johannesburg - The most urgent need in flood-hit Soweto is for food, clothing and blankets, according to an assessment by the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS).