South Africa

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).

Port Elizabeth - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Thursday officially opened the Artisan Training and Test Prosperite Centre in Humansdorp which aims to increase the number of skilled artisans in the Eastern Cape.

Pretoria - Metrorail services at the Pienaarspoort train station, between Mamelodi and Pretoria central, will continue as scheduled this morning following a shooting on a train last night.

Pretoria - Around 50 Willow Crescent Secondary School learners have been given preventative medication after being in close contact with a 15-year-old girl who passed away from suspected bacterial meningitis.

Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Health has introduced basic services for visually impaired people at its Tshwane Rehabilitation Centre in a bid to make their daily activities easier.

Pretoria - Former President Nelson Mandela has thanked those who gave up their time to contribute towards making a difference to people who are less fortunate in life on Mandela Day, 18 July.

Berlin - Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday to review existing bilateral political, economic and trade relations between South Africa and Germany.

Monrovia - Women from across Africa, including Minerals and Energy Minister, Buyelwa Sonjica, gathered in Liberia at the weekend to debate women empowerment, peace and security and leadership development.

Parliament - Government activities over the next few months will be based on the need to complete the mandate it had set in 1994, when the country reached democracy, as well as ensure the new administration receives a ready platform to implement its programmes without undue delays.

Parliament - President Kgalema Motlanthe has noted that the country has made significant strides in health provision over the past 15 years.

Pretoria - The African Union (AU) has appointed former President Thabo Mbeki to chair a committee to investigate human rights violations in Darfur as well as mediate between the ICC and Sudan.

Harare - Susan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's wife, is to be buried in her rural hometown of Buhera on Wednesday.

Pretoria - To help accelerate household targeting and indigent support initiatives, government has developed and implemented the Credible Indigent Policy Assessment Framework.

Parliament - The Department of Housing has made significant progress towards housing delivery by building more than 2.6 million houses for more than 14 million needy households since 1994.

Nelspruit - Mpumalanga's new road signs, which forms part of the province's R160 million upgrade of roads, is to ease confusion for visitors during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.