South Africa

Pretoria - Parliament's two-day Women's Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) kicks off today.

Mbombela - Mpumalanga's Department of Education has been grilled for paying R23 million in performance bonuses in the 2008/2009 financial year, even though the province produced a matric pass rate of just 51.8 percent.

Pretoria - With a housing backlog of over two million and more than 12 million people in dire need of houses, government is embarking on radical changes that could turn the tide of housing delivery in the country, reports Chris Bathembu.

Pretoria - Three proposed higher education and training Amendment Bills will see the department taking on functions previously vested with the Basic Education and Labour Departments.

Pretoria - A Limpopo woman has walked away with the 2010 Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award pledging to make an impact on the lives of rural communities in her province.

Cape Town - The proposed Protection of Information Bill is to be overhauled to make it easier to understand and eliminate any confusion that might arise, the Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele said in Parliament today.

Pretoria - An anti-alcohol abuse lobby group has welcomed reported plans in legislation to deal "harshly" with alcohol abuse by teenagers in Gauteng.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma on Monday heaped praise on the Indian community in South Africa saying they have contributed "a great deal" to the country's economic and political landscape.

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan unveiled the roster of a fresh Japanese Cabinet early Friday afternoon, naming Seiji Maehara as new foreign minister.

Pretoria - Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has conveyed his condolences to the families of 22 people who were killed in a head-on collision between a mini-bus taxi and a truck in the Western Cape.

Pretoria - Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has urged South Africans to vote in the final round of the New7Wonders of Nature contest to ensure that Table Mountain makes it onto the final list of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Pretoria - Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor says science centres have a crucial role to play in strengthening grass-roots science awareness campaigns.

Pretoria - Hundreds of Metrorail commuters on KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast, who were left stranded this morning after train services were suspended, can breathe a sigh of relief because they are now running as normal and on schedule.

Pretoria - Twenty-two countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have reduced new HIV infections by more than 25 percent, according to new UNAIDS data on the progress made towards Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6.

Pretoria - Government has responded to President Jacob Zuma's directive to hold urgent talks with union leaders to find a solution that will bring an end to the public service strike.