South Africa

Durban - Africa is setting the example in tackling land degradation with some encouraging results.

Pretoria - South African National Parks announced that to date, 405 rhinos have been poached throughout the country this year.

Cape Town - Despite President Jacob Zuma indicating that schooling should be obligatory, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has said that it remains a legal challenge to force offenders to attend school.

Johannesburg - None of the departments in the Gauteng Provincial Government are under any provincial administration from the national government.

Pretoria - Limpopo Health MEC Dikeledi Magadzi has encouraged families of patients with mental conditions to keep them in a familiar environment with family and community members and consider institutionalisation as the last resort.

Pretoria - National Treasury on Tuesday invited banks to submit bids for the issuing of Islamic bonds (Sukuk) in local and international markets.

Pretoria - Banyana Banyana and their Russian-based striker Nompumelelo Nyandeni have both been nominated for the African Football Confederation (CAF) awards.
The CAF awards will be held in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday, 22 December. The annual event is the continent's premier awards which recognise the best achievers in African football for the year.

Durban - While the climate change conference in Durban may not be able to produce a legally binding second commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries need to give guarantees that they will sign for a new commitment period post 2012.

Durban - As the pressure to address climate change continues to mount at COP17, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon warned on Tuesday that the world was in danger.

Pretoria - South Africa has condemned the grenade attacks at a nightclub and bus terminal in Kenya.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has appointed Free State High Court President Hendrick Mmoli Thekiso Musi as a member of the Commission of Inquiry into the so-called arms deal.

Durban - Ten innovative projects which will help thousands of people across the world deal with climate change have been launched as part of the UNFCCC's Momentum for Change initiative.

Cape Town - With the world population estimated to reach seven billion this Monday, the Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini today said it was important to invest in education and skills for South Africa's youth - which make up a sizeable section of the population - while also providing youth with job opportunities and access to health care.

Pretoria - The departure of Mo Shaik and Ambassador Jeff Maqetuka from the Department of State Security have been dismissed as rumours.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will later this week visit Nigeria and Benin with the aim of deepening South Africa's bilateral political, economic and trade relations with these two countries.