South Africa

Japan, South Africa vie for ElBaradei succession, IAEA confirms

Vienna - Only Japan and South Africa have submitted candidates for succeeding Mohamed ElBaradei at the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Vienna-based organisation confirmed Friday in a statement.

As ElBaradei's third and last term ends at the end of November 2009, Yukiya Amano of Japan and Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa, who represent their countries at the IAEA Board of Governors, are now vying for the prestigious post of director general.

The deadline for IAEA member states to name candidates ended on December 31, 2008.

South African apartheid opponent Suzman to be buried on Sunday

South Africa MapJohannesburg - Helen Suzman, the South African anti- apartheid campaigner who died on Thursday at the age of 91, will be buried on Sunday, her daughter Frances Jowell said, according to the South African Press Agency SAPA.

Jowell said that Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein would lead the funeral service at the West Park cemetery in Johannesburg.

"A public memorial will be held in a few weeks' time," Jowell said.

According to Jowell, Suzman had died peacefully in her Johannesburg home.

South African apartheid opponent Suzman dead at 91

Johannesburg - Helen Suzman, who spent more than a decade as a lonely parliamentary voice against the racial policies of the former white minority South African regime, died Thursday at age 91, reported the SAPA news agency.

Suzman's daughter, Frances Jowell, told the news agency that Suzman died peacefully in her home in Johannesburg.

Suzman joined parliament as a member of the opposition United Party in 1953. After an internal party divide, she joined the newly created Progressive Party and proceeded to be that party's only member of parliament from 1961 to 1974, when seven other party members joined the legislature.

Red Cross deploys "emergency response units" to Zimbabwe cholera

Red Cross deploys "emergency response units" to Zimbabwe cholera Johannesburg/Harare - The International Federation of the Red Cross announced Wednesday that it has deployed seven so-called emergency response units
(ERUs) in the past week throughout Zimbabwe in response to the ongoing cholera crisis there.

The seven units include three basic health care units, two mass sanitation units, and two water supply units from Red Cross societies around the world.

India, South Africa air services agreement approved

IndiaNew Delhi, Dec 26  The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for superseding the existing Air Services Agreement (ASA) signed on December 5, 1998 between India and South Africa by a revised ASA.

This ASA is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) template.

The revised ASA signifies an important landmark in civil aviation relations between India and South Africa. It has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries.

Pretoria confirms 30-million-dollar aid injection for Zimbabwe

Pretoria confirms 30-million-dollar aid injection for Zimbabwe Pretoria  - South Africa on Tuesday confirmed it had provided its ailing neighbour Zimbabwe with humanitarian aid to the tune of 300 million rands (30 million dollars).

The move amounted to an about-turn on the part of Pretoria that had initially made the formation of a unity government in Zimbabwe the condition for such assistance.

Pages