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SYRIA

Each truck is checked and the drivers are searched. Only aid that is on the list can make it through.
Forty-six trucks carrying food and medical supplies - enough for 27,500 people - enter the area for the first time since the new campaign began.
A UN official tells that surgical supplies and trauma kits are not allowed to be taken in.
:: First day of eastern Ghouta 'truce' branded a farce
Limited deliveries of aid have been allowed to enter the enclave
Marwa Awad, the spokesperson for the World Food Programme in Syria, says another convoy will be allowed to take in more aid on Thursday.
"There's up to 400,000 trapped on the inside.
"These people are living under siege and by that we mean there are serious shortages of medical assistance of food - food insecurity is very high, there are families who can't reach the areas where they can reach the food."
The suburb of Damascus has seen fierce fighting since the Syrian government began a major offensive last month.
Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in eastern Ghouta
The buildings on the outskirts of eastern Ghouta tell the story of seven long and bloody years of war.
It is the last rebel stronghold around the capital but after days of heavy fighting their grip appears to be weakening.
Syrian government forces claim they have taken more than 30% of the territory in the last few days.
:: Surrender or starve: the desperate fight for survival in Ghouta
And the sound of war is constant. Even during ceasefires, the guns in Syria never fall silent.
The UN was given assurances by both sides that the route they were taking would not be targeted but we heard fairly heavy fighting as they made the delivery.
Make no mistake, President Assad is winning the war with the help of his Russian allies.
At the front, soldiers pose giving us the victory sign - they are confident eastern Ghouta will soon fall.
The Syrian leader says terrorist groups will continue to be targeted - they are not included in any ceasefire.
The rebels claim the regime is carrying out a "scorched earth" policy.

SRILANKA

Dozens of mosques and homes were damaged on Monday night as crowds went on a rampage, sparking fears that communal violence could spread.
The body of a 24-year-old man was pulled from the ashes of a burned building, and at least 11 Muslim-owned shops were torched by predominantly Sinhalese Buddhist rioters.
The outbreak followed the death of a Sinhalese man believed to have been killed by a group of Muslims, following growing tensions between the groups across the last year.
"At a special cabinet meeting, it was decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days to prevent the spread of communal riots," government spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekara said.
The state of emergency will last for at least ten days
Heavily armed police units have been deployed in the central district of Kandy, a tourist area famed for its tea plantations and Buddhist sites.
Lakshman Kiriella, a legislator from Kandy, told parliament that the attacks were carried out by outsiders.
"I am ashamed as a Buddhist and we must apologise to the Muslims," he said.
Muslims make up about 10% of Sri Lanka's population, while the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese population constitute nearly three-quarters of the island state's 21 million people.
The country remains divided after a 1983-2009 civil war between the government and separatists from the minority Tamil population.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government condemned the "racist and violent acts" of the last few days.

MALAWI

POLITICAL NEWS -MCP) has said its legislators will not receive money from the controversial K4 billion special fund.
Last week, Members of Parliament (MPs) approved the allocation to be shared among 193 constituencies for projects.
Mkaka: MCP will reject the funds.
But Deputy Secretary General for main opposition party Eisenhower Mkaka told the local media that the MCP will reject the funds.
He hinted that party president Lazarus Chakwera has now got more information on the funding hence the U-turn.
“This issue happened within two days and the leader of opposition was trying to get as much information on the issue as possible. That is why he made a statement that he does not want to be party to the experiment that government is making with people’s money.
“In other words, he does not want to entertain the so called K3.2 billion,” Mkaka told the local media.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations have hailed MCP for the change of heart saying the party has taken a commendable step.
Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe initially allocated the money to 86 MPs who blocked the electoral reforms bills last year.
The move was widely condemned and the allocation was deemed illegal since it was not approved by Parliament and there were also questions over the source of the money.
But last week the MPs legalised the funds after government agreed to share the money among all 193 constituencies.

WORLD SPORTS
BARCELONA, Spain - Barcelona have one hand on the La Liga title after Lionel Messi's sensational free-kick earned them a deserved 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Atletico arrived at the Camp Nou on the back of eight consecutive wins but Barca halted the surge and instead restored their own lead at the top to eight points, with 11 games left to play.
Messi proved the difference again, his bending first-half strike worthy of winning any contest and taking his own career tally to an astonishing 600 goals, 539 for Barca and 61 for Argentina.
The only blot on a dominant Barcelona performance was an injury to Andres Iniesta, who had to be substituted after 34 minutes with what the club confirmed was a strain in the back of his thigh.
Iniesta now has 10 days to recover before next week's
Champions League second leg against Chelsea.
The build-up to this contest, labelled 'the Grand Final' by sections of the Spanish press, was driven by talk of a Barcelona dip following three draws in five league games, with the in-form Atletico primed to move within two points of their rivals.
But Diego Simeone's strategy of absorbing and counter failed to pay off here and, in the end, the visitors might easily have been beaten by a more emphatic scoreline.
Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, meanwhile, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous.
Ernesto Valverde made a statement of attacking intent by plumping for the more creative Philippe Countinho over Paulinho but his team took a while to find their rhythm.
Even Messi hit the wall with a poor free-kick and then sent a cross-field switch straight into the advertising boards.
The Argentinian shook his head but soon recovered, moments later escaping a cage of four Atletico defenders before driving a shot straight at Jan Oblak.
For all Atletico's discipline and defensive rigour, one mistake in the 26th minute was all it needed. Thomas Partey clipped the back of Messi's foot 25 yards out and the forward whipped the free-kick beyond the scrambling Oblak and into the top corner.
The rest of the half was a picture of Barca dominance, interrupted only by the injured Iniesta being replaced by Andre Gomes and a handful of minor skirmishes, the most noteworthy of which saw Messi hack down Filipe Luis and earn a yellow card.
Atletico's demise was summed up by Luis tripping over his own feet during a rare attack down the left but half-time helped the visitors, who were more competitive after the break.
Luis Suarez thought he had scored a second after half-volleying through Oblak's legs but was flagged offside, before Jose Gimenez applied a crucial block to deflect a Messi shot over.
There was one nervy moment for the hosts five minutes from time as Diego Costa headed down for Kevin Gameiro to slam home. Costa, however, had strayed offside and Barca held on for what will surely prove a crucial three points.

SOUTHAFRICA




JOHANNESBURG - The embattled Gupta family could lose their private jet.
That’s if a Canadian state-owned bank has its way.
The case will be heard at the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday morning.
Export Development Canada has applied to ground the plane.
The bank is also reportedly concerned that Ajay Gupta may use the jet to flee from justice or other unlawful conduct.
The Gupta family bought the jet with a loan from the Canadian bank.

MALAWI
Malawi outfit Kufewa acrobatics group impress in Lesotho.
The talented area 36 group put up a fantastic acrobatics styles in front of many views.
They have terrorised the streets there as they do in Malawi.
Picture courtesy of
Hd cameras

SOUTH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG - The companies involved in the manufacturing of contaminated processed meat products could face lawsuits.
Since January 2017, 948 people have contracted listeriosis -- a disease caused by bacteria from soil, water, vegetation and animal faeces which can contaminate fresh food, notably meat.
At least 180 have died , according to official figures.
An attorney warned that lawsuits won't be an easy process, especially for those who have already lost their loved ones.
"Only somebody who is dependent on those people for support could then claim the loss of support. There isn’t a claim for emotional distress or anything like that because of the people passing away," said Ian Jacobsberg, a Hogan Lovells partner.
On Sunday, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi advised South Africans to avoid eating all processed meat products sold as "ready to eat" after announcing Enterprise as the outbreak's source.
The Department of Health ordered retailers to
immediately recall affected products.
The chief executive of Tiger Brands, which owns Enterprise, denied that its products had been shown to be responsible for the deaths.
"There is no direct link with the deaths to our products," Lawrence MacDougall told a news conference.
MacDougall did acknowledge that the government had linked the ST6 strain of listeria bacteria detected in Enterprise facilities with the outbreak.
"We are being extra cautious and vigilant, we are recalling all products made from the two facilities" affected, he said, adding that the government had only ordered the company to withdraw three product lines.
"Any loss of life is tragic. It is devastating for me to have our products linked to this outbreak."
As fears of listeria continued to rise in South Africa, food retailers have announced product recalls .

BOTSWANA

SPORTS NEWS-The President of the Botswana Football Association (BFA), Maclean Letshwiti has finally broken his silence over the numerous sporadic attack launched by former Zebras coach, Peter James Butler on local football administrators.
Speaking to BG Sport this week, the reluctant Letshwiti said “As much as I wish to avoid public spat with our former employee, Mr Butler, but as the custodian of Botswana football, I have an obligation to protect the reputation and integrity of Botswana football, especially our secretariat and stakeholders.”
“As a proponent of free speech, I believe that every statement made should be factual to demonstrate credence and responsibility, and therefore incessant and sporadic social and public media attacks on my administration and BFA secretariat, which lack decency and courtesy, cannot continue unabated or unchallenged.”He notes, “My position is that if Butler feels aggrieved or hard done, then as a professional, he is aware of the right channels to communicate his grievances, in line with existing labour structures or even seek redress with CAF, FIFA and the courts of law.” The candid Letshwiti calls on Butler to stop uttering statements, which, in his view, are tantamount to bringing the game of football into disrepute, and of course deliberately cause injury to some of the BFA personnel.
He cautions Butler that the BFA is on the verge of lodging a formal complaint for unprofessional conduct with all governing bodies such as Confederation of African Football (CAF), FIFA and even the UEFA which gave him a Pro License A.
However, Letshwiti acknowledges Butler’s passion for youth development structures programmes.
“He has always been passionate about developing our future stars, and it was my intention to retain him had it not been for his terms and conditions, which I found difficult to accept. For instance, he told me to expel some of the contracted secretariat staff as part of his conditions of accepting the renewal of his contract. I told him that it was not possible as they had done nothing to warrant the calls for expulsion.
Butler who possesses a UEFA Pro License has never given Maclean Letshwiti administration any credit ever since it became clear that he was not the preferred candidate for the two top technical positions of Technical Director and senior national team head coach at Lekidi House -the BFA headquarters. Butler has been consistent on his calls for a regime change at the BFA. In his own words, and in response to a recent BG Sport questionnaire, the english coach claims he has no axe to grind against anybody, nor is he interested in taking over the position, but he just loves this country and is worried that BFA Technical Director, Matshidiso Kowa and national team coach David Bright are not qualified to hold their positions. Butler has also made some unsubstantiated claims that one of the Serbian coaches working for a local premier league side in Botswana has forged his documents.

SOUTHAFRICA

JOHANNESBURG - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said his department is not in crisis.
That's after the listeriosis outbreak claimed 180 lives .
Motsoaledi revealed on Sunday that the origin of the outbreak has been traced to polony from the Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane.
"Listeriosis outbreaks happen every day, even now there's an outbreak in Australia," he said.
He urged South Africans -- especially the pregnant, ill and elderly -- to steer clear not only of polony, but russians, viennas and other processed meat.
Motsoaledi also said it’s unfair to draw comparisons between the outbreak and Gauteng’s Life Esidimeni tragedy.JOHANNESBURG - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said his department is not in crisis.
That's after the listeriosis outbreak claimed 180 lives .
Motsoaledi revealed on Sunday that the origin of the outbreak has been traced to polony from the Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane.
"Listeriosis outbreaks happen every day, even now there's an outbreak in Australia," he said.
He urged South Africans -- especially the pregnant, ill and elderly -- to steer clear not only of polony, but russians, viennas and other processed meat.
Motsoaledi also said it’s unfair to draw comparisons between the outbreak and Gauteng’s Life Esidimeni tragedy.

SOUTH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG - The origin of the listeriosis outbreak has been traced to polony from the Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed today.
He urged South Africans, especially the pregnant, ill and elderly, to steer clear not only of polony, but Russians, Viennas and other processed meat.
A Rainbow chicken processing plant in Germiston has also been implicated
Listeriosis has claimed more than 170 lives since January 2017, with over 900 cases reported.
The implicated products will be recalled.

JOHANNESBURG - Two suspects have been arrested following an armed robbery and shoot-out in Glenhazel.
Police say a woman was cornered by the pair outside her house on Friday afternoon.
Security guards gave chase after the woman pressed a panic button.
One of the suspects was wounded during the shoot-out on the Modderfontein onramp.
The police's Lungelo Dlamini says: “One of the suspects is under police guard in hospital after being shot and wounded. The other suspect has been arrested. Police recovered two firearms as well as the getaway vehicle.”

ARSENAL

PREMIER LEAGUE
The Frenchman finds himself under intense pressure following a sorry run of form, but he believes he remains the right man to lead the Gunners
Arsene Wenger maintains he can “turn things around” at Arsenal and is refusing to contemplate quitting his post.
Calls for the Frenchman to walk away from a club that he has served for 22 years are mounting in intensity amid a sorry run of form.
A 2-1 defeat at Brighton on Sunday was a fourth in succession for the Gunners , and an eighth reversal in their last 13 outings.
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Wenger has never faced such opposition during his iconic reign in north London, but he retains full confidence in his ability to steer the club through a testing period.
He told Sky Sports following another disappointing display against Brighton: "It's the first time it happens in my whole career, I must say.
"It's not easy, but I have enough experience and enough desire to turn things around and I must say that, at the moment, when you need to stay in the game we are making a few mistakes at the wrong moments.
"We have to stick together and focus. We have no other solution."
Wenger can expect to face further criticism over the coming weeks and months, with it already
suggested that he has outstayed his welcome, but the 68-year-old insists he has given no thought to resigning.
He added:"You focus on your job. These are always the questions you get when you are in the situation we are in.
"You do your job and you do the right thing and the things you think are right for the team and that's it."
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Wenger said: "I must tell you, honestly, at the moment my future is not my main worry. My worry is to get Arsenal to win football games, and then we see where we go from there.
"I will try to give my best as long as I am here, and do everything to get the team back to more confidence. We need to recover physically first. The program we have is at the moment a bit too demanding.
"There's no uncertainty [with the players about his future], I told you many times. What is the uncertainty is at the moment the quality of our performance. When you go through a difficult patch, uncertainty before the game is the quality of the performance we can give.
"Look, I don't want to talk about my future today. I'm long enough in the job to know what's going on and I'm long enough in the job as well to know that what's most important is to make sure you focus on what's important, that you give absolutely your best with full commitment."
Arsenal have just one opportunity to salvage their season, with Wenger having conceded that a top-four finish is now beyond his side – as they sit 13 points off the pace.
They have already suffered a Carabao Cup final defeat and a shock third round exit to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, with a defence of that trophy never getting started.
Europa League success can still be secured, which would over the Gunners a route back into the Champions League, but AC Milan await at the last-16 stage and there are still several other heavyweight outfits setting their sights on continental glory. Wenger won't quit and vows to turn Arsenal around

MANCHESTER CITY



The Londoners finished 15 points ahead of Pep Guardiola's side last season but are now 25 points behind, and their approach on Sunday shows why
When Chelsea beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last December, Antonio Conte’s men went seven points clear of their rivals as they continued their march towards the Premier League title. On Sunday, City’s dominant victory put them a staggering 25 points clear of last season’s champions.
The difference in the two sides, in such a short period of time, is quite incredible. Chelsea, who won the title at a canter in Conte’s first season, were quite frankly pathetic here. City were not quite at their majestic best, but they did not have to be.
The Londoners, who had all the answers last season, offered nothing but a meek defensive display. In the parlance of their former manager, they parked the bus, and in fairness they did limit City’s chances. The problem was that they created absolutely nothing themselves.
They failed to register a shot of any kind in the first half - the first time they have done that since Opta records began in 2003 - and too often their forays forward simply came to nothing. Eden Hazard, deployed as a false 9, may as well have not showed up. On more than one occasion he threw his hands up in disgust as a long ball forward sailed over his head.


Chelsea, not for the first time this season, had no attacking plan. Think of their performance against Barcelona but without Willian’s long-range shots.
A lack of attacking cohesion is nothing new this season and it is why they could genuinely miss out on the top four.
Coming on the back of such a dominant title victory, the decline is staggering.
Conte will surely go in the summer and the bandwagon will roll on, but once again the Londoners will find themselves in a position familiar to City fans: worldbeaters one season, also-rans the next.
For City those days seem to be a thing of the past, certainly as long as Pep Guardiola is in the dug-out.
Now they have all the answers.
Even had Chelsea put up more of a fight this season it is doubtful they would have got anywhere near lifting the title again.


City are far and away the best team in the country and if Guardiola can focus minds over the summer it is hard to see anybody else bridging the gap in the near future.
As Conte was credited with taming English football with a three-man defence and a seemingly unstoppable counter-attack, Guardiola was said to be struggling to get to grips with his new surroundings.
He was slowly making his mark on City but too many flaky performances ultimately undermined the Catalan’s first season.
The game against Chelsea in December 2016 highlights their issues.
Then, City dominated the game but failed to take their chances and watched on as Chelsea got in behind to fire past a hopeless Claudio Bravo.
Guardiola insisted his side deserved to win that day, and whether he is right or not the outcome only serves as further proof of how far the Catalan’s side have come.
Last season’s lapses, at both ends of the pitch, are by now a thing of the past
They are past the point of proving themselves to anybody, at least as far as the league is concerned; they are 19 points clear at the top of the table. They may have invested plenty of money to help catch Chelsea up yet Guardiola’s work on the training field has been evident all season. It certainly was on Sunday.
They barely let Chelsea breathe when in possession, and when they won it back they knocked it around probing patiently for openings. Their structure ensured there were few opportunities for the kind of costly counter-attacks of last season.
Quite simply, Chelsea’s players often looked like strangers. City’s look like they’ve been doing this for years, and the fear for the rest is that they will succeed where Chelsea have failed and do it, consistently, for years to come.

BARCELONA
The Barcelona midfielder was forced off with a hamstring injury against Atletico Madrid and is a doubt for the upcoming Champions League fixture



Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde admits he is unsure of how best to replace the injured Andres Iniesta in his starting XI.
Iniesta is a doubt for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Chelsea on March 14 after sustaining a hamstring problem in the 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
The 33-year-old attempted to play through the injury before he eventually made way for Andre Gomes in the 36th minute.
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And, with Philippe Coutinho ineligible for European competition, Chelsea's visit to Camp Nou could require Barca to repair two key components from the team that started on Sunday.
"He cannot be matched, like Messi. You cannot replace a unique player like him," Valverde said of his captain.
"We are going to wait to see the scan of the injury. It looked like a muscle tear, but we will hope that it is not so serious.
"He knows how to manage himself. He was having a great game."
[INJURY NEWS] @andresiniesta8 has a hamstring injury in his right leg. More tests are needed to find out the extent of the problem #BarçaAtleti
2,293 703 people are talking about this FC Barcelona
@FCBarcelona
Iniesta's early withdrawal against second-placed Atleti was ultimately softened by a victory that improved Barca's lead in La Liga to eight points with 11 matches remaining.
Lionel Messi netted the winner with a sublime first-half free-kick, his 600th career goal for club and country.
"There is no player like Messi in the world," Valverde said.
"I do not know what would have happened if he was playing for Atletico. I don’t want to imagine it, either." 'He can't be replaced' - Iniesta injury leaves Valverde worried ahead of Chelsea tieThe Barcelona midfielder was forced off with a hamstring injury against Atletico Madrid and is a doubt for the upcoming Champions League fixture
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde admits he is unsure of how best to replace the injured Andres Iniesta in his starting XI.
Iniesta is a doubt for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Chelsea on March 14 after sustaining a hamstring problem in the 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
The 33-year-old attempted to play through the injury before he eventually made way for Andre Gomes in the 36th minute.

And, with Philippe Coutinho ineligible for European competition, Chelsea's visit to Camp Nou could require Barca to repair two key components from the team that started on Sunday.
"He cannot be matched, like Messi. You cannot replace a unique player like him," Valverde said of his captain.
"We are going to wait to see the scan of the injury. It looked like a muscle tear, but we will hope that it is not so serious.
"He knows how to manage himself. He was having a great game."



Iniesta's early withdrawal against second-placed Atleti was ultimately softened by a victory that improved Barca's lead in La Liga to eight points with 11 matches remaining.
Lionel Messi netted the winner with a sublime first-half free-kick, his 600th career goal for club and country.
"There is no player like Messi in the world," Valverde said.
"I do not know what would have happened if he was playing for Atletico. I don’t want to imagine it, either.

MALAWI

KARONGA-Malani Mtonga has praised President Peter Mutharika in Parliament saying he was a “God-sent leader” who his visionary to develop Malawi beyond recognition despite taking the reigns of power from Joyce Banda at a challenging time when Malawi had lost donors confidence due to cash gate and the floods that hit the nation resulting in drought.
“Let me thank God for giving us leaders in Malawi at such times like this. The President, you as the Speaker of this House from Karonga Nyungwe and the Chief Justice Nyirenda from Usisya, taking these high offices of leadership is something that people of Karonga also appreciate. They do appreciate because you are visionary leaders. It is very important to note that you are not there on your own but it was the finger of God that pointed you. When God’s finger is upon you, no man, no devil and no hell can remove you,” said Mtonga who is also a preacher and former religious adviser to late president Bingu wa Mutharika.



Mtonga cited the Holy Bible that “where there is no vision, people perish,” saying President Mutharika had a vision o ensure food security when he said that no one is going to die of hunger in Malawi.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in this House, we stood and said we should sell maize outside the country. It was an element of lack of vision that we were showing by asking the State President to sell maize outside because by now, we could have been in problems,” he said.
Mtonga said Mutharika’s visionary leadership had that foresight to see that at such a time like this, Malawi will need maize.



“Those with vision are people who put the nation like Malawi first unlike those without the vision who put their own needs and interest first. We see the President putting Malawi first because we have seen a number of things that are happening,” he said.
But Mtonga’s statement attracted point of order from Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua (PP) who asked why Church and Bible issues are being discussed instead of Mid-Term Budget Review Statement.
And Lilongwe North East MP Maxwell Thyolera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP)also asked if it is in order for Mtonga to “ insinuate that telling people to grow enough maize, keep some for consumption and sell the surplus is lack of vision?”



He said : “ This is so because even our extension workers tell farmers to grow more maize and keep enough for consumption and sell the surplus. The same applies to a country when it has enough food and the surplus is sold to other countries. Is that lack of vision? “
But Speaker Richard Msowoya said he is not a development economist and that Mtonga could be speaking “from the point of view of his professional upbringing. I would not argue.”
Continuing with his remarks, Mtonga said without vision one cannot see that the construction projects like Nkhata Bay Road, Rumphi-Hewe Road, and the Njakwa-Livingstonia.

MALAWI

Menard Kaunda Sabela.
He is a Malawian national staying in South Africa.
It is alleged that he has defrauded many Malawians through fake air tickets before his 40th day knocked his hiding door down.
It is further said that he was pretending to be a travel consultant issuing air tickets for various airlines. When one buys the air ticket from him, he/she was bouncing at the check-in. After defrauding his clients, he was becoming inaccessible to them.
He was mostly targeting Malawians.
The Malawi Police recieved complaints from many people. They created a hook: They approached him as clients. They ordered several air tickets worth millions of Kwachas. Due to heavy amounts of cash involved, the 'clients' demanded that he should come to Malawi for proper transactions. He agreed and flew to Malawi to deliver the 'tickets'.
On the date of his arrival to Malawi, he proudly wrote on his Facebook timeline as follows: "Game kuiponyera patali. Udolo".
Little did he know that his clients were the ones who actually rendered the game to depth.
He checked in at Sunbird Capital Hotel where the police found and arrested him. He was denied police bail and is currently at Maula Prison awaiting trial.

SOUTH AFRICA


BUSHBUCKRIDGE – A 36 year-old woman was allegedly raped after she stopped her car to help someone she thought was in trouble. According to Brig Leonard Hlathi, the incident took place on Wednesday at around 17:30 on the road between Lydenburg and Bushbuckridge.
“The woman was driving home when a half-naked lady emerged from the bushes and waved her down acting like she needed help. First the woman drove on, then decided to drive back and help the lady. As soon as she stopped her vehicle the half naked lady vanished and a man came out of the bushes wearing a balaclava. He pointed a firearm at her.”
He got into the vehicle next to her and instructed her to drive towards Injaka dam. They stopped the vehicle in a remote area. The man then contacted his friend who joined them. “The woman tried to escape but the suspect fired a shot. Then he forced her to undress and him and his accomplice took turns raping her.”
They further robbed the woman of an undisclosed amount of money, a cellphone and other belongings, then fled the scene in a green Volkswagen Citi Golf.
No one has been arrested as yet and police are on the lookout for the suspects including the lady who appeared to be asking for assistance.
Lt Gen Mondli Zuma urged motorists to be wary of people who seek help along the road.
Anyone with information that could lead to their arrest is urged to call Constable Dolly Marule at 072 969 1985 or the SAPS Crime Stop number 08600 10111.

Mourinho suggests Martial is short on chances LONDON, England - Jose Mourinho says Anthony Martial will be given the opportunity to rescue his Manchester United career but suggested time is running out for the French forward. Martial has struggled to sustain form since Mourinho’s arrival at Old Trafford and the 21-year-old has not even been included as a substitute in United’s last two outings. Martial was signed from Monaco by previous manager Louis van Gaal for £36m last summer. He was United’s top-scorer last season, with 17 goals from 49 appearances but his progress has slowed during this campaign. He has scored six goals from 23 outings under Mourinho and there is speculation the France international will be allowed to leave at the right price. After edging past Hull to reach the EFL Cup final on Thursday, United face Championship club Wigan at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round. The Red Devils then face Hull again in the Premier League on Wednesday. When asked how Martial had reacted to being left out of his most recent squad, Mourinho said: “I don’t know. I don’t speak with the players about how they take it. “He will play Sunday and, if Sunday he plays magnificent, he will play against Hull City the next match. It’s simple.” United’s run to the EFL Cup final, combined with involvement in the Europa League means they are the only Premier League club still involved in four competitions and Mourinho has already begun to grumble about possible fixture congestion in this second half of the season. Yet Mourinho fielded arguably his strongest team in both semi-final legs against Hull and says he will resist the temptation to rotate heavily against Wigan. Luke Shaw, the England defender, will be involved, as will Sergio Romero, while first-choice goalkeeper David De Gea is given a break. “The challenge is the next match and the next match is the FA Cup,” Mourinho said. “Second match for us in the FA Cup and we are going to do… in a serious way too. “We know the difficulty to play against a Championship team. We played already Wigan in pre- season. They will bring lots of fans too, so the match is going to be difficult. “We have to play with a very good team. The only player who is out is De Gea, I give him a few days off. I play Romero. I put Joel (Pereira) on the bench and, apart from that, I go with a good team because we want to try to beat them. “It will be a tough match. I will make some changes, that’s obvious. I have to. We play Hull City again two days after Wigan. But I’m going to play with a good team, a team with the responsibility to give the fans a good performance at home and with the responsibility to try to win against Wigan.” The visit of Wigan, who are 21st in the Championship, will bring a familiar face back to Old Trafford. They are managed by Warren Joyce, who was part of United’s coaching staff from 2008 until departing for the DW Stadium in November last year. “He knows us, he will come with special motivation to play against his old club,” Mourinho said. “I worked with him just for a few months but that was enough to know he’s a very nice man, a very passionate football man. He took the risk, he accepted the challenge. “He left a good situation in our club to try to go what we call ‘men’s football’ and, for sure, he will come with a team that’s very aggressive, well organised defensively, emotional – the manager is also emotional.”

Three senior officials of State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) have pocketed K53 million in allowances and accommodation just to cancel maize procurement deals. Admarc chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe on Friday told a parliamenatary inquiry that the three; Admarc chairman James Masumbu, Admarc deputy CEO Margaret Mauwa and Admarc director of Finance Henry Kanjewe, are in the US to cancel the already clinched maize deal. “They will meet the maize dealers from the Americas who have travelled to the US. They want to tell them Malawi will not buy the maize because the harvest time is just around the corner,” said Mulumbe. Admarc, has recently been under the spotlight for the alleged maize procurement scandal. Mulumbe told the inquiry that the government has suspended the procurement of maize because there is enough grain to take the country through the lean period. The parliamentary inquiry was set up to probe how Mulumbe and Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda procured maize from. Zambia after reports of suspicious dealings with middleman Kaloswe. Mulumbe appeared before the inquiry, the second time but Chaponda was no show on Friday. .CSO’s condemnation Members of the civil society organisations have reacted angrily to the decision by government to send an Admarc delegation to the US, saying they could have waited for the outcome of the commission of inquiry on maizegate to conclude its investigations in the procurement of the Zambia maize. Civil Society on Agriculture Network (Cisanet) executive director Tamani Nkhono Mvula said the trip was questionable. “Why are they going to US when the inquiries are going on?” said Mvula. He said government should have used Malawi mission in the US. “I don’t see any reason why the government should spend money on allowances and travel for the three when our embassy can do the job,” he said, adding, “this is a waste of money.” Mulumbe, who is on forced leave, told a parliamentary inquiry on the procurement of the Zambia maize that the state grain trader has 106 million metric tonnes of maize bought locally last year and can take the nation up to the next harvest season in March. National Food Reserve Agency CEO Nasimuko Saukira also said the grain reserves have 100 million metric tonnes which he said can take the nation up to March and beyond.

D DAVID BECKHAM DESERT ISLAND DISCS David Beckham recalls velvet knickerbocker outfit on Desert Island Discs David Beckham and Kirsty Young CREDIT: SOPHIE MUTEVELIAN/ BBC By Press Association 28 JANUARY 2017 • 3:04AM avid Beckham has recalled one of his early fashion moments in the 75th anniversary edition of Desert Island Discs. The former England footballer, 41, was picked as the castaway for the landmark edition of the Radio 4 series, hosted by Kirsty Young. In a clip released ahead of the broadcast, Beckham - whose fashion choices have included nail varnish, a sarong and a braided hairstyle - discusses his love of clothes. Talking about being a page boy at a wedding, at the age of six, he says: "I had two options, just a normal suit or the option of burgundy, velvet knickerbockers with white tights and white ballet shoes, and I chose that, believe it or not. "I felt great. My dad looked at me as if to say, 'really, is that what you picked?"' Asked if he ever wore thue ensemble again, Beckham, who is married to Spice Girl turned fashion designer Victoria, says: "I think I did," to which Young jokes: "Not to football training, I hope!" Beckham adds: "I'm sure my mum has got that outfit at home." The anniversary episode of Desert Island Discs will reintroduce sounds of the sea during the opening and closing of the programme, for the first time since the 1960s. Young has previously described Beckham as a "fascinating guest to welcome on to my little interview island". The show is on BBC Radio 4 at 11.15am on Sunday