Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

South Africa’s ex-president Zuma’s trial resumes

SOUTH AFRICA’S former president Jacob Zuma’s long-running graft trial resumed on Monday (19).

Zuma testified from jail as the proceeding was conducted online to avoid more of the deadly unrest.


Unrest erupted in KwaZulu-Natal a day later Zuma started his 15-month jail term on July 8. Thereafter, it covered the economic hub of Johannesburg. Rioting and ransacking have claimed more than 200 lives in the country.

The total bill could reach 50 billion rand (£2.5bn), according to consultancy Intellidex.

Zuma, 79, faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering related to the 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and equipment from five European arms firms when he was deputy president.

He is also accused of taking bribes from the French defence giant Thales, which has been charged with corruption and money laundering.

The trial started in May after numerous postponements and delays. He had proclaimed his innocence in May

On June 29, Zuma was sentenced for failing to appear at the corruption inquiry led by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo in February.

The unrest, which fell back over the weekend, was widely seen as at least partially in response to Zuma's imprisonment.

The trial is resuming virtually to avoid more "disruption", the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) told AFP, although other court cases are also being heard online due to the pandemic.

More For You

McDonald's-UK-Getty

General view of a McDonald's restaurant on Market Street on July 20, 2023 in Manchester. (Photo: Getty Images)

McDonald's UK faces harassment lawsuit from over 700 young workers

MORE than 700 young workers have filed a lawsuit against McDonald's UK, alleging harassment, law firm Leigh Day announced on Tuesday.

The claims follow a 2023 media investigation that exposed widespread issues within the company.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK-snow-Getty

A car is driven along the snow-covered Woodhead pass between Woodhead and Homlfirth, in the Peak District in northern England on January 7. (Photo: Getty Images)

Record cold expected as flood warnings persist

THE COUNTRY is experiencing a spell of wintry weather, with temperatures expected to drop significantly over the next two days, potentially reaching as low as -20 degrees Celsius in some areas.

The BBC reported that weather forecasters predict the coldest nights of the year, following heavy snowfall over the weekend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sanghera: Enablers let abuse flourish at Harrods and Church
Jasvinder Sanghera (Photo by Jon Bond - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Sanghera: Enablers let abuse flourish at Harrods and Church

A PROMINENT British Asian campaigner against forced marriages and abuse, has spoken out about her recent work tackling two major British institutional abuse cases, while reflecting on her own journey from surviving honour abuse to becoming a national advocate for victims.

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who currently serves as an independent advocate for nearly 300 people who have accused former Harrods owner Mohamed Fayed of abuse, says the department store case reveals a pattern of enablers.

Keep ReadingShow less
india-us-nuclear-talks

India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in Delhi. (Photo: ANI)

India, US advance talks on civil nuclear cooperation

THE UNITED STATES is finalising steps to clear hurdles for civil nuclear partnership with Indian firms, US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, said on Monday (6), seeking to give fresh momentum to a landmark deal between the two countries.

Washington and New Delhi have been discussing the supply of US nuclear reactors to energy-hungry India since the mid-2000s.

Keep ReadingShow less
tulip-siddiq-city-minister
Tulip Siddiq

Tulip Siddiq self-refers to ethics watchdog over property claims

TREASURY minister Tulip Siddiq has asked the prime minister's ethics watchdog to examine claims about her use of two London flats, amid growing questions about property arrangements linked to her family's connections in Bangladesh.

The minister, who oversees anti-corruption efforts in Britain's financial sector, has stepped back from a planned China visit to assist with the inquiry.

Keep ReadingShow less