Bulls back in charge in global markets as omicron worries wane

LONDON - Waning Omicron COVID-19 variant worries and a timely booster shot of Chinese stimulus lifted world stock markets and oil on Tuesday and left traders offloading safe-haven currencies and bonds again.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index was on track for its first back-to-back run of plus 1 percent gains since February while Asia saw record bounces from some of China's biggest firms such as Alibaba and Baidu.

The risk-on mood also helped the dollar climb against safe haven currencies such as the Japanese yen,, which had lost 0.6 percent overnight, as the confidence-sensitive Australian dollar also found buyers.

Safe-harbour government bonds went the other way with yields - which move inverse to bond prices - up 2.5 percent on Germany's benchmark 10-year Bund after falling to a three-month low on Monday.

Reports in South Africa said Omicron cases there had only shown mild symptoms and the top US infectious disease official, Anthony Fauci, told CNN "it does not look like there's a great degree of severity" so far.

"Good news relating to the severity of Omicron should be taken with a pinch of salt. Faster transmission could offset the benefits of milder symptoms," researchers at ING said in a note. "More broadly, it is still early days, even if markets are starting to display Omicron fatigue."

The gains also came after China's central bank on Monday injected its second shot of stimulus since July by cutting the amount of cash that banks must hold in reserve.

There was still uncertainty about its property sector as Evergrande teetered on the brink of default again but data showing much stronger import growth was "a positive sign on the strength of domestic demand", RBC analyst Adam Cole said.

Elsewhere, Australia's S&P/ASX200 rose 0.95 percent, while Japan's Nikkei advanced 2.1 percent as risk-on sentiment pushed markets higher.

MSCI's main Asia ex-Japan benchmark has lost about 5 percent so far this year, with Hong Kong markets figuring among the big losers, while Indian and Taiwan stocks outperformed.

Shares in embattled developer Evergrande edged up 1.7 percent after hitting a record low on Monday as markets waited to see if the real estate giant has paid $82.5 million with a 30-day grace period coming to an end.

Elsewhere, markets were supported by gains on Wall Street, where economically sensitive stocks outperformed.

"While epidemiologists have rightly warned against premature conclusions on Omicron, markets arguably surmised that last week's brutal sell-off ought to have been milder," Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, said in a note.

"After all, early assessments of Omicron cases have been declared mild, spurring half-full relief."

Also supporting the dollar in FX markets was the expectation the Federal Reserve will accelerate the tapering of its bond-buying programme when it meets next week in response to a tightening labour market.

Oil prices jumped another 2 percent to $74.60 a barrel, adding to a near 5 percent rebound the day before as concerns about the impact of Omicron on global fuel demand eased.

Copper prices also ticked higher while gold was steady at $1,778.5 per ounce on expectations US consumer price data due later this week will show inflation quickening.

(Additional reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Editing by Nick Macfie)

-reuters-

Omicron in Europe before South Africa reported first cases

THE HAGUE - The Omicron coronavirus variant was present in Europe before the first cases were reported in South Africa, new data from the Netherlands showed Tuesday, as Latin America reported its first two cases in Brazil.

In the week since the new virus strain was reported to the World Health Organization by South Africa, dozens of countries around the world have responded with travel restrictions -- most targeting southern African nations.

But the World Health Organization warned Tuesday -- as Canada expanded its restrictions to also include Egypt and Nigeria -- that "blanket" travel bans risked doing more harm than good.

And the likely futility of broad travel restrictions was underscored as Dutch authorities reported that Omicron was present in the country before South Africa officially reported its first cases, on November 25.

The new variant -- whose high number of mutations the WHO believes may make it more transmissible or resistant to vaccines -- was found in two Dutch test samples from November 19 and 23, with one having no travel history.

With countries now on alert for the Omicron variant, a clearer picture is emerging by the day of where it has been circulating, and for how long.

So far, well over a dozen countries and territories have detected cases, including Australia, Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy and Portugal.

Among European countries, Belgium and Germany have both reported cases of the new strain prior to November 25, but both linked to foreign travel.

Latin America reported its first two cases Tuesday -- in people who traveled from South Africa to Brazil -- and a first case was confirmed in Japan, one day after it barred all foreign arrivals.

VACCINE RESISTANT?

While much is still unknown about the Omicron variant -- it could take weeks to determine whether and to what extent it is vaccine-resistant -- it has highlighted that the global fight against Covid-19 is far from over.

Asian, European and US markets all fell on Tuesday, while the benchmark US oil price tumbled more than five percent after the boss of vaccine manufacturer Moderna warned existing jabs might be less effective against the new variant.

"All the scientists I've talked to ... are like 'this is not going to be good'," Moderna boss Stephane Bancel told the Financial Times, warning against a "material drop" in the effectiveness of current jabs against Omicron.

Moderna, US drugmaker Pfizer and the backers of Russian vaccine Sputnik V are already working on an Omicron-specific vaccine.

On the treatment front, meanwhile, a panel of US health experts voted Tuesday to endorse Merck's Covid pill for high-risk adult patients, which is already authorized in Britain.

'HEAVY BURDEN'

In a briefing to WHO member states, the body's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was understandable for countries to seek to protect their citizens "against a variant we don't yet fully understand".

But he called for the global response to be "calm, coordinated and coherent", urging nations to "take rational, proportional risk-reduction measures".

The UN agency cautioned in a travel advisory that "blanket" travel bans risked placing a "heavy burden on lives and livelihoods" and could ultimately dissuade countries from sharing data about the evolving virus -- as South Africa did in reporting the latest variant.

But it did advise that people not fully vaccinated and considered vulnerable to Covid-19, including over-60s, should put off travel to areas with community transmission of the virus -- after correcting a previous statement that indicated all over-60s should defer travel.

TOUGHER MEASURES

Omicron has emerged as much of the world was already bracing for a new winter wave of the pandemic -- leaving even nations with high vaccination rates scrambling to stem infections and prevent health services from being overwhelmed. 

Governments, particularly in western Europe, have already reintroduced mandatory mask-wearing, social-distancing measures, curfews or lockdowns -- leaving businesses fearing another grim Christmas.

In Germany, incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz said parliament would vote on making Covid vaccines compulsory by the end of the year -- and a source from Scholz's party told AFP he had "signaled his sympathy" for such a rule.

Greece went ahead Tuesday in making vaccines compulsory for over-60s, while Norway will offer booster shots to all adults before Easter, as preferable to a lockdown.

Britain meanwhile set a target of delivering third jabs to all adults within two months, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying vaccination centers would be "popping up like Christmas trees."

Agence France-Presse

Philippines, Brazil, Mexico among those due to get Pfizer shots from COVAX in Q2

GENEVA - Some 14.1 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to 47 countries and economies for delivery in the second quarter of this year, the Gavi Vaccine Alliance said on Monday.

Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, and Ukraine are set to be among the main recipients of the Pfizer vaccine between April and June, according to Gavi, which co-leads the COVAX facility with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners.

The COVAX program offers a lifeline to low-income countries in particular, allowing them to inoculate health workers and others at high risk, even if their governments have not managed to secure vaccines from the manufacturers.

Australia, Britain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates are due to receive their first shots via COVAX with the Pfizer doses, which is "based on current knowledge of COVID-19 vaccine supply availability", Gavi said in a statement.

The program delivered nearly 38.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 102 countries across six continents, six weeks after it began to roll out supplies, Gavi said last Thursday.

Deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine to 142 participants under a previously announced round were underway, "with some delays" that may extend deliveries past May, Gavi said on Monday.

Reduced availability delayed some deliveries in March and April, and much of the output of the Serum Institute of India, which makes the AstraZeneca vaccine, is being kept in India, where the number of daily infections is spiraling.

The chief executive of Gavi, Seth Berkley, said last Friday that COVAX aimed to deliver one third of a billion COVID-19 doses by mid-year, on the way to more than 2 billion in 2021.

-reuters-

South Africa coronavirus cases top 500,000: government

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa has now registered more than 500,000 cases of coronavirus, the health ministry announced Saturday, making it by far the hardest-hit country in Africa.

The country has become the epicenter of the deadly pandemic on the continent, accounting for more than half of Africa's diagnosed infections.

"Today, South Africa has exceeded the half-a-million mark with a cumulative total of 503,290 confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded," Heath Minister Zweli Mkhize said in his daily update.

More than a third of positive cases are in Gauteng province -- South Africa's financial hub.

So far, the number of fatalities stands at 8,153, although local researchers have recorded a jump of nearly 60 percent in the overall number of natural deaths in recent weeks, suggesting a far higher toll of coronavirus-related fatalities than officially recorded.

An analysis by the respected South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) suggested an excess of 22,000 natural mortalities between May 6 and July 21 compared to same period in 2019 and 2018. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa said Saturday South Africa's case fatality rate stood at 1.6 percent -- "significantly lower than the global average".

"While South Africa has the fifth highest number of total COVID-19 cases globally, we have only the 36th highest number of deaths as a proportion of the population," said Ramaphosa.

CORRUPTION INVESTIGATIONS

South Africa's case load has been rising rapidly in recent weeks.

Health authorities have been expecting a surge in cases after the gradual loosening of a strict lockdown that was imposed on March 27, during the early stage of the pandemic.

But the recovery rate has so far been a high 68 percent.

South Africa has one of the best health care systems on the continent, but it has been rocked by alleged corruption in the supply of personal protective gear for health workers in public hospitals.

Ramaphosa's spokeswoman Khusela Diko last week took leave pending a probe into her husband's alleged links to unlawful contracts for personal protective equipment.

Diko and her husband have maintained their innocence, saying the contract was never finalized.

The health minister for Gauteng province Bandile Masuke was sent on forced leave this week pending a probe into suspected graft in the purchase of protective equipment and other medical supplies.

"It is unconscionable that there are people who may be using this health crisis to unlawfully enrich themselves," Ramaphosa said in his statement Saturday.

South Africa has embarked on an aggressive testing and tracing exercise, conducting more than three million tests since the first case of the virus was recorded there in early March.

Agence France-Presse

Mandela’s daughter Zindzi dies at 59

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela died on Monday at the age of 59, her family and President Cyril Ramaphosa announced.

Daughter to Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, she was South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark at the time of her death, which coincided with the anniversary of a car crash that claimed the life of his first son, 51 years earlier.

“Ambassador Mandela passed away in the early hours of today, 13 July 2020, in a Johannesburg hospital,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

The cause of her death was not immediately revealed.

She had been designated to become South Africa’s envoy to Liberia after her stint in Copenhagen, which started in 2015.

The Mandela family released a brief statement announcing her death, which said she was survived by her children and grandchildren.


Zindzi was born and raised in Soweto and grew up while her father was incarcerated by the apartheid regime for 27 years.

Like her parents, she was involved in the liberation struggle and was an active member of the African National Congress (ANC) youth movement.

One of her most prominent moments was in 1985 when she read out — in front of a huge crowd of ANC supporters at a Soweto stadium — a letter in which her father rejected an offer of release from the then apartheid president, P.W. Botha.

At the time Botha had offered to free Mandela from prison on condition he renounced the anti-apartheid violence and protests.

‘Steadfastness’
That letter, which she read dressed in yellow and black — the trademark colours her father had adopted as a statesman — “reinvigorated the values and principles of the struggle”, according to another anti-apartheid icon, retired archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“For the 27 years that Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, his family –- wife… and daughters Zindzi and Zenani –- played a critical role symbolising the humanity and steadfastness of the anti-apartheid struggle,” the Tutu Foundation said in a statement.

Her fiery anti-apartheid stance did not wane with age.

In June last year, Zindzi set off a storm when she tweeted “Dear Apartheid Apologists, your time is over. You will not rule again. We do not fear you. Finally #TheLandIsOurs”.

In another she addressed to some of her Twitter critics as “trembling white cowards” and “thieving rapist descendants” of Jan van Riebeeck, referring to the Dutch colonial administrator who led first white settlers that landed in South Africa in 1652.

Paying tribute to Zindzi’s “unshakeable resolve of our fight for freedom”, Ramaphosa referred to her as “a fearless political activist who was a leader in her own right”.

“Our sadness is compounded by this loss being visited upon us just days before the world marks the birthday of the great Nelson Mandela,” said Ramaphosa.

Mandela died in December 2013 at the age of 95. The anniversary of his birth is on July 18.

Two surviving children
Only two of Mandela’s five adult children survive.

Zenani, 61, is South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina while Makaziwe, 66, is a businesswoman in South Africa.

His eldest child Thembekile was killed at the age of 24 in a car crash on this day — July 13, 1969 — while his father was imprisoned on Robben Island.

His other son, Makgatho Mandela, died of an AIDS-related illness in 2005 at the age of 54.

Both Thembekile and Makgatho were born from Mandela’s first marriage with Evelyn Mase, as was Makaziwe.

Mandela spoke openly about the cause of Makgatho’s death, becoming one of the first public figures to break the taboo around the AIDS epidemic that had engulfed South Africa.

A daughter from Mandela’s first marriage died in 1948, nine months after birth.

Agence France-Presse 

India, US, Brazil, S.Africa: Virus spikes hit big countries hardest

PARIS - India, the United States, Brazil and South Africa are currently experiencing the highest spikes in COVID-19 cases seen since the start of the month.

And the four economic powerhouses are still well off reaching their pandemic peak, experts say.

UNITED STATES

The United States, with 328 million inhabitants, leads the way in the COVID-19 case count, registering more than 50,000 a day since the start of July and more than 140,000 deaths to date -- equivalent to 413 per million population, according to AFP estimates based on official data.

More than 3.5 million US cases have been reported overall and 40 of the 50 states are currently logging rising tolls.

California, the most populous state and the first to implement a lockdown in March, decided Tuesday on a second shutdown to cover bars, indoor restaurants, cinemas, museums and zoos.

Mid-April saw a first peak in cases followed by a leveling-off which then gave way to a new acceleration by mid-June, suggesting the US remains in its first coronavirus wave.

After initially appearing in the northwest and northeast including former epicenter New York, the virus spread to the south, the Midwest and west. Worst-hit states are Texas, Florida, Arizona and California.

As with India, experts say the US response is hampered by its federal governance system whereby state authorities react with a confused patchwork of responses.

President Donald Trump has politicized the science, particularly regarding the wearing of masks, initially suggesting they were a liberal ploy to stoke fear and undermine him.

Although he and his administration have belatedly shifted their stance, states not hit hard initially eased restrictions too quickly, moving to reopen bars and indoor dining, reigniting the spread.

The rate of positive tests remains well above the five percent recommended by WHO guidelines in the worst affected states, suggesting the virus is still out of control.

Administration officials estimate total infections by the end of the year could be 40 million.

BRAZIL

Latin America's largest economy with a population of 209 million led by populist President Jair Bolsonaro has around two million cases or 254 per million and a death toll of 70,000.

Specialists say the true caseload could be understated by as much as a factor of ten and fatalities as much as twofold.

In the Amazonian north indigenous peoples with relatively low immunity are in the firing line as the disease spreads.

But it is Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the southeast which are leading the way with the bulk of cases -- Rio's mortality rate is particularly high at 665 per million inhabitants. 

The spread is turning southwards, however.

"I can't visualize a real leveling off" of the case curve, Domingos Alves, health research coordinator at the Ribeirao Preto faculty of medicine told AFP on July 10.

"The number of contaminations will continue to rise until October-November, with fluctuations," he said.

Having derided the illness as a "little flu" before catching it himself, Bolsonaro has fought state governors' attempts to impose lockdowns.

INDIA

The world's fifth economy with 1.3 billion inhabitants is set to crash through the one million case barrier.

Narendra Modi's government on Tuesday decided to reconfine around a tenth of the population with a new lockdown for 125 million people in northeastern Bihar state until July 31 as well as for 13 million people in the IT hub of Bangalore. 

Although its fatality rate is low -- at 17 per million inhabitants, compared with 663 in the United Kingdom -- India is one of the four countries where the caseload is rising the quickest.

The most affected state is Maharashtra in western India -- home to Bollywood -- with 260,924 cases by mid-July, followed by the southern state of Tamil Nadu with 142,798 cases. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and the capital New Delhi (113,740 cases) account for nearly 90 percent of cases.

Samit Bhattacharyya, an associate professor at the private Shiv Nadar University, says India's contagion has not yet reached its peak.

"From my observation, not yet, not even in a few days. There may be many reasons behind this -- low testing, dubious data, and asymptomatic infections."

He adds: "It seems the epicenter of the infection is changing from one state to another in India. Important reasons are unplanned implementation of lockdown. 

"Peak is yet to come. I expect it by mid-August. Others predict for October, November or December," says T. Jacob John, a leading Indian virologist.

He said "health is not and never has been" a political or even a popular priority.

"Culturally Indians accept all tragedies and death without complaints. Lockdowns had severe economic repercussions and that too will be stoically accepted."

South Africa

Africa's number one economy, population 58 million, has been seeing exponential growth with some 8,000 COVID-19 cases per day -- 500 per hour -- since the start of July, taking the total caseload past 300,000.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday that "the force and the speed with which it has progressed has, quite understandably, caused great concern".

The most affected province is Gauteng -- home to business hub Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria with 107,070 infections to July 14th, accounting for 35.9 percent of national cases.

Next worst affected is Western Cape province, a favourite destination for tourists, which has 80,199 cases or 26.9 percent of cases.

Then comes Eastern Cape with 53,959 cases for an 18.1 percent share.

The southern KwaZulu-Natal province, where South Africa's patient zero was detected, having arrived from Italy on March 5, is next with 30,587 cases or 10 percent.

"We are seeing very fast increases in the number of cases in Johannesburg. We anticipate this will continue for several more weeks before we reach the peak," South Africa's leading epidemiologist and the government's top coronavirus advisor Salim Abdool Karim told AFP.

"Johannesburg is in many ways like New York, it's very dense, highly populated, social distancing is a challenge," he said.

The initial lockdown had a marked impact on the spread of the virus, but Karim said that was never going to be economically sustainable.

"But we needed to be sure we were better prepared when the restrictions were being eased," said Karim, adding testing rates were being hampered by lack of adequate test kits. 

Agence France-Presse

South African pharma could produce 10 million dexamethasone tablets within a month - CEO

JOHANNESBURG - South African drug company Aspen could provide 10 million dexamethasone tablets within a month, Chief Executive Stephen Saad told Reuters on Tuesday.

Results from a trial showed that dexamethasone reduced death rates by about a third compared with a placebo in severely ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients, University of Oxford scientists said last week, calling the discovery a major breakthrough.

"Aspen has looked at the short-term needs and can provide 10 million tablets in the next 3 to 4 weeks. We would look to ramp up further should there be a need for additional product," Saad said without indicating current production volumes.

South Africa's biggest supplier of drugs, with a 22 percent market share in sub-Saharan Africa, manufactures both the injectable and tablet forms of dexamethasone, which is mainly used for treatment of tumors, asthma and other respiratory ailments.

The South African government has contacted Aspen to source the drug not only for its domestic market but also for rest of the continent, the company said on Monday.

The company has asked the government to indicate required volumes across the continent, Saad said. "Once they give us a sense, we can work out the supply," he added.

South Africa's health ministry on Friday said that the government had a stock of 300,000 ampules of dexamethasone and could secure supplies from local suppliers.

Saad said the recent revelation by scientists at the University of Oxford had brought in sudden demand for the drug and the company had received orders from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other bodies.

"We are trying to make sure there is no panic-buying," he said.

-reuters-

Rugby: South Africa use World Cup final scoreline to raise money for feeding scheme

CAPE TOWN - South Africa's World Cup winning squad are using the score from last year's final in Japan to launch a campaign to feed people left destitute by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

A total of 100,000 raffle tickets are being sold at 32.12 South African rand ($1.76) which will pay for food parcels and soup kitchens.

The Springboks beat England 32-12 in last November's final to win the World Cup for a third time and many of their top players have already launched their own initiatives to collect food for the hungry, notably captain Siya Kolisi.

In return, those who buy tickets have a chance to win a host of memorabilia from the tournament donated by the players -- a total of 44 prizes (32 + 12).

"When I made the call for the squad to make donations, they were all in within a matter of hours – boots and all!" said coach Rassie Erasmus.

"We talked a bit last year (during the World Cup) about what pressure was – not having a job, having a family member murdered – and now this pandemic has put millions out of work and left as many struggling every day to put food on the table," he added.

South Africa has enforced one of strictest lockdowns which has taken a heavy toll on the economy, already in recession before COVID-19 struck, and increased daily hardships for millions of poor.

The country has recorded 286 coronavirus deaths, with 16,433 confirmed cases, the health ministry reported on Monday. ($1 = 18.2246 rand) (Editing by Christian Radnedge)

-reuters-

Kin bring corpse to insurance firm to claim burial insurance

JOHANNESBURG - Angered by foot-dragging by an insurance company in paying out for a burial policy, a family in South Africa took matters into their own hands -- they hauled the corpse to the company's offices.

In a video clip that has gone viral on social media, two women can be seen schlepping a blue plastic body bag into an insurance office as stunned clients look on.

After impressing the employees with this unusual act of fact-checking, they leave the premises and helped by several other people drag the bag into the boot of a car.

A man asks them whether their row over the payout has been resolved.

"They've just paid now, that's why we are removing... the body now," a woman can be heard to reply.

The incident took place last Friday at a branch of the Old Mutual insurance company in KwaDukuza, north of the city of Durban.

On Twitter, Old Mutual said there had been an "incident at this branch (which) whilst isolated is regrettable."

"(...) This specific claim had to undergo further assessments," it said.


The news site Times Live said the body was that of Sifiso Mtshali, and the two women were his niece Thandaza Mtshali and her aunt, Ntombenhle Mhlongo.

They had been waiting more than 48 hours for the insurance payout, and in desperation gained the approval of the morgue to take the body to the insurance company to press their claim.

"I saw it fit to take the body to them while they were doing their assessment, because that could have taken months. I saw it best for them to figure out where they put the body, as long as they kept it safe and it didn't rot," said Mtshali.

The government of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday issued a statement of support for the family.

"Over the years this family took a burial policy with the insurance company in order to be able to lay to rest their loved ones with dignity but only to be sent from pillar to post when they were supposed to receive payment for the funeral," it said.

bed/pa/ri/sn/cdw

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Filipino crowned Mr. Gay World 2019

MANILA - John Jeffrey "Janjep" Carlos became the second Filipino and Asian to win the Mr. Gay World crown after winning this year's pageant in South Africa. 

Carlos, who hails from Cavite, bested 21 other candidates in the final round of the pageant in Cape Town, South Africa on May 4 (May 5 in Manila). 

He joins fellow Filipino John Fernandez Raspado took the crown in 2017. 

Carlos succeeded Mr. Gay World 2018 Jordan Bruno, an Australian national, for the crown 

Spain's Francisco Alvarado was crowned 1st runner up, followed by Hungary's Oliver Pusztan (2nd runner up), Thailand's Cjayudhom Samibat (3rd runner up) and Belgium's Nick Van Vooren (4th runner up) 

In his introduction video posted on the Mr Gay World 2019 Youtube channel, Carlos said mental health awareness was one of his main advocacies, particularly the fight against depression. 

"Depression is real, and it has caused the tragic loss of lives. Depression is a real illness that can be treated if properly diagnosed," he said.

"With love and understanding of people undergoing depression, this illness can be transformed into wellness." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

51 killed, 1,000 people displaced by floods in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Devastating floods in South Africa have left 51 dead and forced more than a thousand people from their homes, according to an updated toll issued Wednesday as President Cyril Ramaphosa flew to the deluged region.

Heavy rains have lashed the southeast of the country, tearing down homes and ravaging infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces. 

Speaking to the affected Amanzimtoti community in Durban, after returning from emergency African Union talks in Egypt on the crises in Libya and Sudan, Ramaphosa said "there are more than 1,000 people who are now displaced."

He raised concerns about Free State province north of KwaZulu-Natal, saying that continuing downpours there were causing "risky situations."

The government will set aside emergency funding to help survivors rebuild their lives, Ramaphosa vowed.

Fifty-one people have been confirmed dead so far, although local media have given a toll as high as 54, rising from 33 on Tuesday.

Rescuers on Wednesday continued to comb debris, desperately looking for people feared trapped by landslides.

Emergency responders reported collapsed buildings and flooded roads, blocked sewer lines, and toppled electricity pylons.

For safety reasons, schools and some businesses were shut in the affected areas.

South African military personnel have been dispatched to help rescue and evacuation efforts.

The South African Weather Services warned that more heavy rain and gale force winds were expected, which could threaten low-lying bridges and roads. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Depression is real': Mental health advocate is PH rep to Mr. Gay World 2019

MANILA — Janjep Carlos of Cavite on Sunday was picked as the Philippines' representative to the Mister Gay World 2019, an annual international pageant for gay men.

Carlos beat out 17 other candidates and was named Mister Fahrenheit 2019, giving him the honor to carry the Philippine sash at the Mister Gay World 2019 to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in May.

He secured the judges' nods after baring his advocacy for fighting depression through his #IllnessToWellness campaign.

During the final round of the competition, the remaining three candidates were asked why they should be chosen as the flag bearer to the international pageant, to which Carlos answered:

"I think I am the best representative of the Philippines because I always work hard on all the tasks I am committed with... I will also carry the hope of those people with depression because depression is real."

He said he hopes to make an impact by advocating awareness of mental health issues.

"I will carry my advocacy in the international level. And I hope the global community will support me in my advocacy of #IllnessToWellness," Carlos said.

Aside from the top title, Carlos also bagged the special award for best in swimwear.

The competition's runners up were Kevin Garcia of Cebu and Macky Belen of Rizal.

'He's the most ready'

According to Norman Tinio, a pageant expert and one of the judges, Carlos stood out because he carried an "international appeal" similar to that of John Raspado who won the tilt in 2017.

"He's the most ready... When you choose someone you will send to Mister Gay World, you need someone who's 100 percent ready. Someone with an international appeal. Someone who will not be a wallflower," he said.

"Janjep Carlos has those qualities, hindi yan magiging wallflower pagdating sa South Africa. Lalaban 'yan," the expert added.

With barely a month to prepare for the international pageant, Carlos said the next few weeks will be challenging for him.

"I really need to focus on my diet and workout because we know the competition there is very tight... So it's a big challenge for me," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Rugby: Springboks desperate to avoid being one-match wonders

South Africa want to beat Australia for only the second time in seven Tests Saturday and avoid being labelled one-match wonders after a stunning triumph over New Zealand.

A seesaw season for the Springboks under new coach Johan 'Rassie' Erasmus has brought four wins and four losses with a thrilling 36-34 victory in Wellington this month the highlight.

Before inflicting a rare home defeat on the world champions, the South Africans were lacklustre in away defeats by Argentina and Australia.

Erratic form has left them with little chance of winning the Rugby Championship for the first time as they trail the All Blacks by six points with two rounds remaining.

But home fixtures against Australia in Port Elizabeth, and New Zealand in Pretoria next Saturday, offer South Africa an opportunity to build momentum.

"We do not want to be known as one-match wonders," stressed scrum-half Faf de Klerk ahead of the showdown with struggling Australia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the coastal city.

"All the gloss of defeating the All Blacks in Wellington will disappear if we deliver a mediocre performance at home to the Wallabies and lose.

"Having celebrated the victory in New Zealand, the focus quickly shifted to plotting a victory over the Wallabies." 

De Klerk, who plays for English Premiership club Sale Sharks, was recalled this season after being left out in the cold last year by previous coach Allister Coetzee.

His inconsistent form in seven consecutive starts for the twice former world champions this year has matched that of a team which has ranged between brilliance and mediocrity.

- 'Spoken a lot about consistency' -

"We have spoken a lot about consistency," said De Klerk. "It is not just about winning, but improving our individual performances." 

Erasmus has made four personnel changes -- three injury enforced -- from the Wellington starting line-up for the southern hemisphere championship fifth-round match.

Cheslin Kolbe comes in on the right wing for Jesse Kriel, who switches to centre in place of Lukhanyo Am and partners Andre Esterhuizen, a replacement for Damian de Allende. 

Tendai 'The Beast' Mtawarira wins his 105th cap as loosehead prop with Steven Kitshoff dropping to the bench and Sikhumbuzo Notshe takes over from Warren Whiteley at number eight.

Australia coach Michael Cheika has also made four personnel changes after a 23-19 loss to Argentina in the Gold Coast -- their first home defeat by the Pumas in 35 years.

Losing relegated the Wallabies to a record-low seventh in the world rankings midway through a season in which they have won only two of seven Tests. 

Skipper and flanker Michael Hooper has recovered from an injury and returns to a reshuffled back row with Ned Hanigan also called up and David Pocock switching to number eight. 

Adam Coleman replaces Rory Arnold at lock and tighthead prop Taniela Tupou makes his run-on debut with Allan Alaalatoa relegated to the bench.

Cheika resisted media calls to begin with fly-half Bernard Foley, giving versatile Kurtley Beale a third straight start as playmaker. 

Centre Reece Hodge is upbeat ahead of the first match between the countries in Port Elizabeth since 1963 when South Africa triumphed to draw a four-Test series. 

"They had a great win over the All Blacks but their supporters, like ours, are going to demand consistency."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Obama speech to mark 100 years since Mandela's birth

JOHANNESBURG -- Former US president Barack Obama will deliver a speech to a crowd of 15,000 people in South Africa on Tuesday as the centerpiece of celebrations marking 100 years since Nelson Mandela's birth.

Obama has made relatively few public appearances since leaving the White House in 2017, but he has often credited Mandela for being one of the great inspirations in his life.

He will deliver the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at a cricket stadium in Johannesburg in an address which will urge young people to fight to defend democracy, human rights and peace.

Mandela, who died in 2013, remains a global icon for his long struggle against white-minority apartheid rule and for his message of peace and reconciliation after being freed following 27 years in prison.

Obama met Mandela only briefly in 2005 but gave a eulogy at his funeral saying Mandela "makes me want to be a better man" and hailing him as "the last great liberator of the 20th century".

Tuesday's speech comes on the eve of "Mandela Day" -- his birthday, which is marked around the world every year on July 18.

The "Mandela 100" anniversary has triggered a bout of memories and tributes to the late anti-apartheid leader, as well as a debate over his legacy and South Africa's fate since he stepped down in 1999.

LEGACY THREATENED?

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he would mark the day by donating half his salary to charity to honor "the great sacrifices he made and his tireless commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable."

But F.W. de Klerk, the former president who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993, told AFP: "I'm convinced that President Mandela would be deeply concerned, as I am, about the present state of affairs in South Africa."

"His vision of a reconciled South Africa has become almost non-existent within the (ruling) ANC at the moment," he said.

Before arriving in South Africa, Obama paid a brief visit to Kenya, his father's home country.

He opened a youth center run by his half-sister and visited the home of his step-grandmother in the village of Kogelo, where his father was born and was buried.

Obama will also host a town hall event in Johannesburg on July 18 for 200 young leaders selected from across Africa to attend a five-day training program.

Mandela was imprisoned under apartheid rule in 1962 and only freed in 1990, when he went on to lead the African National Congress party to victory in the first multi-race elections in 1994.

The anniversary includes a string of other events such as a walk in Johannesburg led by Mandela's widow Graca Machel, the release of letters Mandela wrote from his prison cell and the printing of a commemorative banknote.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Moody's keep South Africa's credit rating unchanged

JOHANNESBURG - International credit rating firm Moody's has left South Africa's sovereign debt grading unchanged two notches above junk status, but warned Saturday of a possible future downgrade if reforms to support growth fail to materialize.

Moody's rates Africa's most developed economy as Baa2 -- meaning it is of investment grade for banks -- albeit with a negative outlook.

Instead of the much anticipated formal review of South Africa's credit rating, Moody's issued an updated credit opinion overnight, warning that the negative outlook remained because of political tensions and weak growth.

"The negative outlook on South Africa's Baa2 government bond rating reflects risks related to the implementation of structural reforms aimed at restoring confidence and encouraging investment," it said in a statement released early Saturday.

It added that the country's political scene continued to be "noisy" but that key institutions remained resilient.

One of the credit challenges for South Africa is "protracted political infighting that generates policy uncertainty and impedes structural reforms," it said.

On Friday, another international credit rating firm, Fitch, dropped its outlook for South Africa from stable to negative, citing the country's recent political turmoil under President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma has been engulfed by graft scandals and a power struggle with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, while economic growth has fallen to 0.5 percent and unemployment hit a 13-year high.

Moody's warned that South Africa's rating "would likely be downgraded in the absence of fundamental structural reforms supporting higher and sustainable medium term growth".

It also hinted that a rating upgrade was unlikely.

Standard & Poor's is expected to make its key announcement on South Africa's investment grading on December 2.

Like Fitch, S&P currently has South Africa rated at the lowest investment grade.

A junk rating by S&P could trigger a bond sell-off by foreign investors, as well as hiking Pretoria's borrowing costs.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Brazil held goalless in exciting opener

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil failed to make a winning start despite home advantage, a multi-million dollar strike force and a man advantage as they were held 0-0 by South Africa in their opening soccer match at the Rio Olympics on Thursday.

Brazil, who have never won the Olympic gold, started with a highly rated front three of Neymar, new Manchester City signing Gabriel Jesus, and 19-year-old Gabriel Barbosa, the Santos striker expected to head to Europe in this transfer window.

But the little-known South Africans matched them until they had Mothobi Mvala sent off just before the hour. Brazil pinned their opponents down after that but just could not score.

"That's football," Barbosa said in a TV interview after some fans in the 69,000 crowd had booed the team as they left the field. "Sometimes the ball doesn't go in the net."

Barcelona striker Neymar had two of Brazil's best chances, forcing keeper Itumeleng Khune to make diving saves to thwart two rasping drives from outside the box.

Jesus smacked the ball off the post from two yards out when it looked easier to score, while Barbosa should have done better when he scuffed a shot with only the keeper to beat.

But a big crowd in the National Stadium in Brasilia went home unhappy after the second game of the day ended goalless.

That result was not the only surprise as their great rivals Argentina lost 2-0 to Portugal. It was the South Americans' first Olympics reverse in 13 games. Argentina were unbeaten in winning gold during their last two appearances in 2004 and 2008.

Holders Mexico drew 2-2 with Germany in Salvador, with all four goals coming in the second half.

Later in the day, South Korea put eight goals past debutants Fiji. Ryu Seungwoo got a hat trick in the demolition in Salvador, with seven of the eight goals coming in the second half.

The goals also came in the second half at the same venue earlier in the evening, when Mexico drew 2-2 with Germany.

In Thursday's final match, Nigeria beat Japan 5-4 with Oghenekaro Etebo grabbing four goals.

Earlier on Thursday, Iraq and Denmark kicked the tournament off with a 0-0 draw at a mostly empty National Stadium.

The first goals in the competition came soon after in Rio, where Honduras beat Algeria 3-2 in an enthralling match.

The opening ceremony for the Rio Games takes place on Friday but the men's soccer tournament began 24 hours earlier, a day after the women's soccer teams began their quest for gold. Twelve women's teams are in Brazil, along with 16 men's sides.

The competition is being played in Rio and six other cities.

(Editing by Ed Osmond, Ken Ferris and Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mandela rape-accused grandson in fresh trouble

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A grandson of South African icon Nelson Mandela, who was freed on bail in a child sex case, is being investigated for assaulting a woman, police said Sunday.

"A case of assault has been opened and (the) investigation is ongoing," police spokeswoman Mashadi Selepe said.

Under South African law, a suspect's identity cannot be revealed until the start of the trial.

According to the Sunday Times weekly, the alleged assault took place in the kitchen of Mandela's former home in Johannesburg's posh Houghton area.

The alleged victim was identified as a 39-year-old musician.

The grandson is not allowed to leave the province of Gauteng, of which Johannesburg is capital, until September 16 when the trial is supposed to start.

In the other case, the same grandson is alleged to have raped a 15-year-old girl in a toilet at a popular pub in Johannesburg on August 7.

During the hearing, the suspect's lawyers disputed the victim's age, arguing that she was 16 and that the sex was consensual.

The case is the latest to tarnish the family of the late icon, who died in 2013.

Earlier this year, Mandla Mandela, the eldest of the late statesman's grandsons, was convicted of assaulting a motorist during a road-rage incident. He is appealing his three-year suspended sentence.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Shark attacks surfer live on TV

A video of Australian professional surfer Michael Eugene "Mick" Fanning being attacked by a shark in the middle of a tournament has gone viral online.

Fanning is seen in the video calmly riding his surfboard in the middle of the J-Bay Open competition held in South Africa when a shark came out of nowhere.

The surfer escaped unharmed as rescuers quickly ran onto the scene. Authorities immediately put the competition on hold after the attack.

In an interview after the incident, Fanning said he managed to punch the shark in the head before he started kicking and shouting for help.

Fanning is a triple word champion. He won the 2007, 2009 and 2013 ASP World Tour.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pistorius back in court for pre-sentencing arguments

JOHANNESBURG - Fallen paralympic hero Oscar Pistorius returns to court Monday at the start of his sentencing hearing after he was convicted of culpable homicide in the killing of his girlfriend, with his lawyers set to argue for leniency.

The double-amputee track star last month escaped a murder conviction in a verdict that shocked the country and fuelled criticism of South Africa's legal system.

Kicking off what is expected to be a lengthy sentencing process, the defence team will bring mitigation arguments before Judge Thokozile Masipa in the High Court in Pretoria. Prosecutors will follow by arguing for aggravating circumstances.

The process is expected to last up to four days, with Masipa then likely adjourning court and announcing her sentencing decision at a later date.

The "Blade Runner" could face as much as 15 years in one of South Africa's notoriously brutal prisons or could dodge a jail term altogether with a non-custodial sentence after being foundd guilty on the equivalent of a manslaughter charge, but not guilty of premeditated murder.

The court will begin by hearing defence witnesses testify on why Pistorius should not serve time behind bars.

They are likely to argue that the country's prisons are not suited for his disability and that the 2012 London Paralympics silver medallist is a first time offender.

Lawyer David Dadic said the defence will "heavily expand on their trial argument regarding Oscar's remorsefulness" in killing his girlfriend of Reeva Steenkamp.

"The biggest factor, however, which the defence will raise is, of course, the fact that Oscar is a first time offender," he added.

In turn, the state will call witnesses to testify on why he should serve the stiffest penalty, raising the issue of his history of negligence with firearms.

After the sentence is handed down, both the state and defence can appeal, a legal process likely to drag out for years.

In September, Judge Masipa ruled the 27-year-old did not knowingly shoot to kill 29-year-old model and law graduate Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.

The sprinter admitted he fired four hollow point bullets through a locked toilet door in his upmarket Pretoria home, but said he believed he had been shooting at a burglar.

Masipa's ruling outraged many South Africans, including lawyers who believed she misinterpreted the definition of murder and questioned whether the justice system is failing the crime-plagued country.

Pistorius is currently out on bail of one million rand ($90,000). He had to sell his posh house inside a gated compound in Pretoria, the scene of the crime, to fund the cost of the trial, and has withdrawn from competitive sport since his arrest.

The trial which began on March 3 was broadcast live on television and radio, feeding insatiable local and international media interest.

The athlete cut a lonely figure in the dock, at some pointa sobbing and retching loudly while testifying.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Made in Lesotho' sushi, anyone?

KATSE DAM, Lesotho - The idea of Japanese consumers eating sushi exported from a tiny African country with no coastline may sound improbable, but the kingdom of Lesotho is pulling it off.

Hatched in the boardroom of South African bullion producer Gold Fields, a project called Highlands Trout is now exporting 2,000 tonnes of rainbow trout a year, mainly to Japanese supermarket chain CGC.

It is even by-passing Tsukiji, Tokyo's massive wholesale fish market - usually the first destination for fish imported to Japan - to sell the trout directly to the retail market in a country where consumer standards for sushi are the highest.

"We managed to bypass Tsukiji because of the quality of the trout and the relationship we built and the approach we took and so we went straight into retail," said project manager Stuart Slabbert.

"Made in Africa sushi" is a new twist in the African/Asian trade story, offering hope that a poor, land-locked country can tap its natural resources to produce and export a high-value product to discerning consumers.

It also highlights the limits of global trade as the jobs created in rural Lesotho, while welcome, cannot compensate for the loss of jobs for migrant labour in South Africa's mines, long the mainstay of Lesotho's economy.

A mountainous country, completely encircled by South Africa, Lesotho supplies water to its much bigger neighbour.

Peering down at the blue waters of the Katse Dam from Lesotho's green mountains, one thinks of the fjords of Chile or Norway, top fish farming nations famed for their pink salmon.

The Japanese market is always on the lookout for sushi alternatives as global wild tuna populations decline.

In this regard, the Japanese appetite for Lesotho trout is not unlike China's hunger for African resources, including farmland to help feed a population growing in size and wealth.

Slabbert says Highlands Trout, which has been exporting to Japan since late 2012, now hopes to expand its annual output of 2,000 tonnes as Lesotho's trout-handling capacity - between Katse, another dam and one in the works - is expected to reach 10,000 tonnes a year.

By way of contrast, South Africa, with its massive coastline along two oceans, has an aquaculture industry that produces around 4,000 to 4,500 tonnes per year.

TROUT OR TUNA?

A Gold Fields' task team hit upon the idea of farming trout in Lesotho in around 2007 as part of a South African government scheme to support development in countries that supply migrant labour to South Africa.

In the 1970s, around 70 percent of Lesotho households had men working as migrants in South Africa, the vast majority of them underground.

But South Africa's gold industry, which has produced a third of the bullion ever mined, is in a state of steep decline as costs soar and shafts plunge deeper to extract the ore, while other sectors such as platinum are in deep trouble because of low prices and labour unrest.

Over the past two decades the industry has shed tens of thousands of jobs, many from Lesotho.

So the 100 jobs created by Highlands Trout, now owned by two South Africa-based companies - Advance Africa Management Services and Pure Ocean Aquaculture - since Gold Fields sold its interest some time ago, are certainly a boon for the area.

But the kingdom's economy, mostly based on subsistence farming and the export of water to South Africa, needs to generate many more - perhaps by tapping its natural advantages such as its raw beauty to encourage more tourism.

Off a winding paved road built two decades ago to haul cement to build the wall of the Katse Dam, the outlying villages that lie along dirt tracks are poor but not gut-wrenchingly destitute, with subsistence farming of maize and the raising of cattle and sheep the visible lifebloods of the local economy.

At Highlands Trout, the fish are raised in floating cages and fed on special pellets imported from France.

Grown to an optimal size of 2.5 to 2.8 kgs, the fish are essentially "fresh frozen" as within an hour of being scooped from the water and cleaned, they are put in a blast freezer - the start of a roughly month-long journey to Japan.

There is no futures market for trout but the global price of the product fluctuates with that of fishmeal, Slabbert said.

"The average is about $5 a kilogramme. We get the upside of that, we are getting the highest price globally from our Japanese client," he said.

In another improbable twist to the tale, this "pink gold" - rainbow trout - is native to the Pacific Rim of North America and Russia, far closer to Japan than the highlands of Lesotho.

The species' adaptability makes it the ideal farmed trout, and it has been introduced to at least 45 countries and every continent except Antarctica.

But Lesotho is one of few places with the clean and cold water conditions needed to produce a quality that makes the cut in Japan.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com