A Vietnamese court jailed a prominent social commentator for five years on Wednesday for anti-state activities, his lawyer and state media said, among dozens of activists that rights groups say are being persecuted for criticising the government.

A group of top scientific minds in the country have lashed out at government’s draft regulations on the management of Covid-19 and other notifiable medical conditions.

The president commended government's response, saying it had helped contain the pandemic and equip the nation's health system.

Fom April, social grants will be paid from the second day of the month.

The Taliban on Wednesday backtracked on its announcement that high schools would open for girls, saying they would remain closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law for them to reopen.

"The protest will cause a lower availability of drivers which will lead to longer waiting times and higher ride fares due to the surge," said Bolt.

Tourism authorities are buoyed by President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that the PCR test requirement will be scrapped for travellers to SA from Wednesday, saying it will boost the industry ahead of the Easter holidays.

AfriForum said the donation was "unlawful and shameful".

Renowned Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu bought a pistol, which she kept in a safe, more than two decades ago to protect herself from crime.

Apple worked to get popular services such as Apple Music, the App Store and podcasts back online Tuesday after suffering outages for the second day in a row.

Little of Africa's wastewater is treated, water for drinking and hand-washing is scarce for hundreds of millions of people, and water-related disasters like flooding are on the rise, particularly in West Africa.

E-hailing drivers on Tuesday said their industry has become tainted by unscrupulous criminals who easily enter their platforms because of weak vetting systems.

Will you still wear a mask outdoors?

The tourism ministry has welcomed government’s decision to scrap PCR tests for people visiting the country.

A large tornado ripped through New Orleans on Tuesday, killing at least one person, destroying homes and knocking down power lines, media reported, in another setback for area that has yet to fully recover from last year's Hurricane Ida.

Next time you take a ‘selfie’ with your smart phone you may have to flash a broader smile just in case it’s needed later in a crisis.

AfriForum's private prosecution unit has expressed concern that there may be a conflict of interest between the lawyer appointed to represent four of the men accused of killing footballer Senzo Meyiwa, and his brother, Sifiso.

Experts believe an annual Covid-19 vaccination would be preferable to more frequent booster shots to fight the pandemic.

The department of home affairs says it is using an online system for asylum and refugee management which minimises the possibility of corruption and limits officials’ contact with clients.

Ukraine live updates

Hundreds of e-hailing operators parked their vehicles on Tuesday when they embarked on a three-day “apps off” nationwide strike as drivers called for their demands to be met, including the regulation of the industry by government.

The city of Tshwane on Tuesday said it had served about 19 employees based at the Mayville Depot with letters of 'intention to terminate their services' for their continued involvement in illegal strikes.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern at the low number of youths who have taken the Covid-19 vaccine.

A change in regulations governing the wearing of masks will take effect from Wednesday, meaning that a mask is not required when one is outdoors.

Two teachers from Lekgalong Primary School in Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1 were killed on Monday.

Almost two years after the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in SA, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday said the country was ready and better prepared for what lay ahead.

The Gauteng health department says it is working hard to reduce the postmortem backlog.

A Western Cape rapist and murderer who was caught after he returned to the bar where he met his victim was on Tuesday sentenced to a life term plus 10 years behind bars.

AfriForum on Tuesday obtained an interdict preventing the department of international relations and co-operation from making a R50m donation to Cuba.

E-hailing operators in Durban called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to compel transport minister Fikile Mbalula to address their grievances.