Trump’s warning to Iran reflects mounting tension over stalled talks
News of his discussions with national security officials, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has coincided with a social media post from US President Donald Trump warning: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Widespread speculation in Israel is that the weekend conversation between Trump and Netanyahu before an Israeli security cabinet meeting to discuss Iran, Lebanon and Gaza, points to the Iran war resuming in the absence of signs of compromise. Iranian media meanwhile reported the US had failed to make any concrete concessions in its response to Tehran’s latest proposals to end the conflict, which included an immediate end to the war on all fronts (incorporating Israeli attacks against Iran-supported Hezbollah in Lebanon), a halt to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, compensation for war damage and Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said yesterday that Washington had set five conditions in response to Tehran’s proposal, which reportedly included a demand that Iran keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US. Trump suggested on Friday that he would accept a 20-year suspension by Iran of its nuclear programme in what reports said appeared to be confirmation of a shift in position away from a demand for a total end to it.
Ebola outbreak in DRC declared health emergency of international concern
The declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) comes after some 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths have been reported in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province. The WHO said the outbreak did not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, but warned that it could potentially be “a much larger outbreak” than had been detected and reported thus far, with significant risk of local and regional spread. The health agency said the current strain of Ebola was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there were no approved drugs or vaccines.
HRC investigates Gauteng’s “ongoing water crisis”
The Human Rights Commission has invited government, municipalities, water entities, organisations, experts and communities to make presentations this week on the continuing water crisis in Gauteng. The SAHRC said the investigation was prompted by numerous complaints it had received “about persistent and widespread water shortages, recurring disruptions in service delivery, ageing infrastructure, failures in government and the deteriorating reliability of water supply systems”. The Commission was concerned that the “ongoing water crisis has severely impacted communities across the province, especially poor and marginalized communities, residents of informal settlements, schools, healthcare facilities and social institutions”.
Transnet bid to cut procurement costs meets resistance from black business
Black business groups have challenged Transnet’s plan to slash procurement costs by side-stepping intermediaries and engaging directly with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This comes as Transnet seeks to test the interest of OEMs in supplying it with rails as part of its refurbishment of the network ahead of providing third-party access to 11 companies to operate on its rail network. Guma, owned by businessperson Robert Gumede, has said the effect of Transnet’s mandate is that the rails tender would be confined to six foreign manufacturers in China, Austria, Japan, Spain, France and the UK. Guma’s urgent interdict to stop the tender process is supported by the Black Business Council (BBC), which has applied to join the matter as a friend of the court. BBC CEO Kganki Matabane said South Africa could not claim to support re-industrialisation and transformation while its state-owned enterprises issued billion-rand tenders that excluded local businesses.
Iran increasingly using death penalty to silence dissent, rights groups fear
The UN’s Human Rights Office has warned the death penalty is increasingly being used to silence political dissent in Iran, pointing out that while some executions are announced publicly, it fears others are happening in secret. According to Amnesty International, Iran carried out 2,159 executions last year, the highest number since 1989. The UN fears that the figure this year could be even higher. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network warned that Tehran’s increased use of the death penalty was part of the regime’s attempt to restore authority after being challenged by the January uprising and the war. The BBC notes that Iranian authorities did not respond to its request for comment on claims of the increased use of the death penalty.
Sources: BBC, News24, Business Day, Netwerk24