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The 2010 Soccer World Cup will be a "monumental flop" if South Africa does nothing to counter international perceptions that the country is a criminal haven, Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi warned on Friday.
"South Africa, unfortunately, is perceived in many parts of the world as a criminal haven. A walk down London's Regent Street or Sydney's Oxford Street will, sadly, provide ample anecdotal evidence to support this perception," he said in his weekly message.
Once a perception was cast, it could prove almost impossible to shift.
The 2010 World Cup was expected to attract 450,000 visitors to South Africa.
"But if prospective international visitors judge our country not safe enough to travel to, the event could turn out to be a monumental flop, and any economic gains hoped for will vanish into thin air."
Buthelezi said it was totally unacceptable that tens of thousands of rapists, murderers, paedophiles, vehicle hijackers, drug dealers and thieves, as well as national and international criminal syndicates, "strike every hour and everyday in South Africa -- usually with impunity".
The country's criminal justice system was on the verge of collapse.
"The government's inability to identify, combat, isolate and successfully prosecute and incarcerate criminals is a national disgrace."
However, the reason for this was not because government was soft on crime, despite perceptions to that effect.
"The problem is... that in many ways the South African state is weak and ineffective. The fight against crime is another reason why we must win the political argument that the decentralised state is more effective than the unitary state in delivering essential services.
"Policing in South Africa, for example, remains highly centralised, while countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Germany, have a multiplicity of policing agencies at the national, state and local levels.
"The recent appalling crime statistics illustrate that the highly centralised system of policing much favoured by the ANC alliance is an abject failure.
"Policing must be decentralised as a matter of urgency with a new and competent leadership," he said.
Buthelezi noted it would be necessary to identify and remove "unhealthy, unfit, semi-literate police officers untrained in detective work and forensics" from the SA Police Service.
He said crime was sometimes "glamorised" in the country's townships.
"This culture must be condemned and citizens must accept the truth of the saying that 'he who profits from crime, commits it'. The purchase of stolen goods, for instance, must be seen for what it is: a crime."
Buthelezi also called for tax rebates for the many South Africans who had been forced to pay private security firms to safeguard their homes and families.
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Labels: 2010 Soccer - South Africa

Pearlie Joubert -

David Polovin, chairperson of the Green Point Common Association, and his committee represent probably the wealthiest ratepayers in Cape Town -- covering the Atlantic Seaboard suburbs of Green Point, Mouille Point, Seapoint, Fresnay, Bantry Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay.
Polovin and his 10-member volunteer committee took on the City of Cape Town, provincial government and the national government in an attempt to stop them from building a stadium for the 2010 Soccer World Cup on the Green Point Common. Although it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to stop construction of this massive stadium, Polovin seems philosophical about losing the war. “As long as we win the battle to have a green space… ” he told the Mail & Guardian.

Polovin says that, he is not, as many critics suggest, against the residents of the predominately poor, black, soccer-loving township and Cape Flats moving into this mainly white and affluent Atlantic Seaboard area in order to attend soccer games.

“For us the issue is that we don’t need this big stadium -- even low-cost housing on part of the Green Point Common will make more financial and socio-economic sense than building a 68 000-seater stadium,” Polovin said. “And most importantly: we don’t want to lose the last remaining piece of open green space in town.”

Polovin said he became involved in the Green Point Stadium saga after moving down from Johannesburg. “A couple of years ago, we moved down to Cape Town and living here is like living in a different country. I met people who were involved in their neighbourhood and I started off by offering my legal services and skills to the rate payers’ association for free.”
“When Greenpoint became an option for building this massive stadium, ratepayers called meetings and we all screamed and shouted against the stadium -- including me. I said: ‘Not a sod will be turned’ and the next thing we formed the Green Point Common Association and I received personal threats and my life changed.”

Polovin will not lie down in front of the bulldozers. Although he remains convinced -- after a year-and-a-half of fighting the powers that be -- that building a new stadium at Green Point makes no environmental or financial sense, he also doesn’t believe in depriving Cape Town of hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup games. “We’ve asked very senior legal people to advise us on whether it’s worthwhile trying to stop the stadium from being built at this stage. We will make a decision within the next week and if we’re advised that we can’t stop the stadium from being built, I will make the best of the situation by trying to keep at least part of this land as an urban park. I also don’t want the biggest pyrrhic victory in history.”

Polovin and his committee are adamant that once the Green Point Common is turned into parking lots and sport stadia, the land will be lost forever. “There is no other land in Cape Town available. We don’t value our green spaces -- at the moment Green Point Common is fenced and vagrants live there and the public can’t use the space optimally because there is no money to develop it. But to cover the biggest part of it with concrete is a terrible idea.”

Polovin rejects the claim that he represents “a small, privileged, white DA constituency who wants to maintain the status quo of the Atlantic Seaboard… We challenged the premier to hold a referendum -- this stadium is also not going to benefit the black and coloured people living in shacks by providing them with sustainable employment or houses. The ratepayers will pay for this stadium and the poor are going to be affected directly. I passionately believe that building this stadium on the Green Point Common is simply making a very expensive and wrong decision,” he said.

Aritcle from http://www.mg.co.za/

Labels: 2010 Soccer - South Africa

Las Vegas - Porn makers at the world's largest sex trade show in Las Vegas were taking a page from internet superstars such as YouTube by tapping into the power of social networking.

Fresh young start-ups at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo weren't just saucy women in scanty outfits; they were fledgling internet companies putting erotic spins on YouTube, MySpace and reality television show websites.

A pornographic version of MySpace called xpeeps.com went online in a beta test format eight months ago, said spokesperson Daniel Fairchild.

It has proven a success and the finished version will go live this week, he said.

Like its mainstream role model, xpeeps has chat rooms, forums and even job listings for people with adult entertainment in mind, said Fairchild.

"Xpeeps is a porn MySpace," Fairchild told AFP.

"Take out the drama; take out the children and add sex and you have xpeeps. It's cool for adults, obviously."

The website is an online community for porn industry professionals, amateurs, and fans.

'We opened it up'

The North Carolina company also launched a "porn version of YouTube" called PornoTube six months ago, said Fairchild.

PornoTube has rocketed into the top 20 websites when it comes to the number of online visitors, according to statistics from industry research firm Alexis.

"YouTube turned off anything naked," said Fairchild. "We opened it up."

Relaxx Entertainment recruited young women from MySpace to be in a "MySpace Invaders" interactive porn CD that also links viewers to the performers' pages on the popular social website.

"We invaded MySpace to do it, thus the title," said Tom Ashley of two-year-old Relaxx.

"It took a while for the girls to think it was real. They get this kind of stuff all the time."

The 20 women in the video were paid from $150 to $500, depending on what they did on camera, said Ashley.

The CD will be sold internationally via the internet beginning in two weeks, he added.

A trio of estate agents turned online reality porn entrepreneurs founded the company Wink and got their website going just two days before the start of the expo.

Cashing in on exploding market

"The property market went soft so we went for something hard," said Wink co-founder Brian Kavanagh.

"It's a site where girls troll around, pick up guys, throw them on a bed and take care of business."

The men and women pictured in the streaming video are people who were found on the internet and hired by Wink for performances, said a co-founder who went by the name "Mr N."

"We try for an amateur reality kind of thing," Mr N told AFP.

Wink charges a monthly subscription and was expanding into selling "porn clothes for porn people" online, said Kavanagh.

Shirtless men with chiselled frames encouraged promised attendees that scintillating male action video was streamed in broadband glory at www.NakedSword.com.

MovieMonster and U-Rent were among the array of websites peddling online sales or rentals of adult videos, and a service that mailed people porn-movie DVDs rented online dubbed itself "the NetFlix of porn".

PPV Networks used the opening day of the expo to unveil a new platform for pay-per-view video-on-demand (VOD) websites to cash in on the exploding market.

"The trend is to online distribution and VOD," said a representative from adult VOD website firm Yappo.com. "The brick-and-mortar stores are out of it."


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South Africa's economic confidence soared in December on forecasts of a firmer rand currency, tamer inflation and continuing solid expansion.

A survey of 15 economists released on Thursday showed the Reuters econometer, a confidence measure of six weighted indicators, rose to 263,74 in December -- its highest level since May last year -- from 249,9 in November.

The December rise entrenches a turnaround in November that ended eight consecutive monthly declines, and comes in spite of interest-rate hikes in Africa's biggest economy.

South Africa's central bank has raised its key repo rate by 200 basis points to 9% in four stages from June 2006. Economists are divided on whether rates will rise again in February.

Lower-than-expected inflation data and signs consumers may be heeding warnings to curb spending have raised hopes rates may not have to rise again, although record credit growth remains a serious concern.

Official data put CPIX inflation, targeted by the central bank, unchanged at 5% year-on-year in November, below forecasts of a 5,2% rise. Factory gate inflation was also below predictions, unchanged at 10%.

Economists cut the consensus forecast for average CPIX inflation to 5,26% in 2007 and 4,81% in 2008 -- down from 5,54% and 4,91% in the previous survey -- partly due to lower oil prices.

"The assumption on oil was generally speaking a bit high and with oil prices coming down substantially, economists will be cutting their forecasts," Vunani economist Johan Rossouw said.

Lower international crude prices, which have dropped by almost 30% since peaking in July last year, could ease pressure on domestic inflation, which the central bank sees briefly breaching the 3% to 6% target range in the first half of this year.

Firmer rand
High consumer spending remains a risk, with private sector credit growing 26,77% in November, near October's all-time high, although new vehicle and retail sales have tapered off.

Economists are also more bullish on the rand, forecasting the currency at 7,53 per dollar for 2007 and 7,83 in 2008, firmer than the 7,78 and 8,02 respectively in the November poll.

The rand clawed back some of its losses against the dollar in 2006, ending the year about 9% weaker at 6,97/dlr, after tumbling to a three-and-a-quarter year low of 7,98 in October.

But it has lost ground in 2007, trading about 5% softer so far this year.

A weaker currency is a boon for exporters and should help to cut a current-account deficit estimated at 5,2% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2006, while a stronger rand will aid the fight against rising inflation.

Predictions for economic growth were stable, after data for the third quarter of last year showed the economy growing at just less than 5% quarter-on-quarter, shrugging off higher rates.

Economists forecast growth of 4,33% for 2007 and 4,62% in 2008, little changed from the previous survey.

A planned government infrastructure drive over the next few years and ahead of South Africa's hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup should continue to drive growth.

"What is going to make a significant impact in this cycle is the R410-billion in capital expenditure. It is going to prop up the cycle quite nicely," Rossouw said.

Predictions for the repo rate were also steady at about 9% at the end of 2007, and 8% at the end of 2008. -- Reuters

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Christo Buchner, Beeld

Johannesburg - Maintaining their momentum after the series victory over India is the task the South African cricket team will face when the first of three Test matches against Pakistan starts in Centurion on Thursday.

Proteas coach Mickey Arthur believes the most-important part of his team's preparations lies in the mental approach.

"That is why we did not make the guys practise too hard today," said Arthur on Wednesday.

"The bowlers sent down only 10 or 12 balls each. As soon as they felt their rhythm was right, they stopped.

"The batsmen, also, did not spend much time in the nets.

"To come back (from 1-0 down) against India took a lot out of the players. It is important that they now save their energy for the Tests against Pakistan," he said.

"Pakistan will be a stiff test. They have a well-balanced team and a better attack than India.

"We will have to shake them early and hard to get them on the back foot."

Up to top six batsmen

The South Africans, sixth on the list of the top teams in the world, set themselves a goal of beating both India and Pakistan.

The job against India, rated the world's fourth-best team, has been completed. Now, they take on third-ranked Pakistan.

Arthur revealed that one of his goals in the three-Test series against Pakistan was to see his six top batsmen score well.

"We have to return to the days when we put our opponents under pressure by making big scores.

"Hashim Amla will certainly bat at No 3 again. He looked good in Cape Town and I feel he deserves another chance in that position. We won't easily change the present top-six order."

Arthur said the pitch felt moist and on the soft side on Wednesday. He expected it to be a little slow on the first day, but to provide more pace as it dried out in the sun.

'Pitch should be our ally'

"We are in the fortunate position that we now have five players who can bowl faster than 140km/h. We are also working hard on the bowling combinations.

"The pace and bounce in the pitch should be our ally," said Arthur.

"In Cape Town, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis generated reverse swing and that is something we should employ more often."

Fast bowler André Nel showed no signs on Wednesday of the foot injury that made him miss the third Test against India.

However, Arthur said Morné Morkel would remain with the team as a precautionary measure until a final decision about Nel's fitness was taken.

Top-order batsman Jacques Rudolph has been released from the SA squad to play for the Eagles in the SuperSport competition.

Blow to the ribs

SA captain Graeme Smith did not attend the media briefing on Wednesday. He took a blow to the ribs in Cape Town, but Arthur gave the assurance that the opener would play.

Dale Steyn, who still has thigh problems, will not be considered.

However, it seems certain that left-arm spinner Paul Harris will play on his home ground after his convincing debut in Cape Town.

Arthur sees Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria as a threat, but believes the touring team's top order may be vulnerable.

"We'll have to strike early so we can get among batsmen such as Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq while the ball is still new."

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said the absence of star batsman Muhammad Yousuf was a major blow.

"He made 200 runs in nearly every Test last year and we'll have to get someone else to do it now," he said.

"The top six will have to make their contributions without Yousuf, but fortunately Younis Khan and Inzamam are back."

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will arrive in South Africa only after the start of the first Test and will be considered only for the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

The teams:

South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (c), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Paul Harris, André Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Andrew Hall and Morné Morkel.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Fahrat, Yazeer Hameed, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq (c), Faizel Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami and Rana Naved.

Start: 10:30.

TV: On SuperSport 2 and SS 7 from 10:00 and from 10:20 on SABC 3.

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By CLARE NULLIS
Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Major Ndaba dons his wild cat skin hat, stands by his "lucky charm" baboon skeleton and poses for the cameras of visitors intent on experiencing a South Africa far removed from game reserves and glistening beaches.

Ndaba's dark herbalist store, crammed with tree bark, animal horns and dozens of different powders and potions which he claims will treat everything from AIDS to infertility to flu, is a regular attraction on tours into the sprawling settlements set up by the old apartheid government which are still home to the majority of the population.

Township tourism, which has increased hugely in popularity since South Africa's multiracial elections of 1994, is now a multimillion dollar business.

Soweto, the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle, is Johannesburg's top tourist attraction, according to local authorities. Tours pass by Nelson Mandela's first home, that of his former wife Winnie Madikezela Mandela and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, as well as monuments to fallen heroes of the struggle against racism.

Even in Cape Town, which lacks the historical significance of Soweto, about 25 percent of foreign visitors trawl the dusty streets of the wind-swept Cape Flats.

Cape Town's tourist office estimates that nearly 320,000 foreign visitors went on a township tour last year; more than 80 percent of its 250 licensed tour operators offer such "cultural experiences."

There are no reliable figures on the economic impact of the tours, which cost on average $40 for a half-day visit and more for overnight stays in basic but clean houses or shacks.

City officials are anxious to encourage the tours, especially in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. The benefits trickle down to the poorest of the poor, with schools and child-care centers funded by some of the profits and donations.

"Township tours spread the tourism dividend to the townships. We are simply never going to unlock the huge potential of this city and province if we confine it to Table Mountain and the Waterfront," said the incoming head of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Sheryl Ozinsky, in a recent newspaper editorial.

But there have been some bad incidents. In November, a group of Germans was robbed by armed thugs as they visited a school in Langa, and a Dutch group was attacked outside a restaurant there. A year ago, German tour operators on a fact-finding visit were robbed in the Khayelitsha township.

The negative headlines caused a dip in visitors but - officials insist - are the exception.

Many tour operators also now stick to one easily policed route rather than taking visitors through densely populated shack areas, and have stopped evening visits to shebeens, or taverns, according to Khanyiso Kenqa of Cape Capers.

Kenqa, who lives in Langa, insists that visitors are safe because the community wants the tours, and thieves who prey on visitors risk the wrath of "street committees."

Many tours begin in the District Six Museum - testimony of the brutal clearance of nonwhites from their vibrant, downtown multiracial community and their removal, according to color, to the Cape Flats townships.

Apartheid authorities used the "pencil test" to determine the color. If it stuck in a person's hair, he or she was classed as black. If it slipped through, they were mixed race and had more privileges, Kenqa tells a stunned German couple.

In Langa, visitors are invariably invited to see a vibrant local school and one of the hostels that housed men who worked in Cape Town and were separated from their families in rural areas by apartheid's policies.

A dorm where three men once lived is currently home to an extended family of 10 - an indication of contemporary housing shortages.

But Pumeza Cakasajo said she didn't mind the invasion of strangers into the tiny room. "It's a good experience for people to come here and we know the community benefits at the end of the day," said the 26-year-old as others in her family continued watching the small crackly television as if oblivious to the intrusion.

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South Africa
South Africa has been hailed as a World In One Country. It does indeed possess some of the most awesome scenery, diverse wildlife and the richest mixes of culture found in Africa today. Setting standards for conservation, South Africa's national parks in the Mpumalanga and coastal areas offer visitors the chance to experience phenomenal wildlife and contrasting scenery. Weather it's a leopard scouting for an impala or a turtle laying hundreds of eggs on a deserted beach in Kwa Zulu Natal, there are many memorable exoperiences to be had. South Africa is also a country bursting with charm, sophistication and history. Just stroll down the golden beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton or relax on a vineyards verandah sipping crisp Chardonnay and enjoying a delicious meal.

South Africa is a holiday destination for all!!

South Africa's weather & climate
A subtropical location, moderated by ocean on three sides of the country and the altitude of the interior plateau, account for the warm temperate conditions so typical of South Africa - and so popular with its foreign visitors.

South Africa is famous for its sunshine. It's a relatively dry country, with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm (compared to a world average of about 860mm). While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region. At the same time, temperatures in South Africa tend to be lower than in other countries at similar latitutes - such as Australia - due mainly to greater elevation above sea level.

On the interior plateau the altitude - Johannesburg lies at 1 694 metres - keeps the average summer temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, for the same reason, night-time temperatures can drop to freezing point, in some places lower. South Africa's coastal regions are therefore warmest in winter. There is, however, a striking contrast between temperatures on the country's east and west coasts, due respectively to the warm Agulhas and cold Benguela Currents that sweep the coastlines. Being in the southern hemisphere, our seasons stand in opposition to those of Europe and North America, so, yes - we spend Christmas on the beach.

Summer
Over much of South Africa, summer (mid-October to mid-February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather - often with afternoon thunderstorms that clear quickly, leaving a warm, earthy, uniquely African smell in the air. The Western Cape, with its Mediterranean climate, is the exception, getting its rain in winter.

Autumn
Autumn (fall) in South Africa (mid-February to April) offers in some ways the best weather. Very little rain falls over the whole country, and it is warm but not too hot, getting colder as the season progresses. In Cape Town, autumn is fantastic, with hot sunny days and warm, balmy nights which many people spend at outdoor cafés.

Winter
Winter in South Africa (May to July) is characterised in the higher-lying areas of the interior plateau by dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights. So it's a good idea to bring warm clothes. The hot, humid KwaZulu-Natal coast, as well as the Lowveld (lower-lying areas) of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, offer fantastic winter weather with sunny, warmish days and virtually no wind or rain. The Western Cape gets most of its rain in winter, with quite a few days of cloudy, rainy weather. However, these are always interspersed with wonderful days to rival the best of a British summer. The high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal usually get snow in winter.

Spring
Nowhere in South Africa is spring (August to mid-October) more spectacular than in the Cape provinces. Here the grey winter is forgotten as thousands of small, otherwise insignificant plants cover the plains in an iridescent carpet of flowers. The journey to see the flowers of the Namaqualand in the Western and Northern Cape is an annual pilgrimage for many South Africans.

Best time of the year to travel?
That depends on what you want to do. The flowers are obviously best in August and September. The best time for game viewing is late spring (September and October). The southern right whales hang around off our coasts from about mid-June to the end of October.

The diving is best in most of the country outside of summer (ie, from April through September), and so is the surfing - but that certainly doesn't limit either activity to those times. River rafting is better in the Cape at the end of winter, and in KwaZulu-Natal in the height of summer (late November to mid-February). In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, it's less time-dependent.

The "shoulder" seasons - spring and autumn - are best for hiking, as summer can be hot over most of the country. In the Drakensberg, summer thunderstorms are dangerous, while there is a good chance of snow in winter. In the Cape, the winters are wet, so hiking can be a bit hardcore.

If you're a birder, the palaeoarctic migrants arrive around November and the intra-African migrants usually by mid-October. Of course, if you want to lounge around on the beaches, mid-summer is the best time - though everyone else will be there too. And - big bonus - the beaches of northern KwaZulu-Natal are warm and sunny even in midwinter.

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Kimberley - The Rest of South Africa team were 220/4 scored off 68 overs in reply to Pakistan's formidable first-innings total of 485/9 declared, at stumps at De Beers Diamond Oval, here on Sunday.

The not-out batsmen were skipper Morné van Wyk on 70 scored off 134 balls (8x4) and Jacobs with 69 (118 balls, 10x4).

The pre-lunch session highlight was fast bowler Albie Morkel's "fiver".

Undeterred by Pakistan's formidable 401/3 first-day total, Morkel bowling a good line and length at lively pace, first had Younis Khan, who began the day on 74, caught behind for 76 (128b,175b, 7x4).

Faisal Iqbal, who took his overnight 23 to 42, Kamran Akmal, who contributed a brisk six-boundary 33, Umar Gul (0) and Shahid Nazir (4), were subsequently all caught off Morkel who in 11 overs snapped up five wickets for 44 runs.

Gogga flew home to wife

With skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq opting not to bat because of a slight chest infection, the declaration came at the fall of the ninth wicket 10 minutes before the scheduled lunch-break with Pakistan on 485.

Morkel's innings figures were 5/113 in 26 overs.

Paul Adams, who flew back to Cape Town on Saturday night to be with his expectant wife, was replaced at short notice by Diamond Eagles spinner Thandi Tshabalala.

In spite of a stylish six-boundary 29 from J-P Duminy and a solid 25 from Gulam Bodi, the Rest of South Africa team were struggling on 84/4 immediately after the tea-interval.

Had added 136 runs

Left-hander Arno Jacobs joined his captain, Morné van Wyk and, with sensible batting, their fifth wicket partnership blossomed on the batsman-friendly pitch.

By close of play, the pair had added 136 runs in even time.

The most successful of the Pakistani bowlers was the medium-fast Shahid Nazir with 2/33 in 12 accurate overs.

Off-spinner Muhammad Hafeez has figures of 2/61 in 15 overs.


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Beijing - Nearly 10 000 Chinese website operators have lost the use of their .com Internet addresses due to telecom problems caused by last month's earthquake near Taiwan, state media reported on Friday.

The quake, which severed major international telecommunications lines, caused thousands of .com domain names held by Chinese users to vanish from world registries, the Beijing Times reported, citing domain registry sources.

Lingering disruptions to overseas Web connections also have prevented them from accessing the overseas registries to re-register the names.

"So far, a large number of domain names held by businesses have been snatched by overseas investors, causing businesses to suffer losses," the newspaper said. It provided no examples.

Domain names ending in .com or other suffixes provide easily recognisable names for website addresses, which are actually a series of underlying numbers.

Though underlying websites are unaffected, the paper said more than 9 000 domain-holders had lost use of their .com addresses, and the number was expected to grow while the Internet disruptions last.

The undersea quake damaged cables that carry most of the region's telecom traffic, sparking widespread communications disruptions affecting Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and elsewhere.

Knock-on problems occurred as far away as Australia.

Telecommunications firms have sent repair ships to the waters off southern Taiwan, where the 7.1 quake hit on December 26, to repair the damage but have said connections might not be fully restored for weeks.

Access in China to overseas websites was cut off for several days following the quake. Though largely restored, the connections remain slower than normal.


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Moultrie (Georgia) - A search for an elusive criminal came to an unexpected end when the man crashed through a ceiling from his attic refuge and landed near police who had come to arrest him, officials said.

"Normally you have to crawl up there and root them out," said Captain Tommy Rabon, head of the Moultrie police department's criminal investigations division. "But he came out on his own - the hard way."

Officers had gone to a home on Wednesday to arrest Danny Butts, 21, for a probation violation. They became suspicious when the brightly lit interior suddenly went dark.

An occupant said Butts was not there, but officers spotted debris below an attic entrance. While they continued to question the woman, Butts fell through the ceiling onto a bedroom floor.

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Cape Town - Four tourists were trapped for about two hours in pitch darkness inside the Cango Caves, near Outshoorn in the Western Cape, the SABC reported on Sunday.

The four people were separated from the rest of the group and were told by their guide to follow the lights to the exit, a Cape Town resident told the SABC.

When the lights went out, the group were unable to find their way out.

The Cape Town woman could call police using her cellphone.

They were rescued by Cango Caves staff about 1½ hours after the phone call.

Southern Cape police and Cango Caves management were not immediately available for comment.

Meanwhile, rescuers battled for 10 hours on New Year's Day to free an overweight woman who became stuck in a narrow passage in the caves.

She was trapped with 23 other tourists.


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Durban - Police arrested six people and found 46 different types of drugs during a narcotics raid in Durban that also saw the closure of two nightclubs, SABC radio reprts.

The Sunday morning report said that the raid, prompted by complaints from the public, took place in the city centre, Bluff and Wentworth areas.

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Kapalua - Trevor Immelman has set his sights on shooting a closing 65 to give himself a chance of victory at the PGA Tour's season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship.

The 27-year-old South African will go into the final day at the Kapalua Resort three shots behind leader Vijay Singh after firing a one-under-par 72 in Saturday's third round.

"Vijay is such a great player and you don't expect him to go give it away," Immelman told reporters after ending a blustery day on the Hawaiian island of Maui in a tie for second place.

"But, you know, I've come from three behind to win tournaments.

"Hopefully, I can go out there and shoot a low score and see what happens. Vijay is playing well so I would think I need to shoot in the mid-sixties, maybe 65, to have an outside chance."

Immelman, a three-times winner on the European Tour, can feed off happy memories from his maiden PGA Tour victory at last year's Western Open.

He trailed Singh by two shots going into the final round at Cog Hill before clinching the title by sinking a 30-foot breaking putt for birdie at the last hole.

That gave him a closing 67 and a two-shot winning margin over world number one Tiger Woods and Australian Mathew Goggin.

"All I can do is play the best golf I can play tomorrow and see how I shape up at the end," added Immelman, who will start the final round joint-second at eight under with Australia's Adam Scott.

"Three behind, I'll need a special day tomorrow to catch Vijay."

Long regarded as heir apparent to Ernie Els and Retief Goosen as South Africa's top player, Immelman is banking on an improved performance on the greens in the final round.

"I felt like I hit the ball solidly today, so that was pleasing," he said, after recovering from two bogeys in the first four holes with three birdies.

"But most of my shots I hit on the wrong side of the pin and I couldn't have too much of an aggressive putt at it.

"And then the ones that I did leave on the correct side, they all seemed to rub out on me. It was frustrating on the greens but I hung in there."


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Johannesburg - Two South African Airways (SAA) managers and one former manager have been implicated on various charges including attempted rape and sexual harassment for allegedly imposing themselves on subordinates, City Press reported on Sunday.

The incidents allegedly took place in boardrooms, offices, car parks and hotels where team-building sessions were being held, the report read.

SAA spokeswoman Jacqui O'Sullivan confirmed the three cases.

Eric Kumkani, recently suspended as acting general manager of human resources, allegedly forcibly undressed a woman, threw her on a boardroom table at OR Tambo Airport and attempted sex.

A police officer confirmed that a case of attempted rape was being investigated by police at the airport, the paper said.

A case of sexual harassment was opened against Moagi Molebatsi who resigned as SAA general manager of marketing before a disciplinary hearing was heard.

The woman involved has reportedly instructed her attorneys to sue SAA, the article said.

In the third incident Alfred Mahlangu, general manager of flight operations, allegedly forcibly kissed and imposed himself on a cabin crew relationship manager.

A disciplinary hearing will be held on Monday, City Press reported.

In reporting on the case, the Sunday Times quoted the woman saying Mahlangu had made unwelcome advances for nine months and had forced his way into her room at a team-building weekend.


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