South Africa

Pretoria - Over one million new potential voters have registered to vote in the 18 May local government elections.

Ekurhuleni - President Jacob Zuma has officially launched the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) which aims to advance the economic development of young people.

Pretoria - Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu says the South African mining industry is open for business.

Pretoria - Youth from all corners of the country are to be encouraged to actively engage in the government's programmes and policies through the Sanlam-GCIS SoNa National School debate.

Cape Town - Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has called on the National Skills Fund (NSF) not to spend millions of rands funding service providers who give youth worthless short-term course certificates which don't help them find jobs.

Pretoria - Johannesburg residents with long-standing queries on their billing accounts are to receive substantial discounts, if they meet certain requirements.

Pretoria - The Department of Health hopes to increase the percentage of adults who have had an HIV test from 25 percent to 35 percent this year.

Johannesburg - The Gauteng Department of Health on Monday urged communities possibly affected by meningitis not to panic.

Pretoria – International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has sent condolences to the families of the soldiers who were killed in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Giyani - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi has witnessed the signing of an agreement that will see the Giyani local municipality in Limpopo using tribal land to develop the area.

Mbombela - Plans are in full swing to filter down to local level the monitoring and performance evaluation model government has instituted at national level.

Pretoria - The reports of five task teams, established by government to look into the effects of the global economic crisis on certain sectors in South Africa, will be released at the end of the month.

Pretoria - Delegates at Gauteng's Investor Conference have described the province as a compelling automotive investment destination.

Pretoria - The South African Agulhas will on Thursday depart for a 14-day voyage to Marion Island and back, for the official opening of the Marion Island Research Base.

Pretoria - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has called on taxpayers and practitioners to comment and give feedback on the draft versions of all income tax forms for the 2009 Tax Season.