South Africa
Court clears president of graft allegations
JOHANNESBURG — A South African court has cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa of allegations that he misled parliament about the funding of his campaign to become leader of the ruling African National Congress party.
Ramaphosa had been accused by the country’s public watchdog of misleading lawmakers about a $34,000 contribution from the CEO of a local company, Africa Global Operations, formerly known as Bosasa.
The company has been implicated in a state probe into allegations of corruption in government and state-owned enterprises during former President Jacob Zuma’s tenure from 2009 to 2018.
Upside-down house keeps turning heads
HARTEBEESTPOORT — With its roof on the ground and its floor in the air, an upside-down house is attracting tourists who want to see the world from different perspective.
People are also reading…
Located near Hartebeestpoort, about 47 miles north of Johannesburg, the house is inverted on the outside and inside.
Visitors take pictures of themselves in rooms that have sofas and chairs hanging from the “floor.”
The kitchen is also upside down, with appliances appearing to defy gravity.
China
Mom, son survive 52 hours in rubble
BEIJING — A 10-year-old boy and his mother have been rescued 52 hours after being trapped in the collapse of a virus quarantine site in southeastern China where 20 people have died.
Video released by rescuers showed the two being pulled from the debris of the hotel that collapsed Saturday.
The woman and boy were discovered late Monday night, and they were freed around midnight after three hours of painstaking digging.
Ethiopia
Outpouring of grief on crash anniversary
TULUFERA — Grim-faced, visibly grief-stricken and some crying, hundreds of family members gathered Tuesday for a memorial service at the site where one year ago an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed into the rocky ground, killing all 157 on board.
The area of the disaster, about 40 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, the capital, was closed to the media as buses brought relatives of the victims to the commemoration, sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing, the maker of the jet.
Wire reports
