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SANDF DEPLOYMENT: SAPS failure to fight crime is shameful, say MPs as army deployment nears
Parliament has heard that the SANDF deployment to fight gangsterism and illegal mining will last one year, but MPs lamented that the police had failed so badly that the army needed to be called in to fight crime.

Goodbye gatekeepers: Capitec is redrawing South Africa’s homeownership map
Home means something deeply personal to every South African: dignity, safety and legacy. But for many, owning one has felt out of reach.

Brewdog founder admits ‘many mistakes’ as hundreds lose jobs in sale
James Watt apologises to staff and investors after hundreds of jobs were lost with the sale of the brewer and pub chain.
Submarine attack on Iranian ship off Sri Lanka leaves at least 101 people missing, sources say
A submarine attack on an Iranian ship off the coast of Sri Lanka has left at least 101 people missing, one dead and 78 injured, sources in Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry told Reuters on Wednesday.
Discounts cut into Woolies’ profit
Retailer says promotional activity squeezed margins even as sales increased

Between Meetings with Sowetan | Your daily lunchtime read
Three stories to read while you munch
Spain’s Sanchez doubles down on stance against US-Israeli attack on Iran despite Trump’s threats
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday doubled down on his opposition to the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel, warning that the conflict risked triggering a major global disaster.
Russia says US attacked Iran on false pretext, condemns call for Iranians to seize power
Russia accused the United States on Wednesday of using an imaginary threat from Iran as a pretext to overthrow its constitutional order, and said Washington’s calls for Iranians to seize power from their leaders were cynical and inhumane.

Runners to be given prize money after being led off course
Three athletes who were led off course when leading the US half marathon championship will receive compensation after ultimately finishing well outside the top three.
Mojtaba Khamenei, seen as possible next Supreme Leader, has survived attacks on Iran, sources say
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, has survived the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in which his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, two Iranian sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
News24 | Netanyahu walks Trump through Iran war, despite different goals, amid shadow of elections
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered on a career-long ambition to topple Iran’s leadership, but his lockstep alignment with US President Donald Trump faces a test as their joint military campaign threatens to drag on, with its goals potentially shifting in the coming weeks.

Scotland needs new approach to deal with feral pigs, report says
Researchers say there are “tensions” around whether they are a pest or should be left to roam free.

Joburg to blacklist developers after deadly Ormonde building collapse
A preventable oversight failure led to nine deaths in Ormonde in the south of Johannesburg, the city said as it announced the crackdown on unlawful developments

One South African company taking over the UK
Discovery’s UK business has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with its shared value model proving highly attractive in Great Britain.

South Africa will mediate in Middle East conflict if asked: Ramaphosa
South Africa is willing to play a mediating role in the Middle East conflict if asked, President Cyril Ramaphosa told local media on the sidelines of an energy conference in Cape Town.
CHAOS THEORY: Boks, France lead Test charge as rugby embraces era of the contest
With more of the leading teams investing in the aerial contest, the Springboks are under pressure to stay ahead of the tactical curve in what will be an especially competitive Test season.
News24 | Traders start positioning for South African rate hike this month
Interest rate traders moved to price in a chance of a South African interest rate hike later this month as the Iran conflict pushed oil prices higher, reviving concerns about inflation.
News24 | Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, is alive and favoured to succeed him as Iran leader
Mojtaba Khamenei, the powerful son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is alive and favoured to emerge as his father’s successor, two Iranian sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

South Africans Abroad: Rulani’s MC Alger lose to Ramovic’s CRB
Sead Ramovic got the better of Rulani Mokwena as CR Belouizdad beat MC Alger in the quarterfinals of the Algerian Cup.