International
S.Africa presidency spokeswoman redeployed after PPE graft probe
AFP
The ex-spokeswoman of South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, on leave since July 2020 over alleged links to unlawful coronavirus contracts, has been given a warning and redeployed to a different post, the presidency said Tuesday.
Khusela Diko was under investigation following media reports claiming a company owned by her late husband was irregularly awarded a multimillion-rand contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals last year.
Both had denied wrongdoing.
South Africa’s presidency on Tuesday said it had finalised a “disciplinary process” against Diko “for her failure to disclose her interests in certain companies”.
Diko “has been served with a written warning for this offence”, it said in a statement, adding that she would return “to a different position in the public service”.
The allegations surrounding Diko and her husband were among the first in a flurry of coronavirus-linked scandals that surfaced in South Africa last year.
Public outrage over the reports pushed Ramaphosa to step up his fight against rampant graft, one of his key electoral promises.
Diko, who is currently on maternity leave, was married to a chief of the AmaBhaca kingdom, Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko.
He unexpectedly succumbed to a short illness in February.
International
Delta Airlines cancels 1,100 flights amid winter storm chaos
More than 3,000 flights were canceled on Friday, and thousands more were delayed due to a winter storm in the southern United States, according to airlines and the flight tracking website FlightAware. Delta Airlines crews expect to return to normal operations on Saturday, the company stated in a release.
“Unforeseen severe winter conditions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Georgia) caused the closure of all five runways for more than two hours on Friday morning,” the airline said. Delta canceled about 1,100 flights across its network on Friday due to the “freezing rain that fell throughout the day and early afternoon, leading to diversions.”
Additionally, a Delta Airlines aircraft had to abort its takeoff due to a motor issue, also at Atlanta Airport.
More than 200 passengers and crew members aboard a Boeing 757-300 bound for Minneapolis were evacuated via emergency slides, according to a statement from the airline reported by U.S. media. An investigation is underway.
Airports in Dallas Fort Worth (Texas) and Charlotte Douglas (North Carolina) were also affected by the severe weather, with over 1,200 flights canceled.
International
At least 20 injured in tram collision at Strasbourg Train Station tunnel
On Saturday afternoon, two trams collided in the tunnel leading to the Strasbourg train station in northeastern France, resulting in at least 20 injuries, according to the local prefecture. “The initial assessment indicates that 20 people are in a state of relative emergency,” said a spokesperson, noting that the circumstances of the accident had not yet been determined.
A security perimeter was established in front of the station, where several ambulances arrived, as reported by an AFP journalist.
A video taken by a witness and shared on social media shows a chaotic scene, with two heavily damaged trams in the tunnel near the station. One of the trams appears to have derailed due to the impact.
Since Strasbourg revamped its tram network in 1994, no major accidents had been reported until this incident.
International
Judge declares Donald Trump not guilty in Stormy Daniels case
Judge Juan Merchan acquitted U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the case involving former porn actress Stormy Daniels.
“At this moment, I am issuing this verdict to cover all 34 charges,” Merchan stated. The judge also wished Trump good luck in his second term as president.
Trump will now become the first criminal president.
Merchan declined to impose any punishment. This decision strengthens Trump’s acquittal and clears the way for his return to the White House without the threat of prison or a fine.
“Never before has this court faced such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Judge Merchan said.
Delta Airlines cancels 1,100 flights amid winter storm chaos
At least 20 injured in tram collision at Strasbourg Train Station tunnel
Judge declares Donald Trump not guilty in Stormy Daniels case
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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