Newsbreak

Promoting responsible behavior changes among the youth is the way South Africa can get to zero HIV AIDS infections. This is why the University of KwaZulu-Natal will host the Candle Light memorial today. The international solidarity event will spread awareness by remembering those who've lost their lives to the disease. This is hoped to encourage efforts to minimise the spread of the virus. In this...

The death of Indian nurse, Aruna Shanbaug, who had been in a coma for 42 years, has reignited the debate on euthanasia in the world's largest democracy. Shanbaug went into a coma after she was brutally raped. For decades, she was cared for by fellow nurses, and more recently, India's Supreme Court rejected an appeal to end her suffering. Newsbreak's corrrespondent Rana Senn has the details....

Forget Dancing Queen and I will Survive for karaoke classics: Durban is ready belt out Kya Hoowa Thera Vaadha and Chinna Chinna Ah Say! The first ever Indian Karaoke Night will take place tomorrow night at Hashtag in Durban - challenging Indian music fans to share their passion live on stage. Spokesperson for the event Neolin Govindsamy told Newsbreak's Taresh Harreeparshad that proceeds for the e...

The only way to ensure that future generations know about the majestic rhino, is by saving young calves amid increasing instances of poaching. This is according to co-founder of the Rhino Orphanage Pete Richardson. The specialist rhino-calf centre in Limpopo was established three years ago and takes care of baby rhinos that lost their mothers due to poaching. Richardson told Newsbreak's Taresh Har...

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Twenty-one years since the end of apartheid. Twenty-one years since the first democratic elections took place. Twenty-one years later…and while we have come a long way in promoting and protecting basic human rights, we must never forget the lessons of the past or history is doomed to repeat itself. These are the sentiments of Bonita Bennett, the Director of District Six Museum in honour of today w...

The relationship between Development and labor in Richards Bay is critical to the ensuring the expansion of the city. This emerged during Newsbreak Talk at the weekend. Broadcasting from Richards Bay, The team took a closer look at the large scale Port Expansion and infrastructure development being spearheaded by the Richards bay Industrial Development Zone to make the region the preferred destina...

Six people have been confirmed dead after a fire spread through the Emanyaleni informal settlement at Chatsworth in the early hours of Saturday morning. According to Ward Councillor Brandon Pillay, a case of arson is being investigated after it's alleged that someone had used petrol to start the fire. Pillay has called on members of the Chatsworth community to help with relief aid as 20 families h...

Statistics in the International Transport Forum's 2013 Road Safety Annual Report shows that South Africa experiences 32 accidents per 100 000 people per year, and that the fatality rate has increased by 64% over the past ten years. Furthermore, the economic impact is a staggering R307 billion a year - representing between 8% and 10% of the country's GDP. Human error is the main contributing factor...

One of the oldest temple in the country, The Shree Mariammen Temple at Mount Edgecombe, north of Durban has now expanded on-line. An official launch for the temple website will be held tomorrow at the temple premises. According to Dr Pravin Naidoo, what is special to this site, is the linkages to manthra's that will be available in the five Hindu languages. This interview by Newsbreak's Prabashini...

At the beginning of this month, the world came to a standstill to witness a sporting spectacular. It was dubbed the "Fight of the Century" - world title boxing match between two of the sports greatest sons, American Floyd Mayweather Junior. and Filipino Manny Pacquiao. But, the bout failed miserably in living up to expectations with some experts claiming "it was the fight that killed the sport of...

The lack of boxing promoters and a general lack of interest from the public eye are just some of the reasons why the sport has been on the sidelines in recent times. But there are a select few who aim to change this perception, people such a boxing trainer John Marigadu. The retired fighter now spends his time teaching and training young Chatsworth talent to excel in the sport - and he does it gra...

In his first interview as a retired man after decades of serving his country, eighty year old Satyandranath Maharaj - thats Mac Maharaj - appeared calm, rested yet as assertive as ever. This Freedom Fighter as he prefers to be called, has been a member the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe and its National Executive Committee. Maharaj was also the first Minister of Transport after the dawn of Dem...

South Africa's private healthcare industry continues to be a highly lucrative sector for medical schemes. However, specialized procedures and a lack of skilled staff have created major backlogs when dealings with Orthopedic surgery. Newsbreak's Muhammad Sheik investigates the delays in claims affecting orthopedic patients ...

Coffee drinking culture is brewing in KwaZulu-Natal so much so that that a major coffee festival is being held in the province for the first time. The Coffee and Chocolate Expo held at Durban's Suncoast Centre over the long weekend, allowed coffee lovers to rub shoulders with baristas. Ahead of the expo, Newsbreaks Maya Jagjivan sat down for a cup of coffee with 2014 SA Barista Champion Craig Char...

Rescuers have pulled out three people including a 101-year-old man from their flattened homes almost eight days after an earthquake hit Nepal. But hope is fading of finding more survivors in the shattered South Asian nation where entire villages have vanished and thousands still missing. Newsbreak's South Asian correspondent Rana Senn reports...

Relief efforts near the epi-centre have been hampered by a lack of aircraft in Nepal . Over 100 American marines, two helicopters and four Ospreys capable of vertical take-off are now in Kathmandu. Their arrival comes as Nepal's only international airport has banned larger aircraft carrying aid from landing because of concerns over its runway. More than 7,000 people died in the magnitude 7.8 earth...

Xenophobic violence across KwaZulu-Natal has reached fever pitch as locals and foreign nationals clashed in many incidents across Durban's Central Business District. The sentiments of foreigners in the Central Business District have changed from despair to anger as they are now determined to defend their families and businesses. Provincial government has hit out at the perpetrators of violence aga...

An ardent understanding of business paired with simple technological solutions that meet the needs of a changing market - a description that suits Shamit Govind perfectly. The 36-year-old was recently appointed Information Technology Advisory Director of a financial firm, where he oversees a host of consulting services such as internal audits, security and disaster management. Govind manages a tea...

A pigeon named Martin sets out to Africa on a mission to fulfill his dream of attaining freedom and equality for all animals. This fight resonates with the struggle for democracy in South Africa and today, the need to achieve unity and social cohesion amid the xenophobic crisis. The title of the book is quite apt - Deliver Us From Evil. English teacher of 30 years turned language adviser, Deva Mut...

Would you walk a day in the life of someone who does not have any shoes? That's the call being made by the Potato Foundation ahead of Barefoot Day. The day, which is being held in South Africa for the fifth year now, aims to create awareness about what children go through when they have to walk to school barefoot. More than just walking in their footsteps, the foundation is also calling on citizen...

The recent spate of Xenophobic violence across KwaZulu-Natal has left several communities reeling. Foreign nationals have now been left to pick up the pieces of their lives once again. South Africa's history with xenophobia has become more pronounced since the outbreak of attacks in May 2008 when a series of riots left 62 people dead. Recent outbreaks of violence in areas such as Isipingo, Newland...

A young Durban girl is creating a buzz in figure skating circles. 11 year Pia Ramacharitan from Phoenix, north of Durban recently scooped first place in an inter-provincial competition hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Figure Skating Association. And she's not stopping there. Pia says she wants to glide to the top to one day represent South Africa at the Olympics. Newsbreak's Maya Jagjivan found out mor...

A former Durban teacher has been elected President of the Information Technology Association of South Africa - ITA. Sunil Geness will be at the helm of the organization for the 2015/16 period and takes on the critical role of driving productivity through partnership with industry experts and government in the information, communications and technology or ICT sector. Geness says he's encouraged by...

A green light to access health care on the miracle medical train, Phelophepa. That's the signal greeting residents north of Durban. Phelophepa which means good, clean health, offers a range of service - from eye testing to dental care, psychological services and cancer screening at no cost to communities in need. And it's been strongly supported by KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo. News...