www.ewn.co.za

Australian hooker Saia Fainga’a has been suspended for two weeks for a dangerous tackle during Saturday’s 41-39 Tri-Nations win over South Africa.

Fainga’a was cited by SANZAR commissioner Steve Hinds for tipping Springbok replacement lock Flip van der Merwe in the 69th minute of the match in Bloemfontein.

Fainga’a pleaded guilty to the charge and will be banned from all rugby until Sept. 19.

Australia host New Zealand in the final match of this year’s Tri-Nations in Sydney on Saturday.

Tourism officials from the Australian island of Tasmania have devised a new type of tourism to describe their unique offerings -- and they’re calling it "convictourism."

As part of the recent update to the UNESCO World Heritage list, 11 Australian convict sites were added to the list, five of them in Tasmania, which tourism officials think will be a hit with tourists.

"When you ask people what comes to mind when they think of Tasmania, the first thing they usually mention is our wilderness," said Tasmanian tourism chief Felicia Mariani.

"The listing is great news for our tourism industry, and will allow us the opportunity to build an additional dimension to our visitors’ experiences."

Visitors to the sites will be able to "follow the convict trail" and trace their ancestors through time using some of the best kept records in convict history, says Tourism Tasmania.

Unlike some of the other penal sites, the ones in Tasmania are positioned fairly close together, which means tourists can see more than one on a trip -- each site served a specific purpose in terms of punitive imprisonment or rehabilitation.

Port Arthur, some 60 km from Hobart on the Tasman Peninsula, is already one of the region’s most popular tourist destinations, with 60 buildings to be explored set across an eerily picturesque landscape.

Sold by the British authorities as an "inescapable prison," it has a lot in common with Alcatraz Prison -- now a major tourist attraction in San Francisco Bay.

http://www.discovertasmania.com/

For so long seen as the bad boy of Italian soccer, Antonio Cassano came of age in Italy’s opening Euro 2012 qualifying win over Estonia and he will again be their focal point for Tuesday’s game with the Faroe Islands.

The Sampdoria forward, whose was as famous for his outbursts and immature antics as he was for his football in his early career, has calmed down significantly in recent times and at 28 is now making a difference for his country.

Former Italy coach Marcello Lippi was slammed by the media for ignoring him for two years but new boss Cesare Prandelli immediately restored Cassano after June’s World Cup debacle.

Cassano’s headed goal and an instinctive backheel to set up Leonardo Bonucci for the winner helped Italy fight back from a goal down to defeat Estonia in their Group C opener on Friday.

"I would sign up to have him always display the same willingness he showed as well as the goals and assists," Prandelli told reporters.

"Up to now he has behaved wonderfully with the national team. He understands the errors of the past. Only a while ago football was fantasy to him, now he feels responsible."

Cassano had a back problem before the game in Tallinn but that was never going to stop him.

A quiet first half where he drifted too far to the left wing as part of Prandelli’s three-pronged attack, with Giampaolo Pazzini and Simone Pepe, also threatened to undermine his performance before a startling second period.

ROSSI DOUBTFUL

Prandelli said he would like to play Cassano behind front man Pazzini, just like the pair do for Samp, but that the lack of wingers in Italian football means a 4-3-3 is more useful than a 4-4-2 formation.

Pepe struggled against Estonia but could keep his place in the qualifier against the Faroes (1850 GMT) with rival Giuseppe Rossi doubtful after suffering an ankle problem in training.

The ghosts of South Africa, where holders Italy went out in the group stage, have a long way to go before they are exorcised with the defence of dead balls still a problem for the Azzurri and vulnerable stand-in goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

Unheralded Faroe Islands, who were unlucky to lose to Estonia before going down 3-0 at home to Serbia on Friday, will pose less of a threat and may give Prandelli’s much-changed and inexperienced squad the chance to better gel on Tuesday.

Prandelli’s first home match in charge will be extra special for the 53-year-old given the game is being played in Florence, where he guided Fiorentina to modest success over the past five years before taking the Italy job.

He expects most fans to be welcoming but a few chants criticising his departure from Fiorentina could occur.

Probable teams:

Italy: Salvatore Sirigu; Lorenzo De Silvestri, Leonardo Bonucci, Girgio Chiellini, Cristian Molinaro; Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Riccardo Montolivo; Antonio Cassano, Simone Pepe, Giampaolo Pazzini

Faroe Islands: Gunnar Nielsen; Christian Mouritsen, Hendrik Rubeksen, Johan Davidsen, Atli Gregersen; Jonas Tor Naes, Frodji Benjaminsen, Jan Ingi Petersen, Christian Holst; Simun Samuelsen, Joan Edmundsson

India’s Hindi-language film industry is bracing itself for the busiest time of year, when it rolls out its big guns to coincide with the major religious festivals of Diwali and Eid.

Action thriller Dabangg, starring Salman Khan, gets the peak season rolling with a wide release in India and overseas on September 10.

Khan plays a fearless but corrupt cop in the film, which was produced by and also stars his brother Arbaaz Khan. It was directed by Abhinav Kashyap who is the brother of internationally-acclaimed new wave director Anurag Kashyap (Dev D).

Following that will be Anjaana Anjaani, a romantic comedy starring Priyanka Chopra and Bollywood’s hottest newcomer Ranbir Kapoor, which Eros International will release on September 24.

October 22 sees the release of the first part of Ram Gopal Varma’s two-part political thriller Rakta Charitra, starring Vivek Oberoi, which depicts the life of the slain political leader Paritala Ravindra. The second part will be released four to five weeks later.

At least two big films are set for release in November -- romantic drama Guzarish, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, and Golmaal 3, the third installment in Rohit Shetty’s successful comedy franchise, starring Ajay Devgan and Kareena Kapoor.

Produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Guzarish is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali who also directed the international hit Devdas.

Most of these films will receive a wide global release day-and-date with their Indian release, a strategy which has become Bollywood’s most effective weapon in the fight against piracy.

Hindi films are usually released in countries with large Indian communities, including the US, Canada, the UK, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

The Muslim festival of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, takes place on September 10, while Diwali, one of Hinduism’s biggest festivals, will be celebrated on November 5 this year.

In recent years, the peak box office season has also rolled on into the Christian festival of Christmas -- big releases set for December include Ashutosh Gowariker’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, and Farah Khan’s action comedy Tees Maar Khan, with Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif.

Upcoming Hindi film releases:

September 10 - Dabangg, starring Salman Khan (Eros/Arbaaz Khan Productions)

September 24 - Anjaana Anjaani, starring Ranbir Kapoor & Priyanka Chopra (Eros)

October 15 - Jhootha Hi Sahi, starring John Abraham (Madhu Mantena/Saregama)

October 15 - Knock Out, starring Sanjay Dutt & Irrfan Khan (Aap Entertainment)

October 22 - Rakta Charitra, starring Vivek Oberoi (Cinergy Pictures)

November 19 - Guzarish, starring Hrithik Roshan & Aishwarya Rai (UTV Motion Pictures)

November TBC - Golmaal 3, starring Ajay Devgan & Kareena Kapoor (Eros)

December 3 - Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, starring Abhishek Bachchan & Deepika Padukone (PVR Pictures)

December 24 - Tees Maar Khan, starring Akshay Kumar & Katrina Kaif (UTV Motion Pictures)

Khayelitsha residents said on Sunday they want an independent investigation into the allocation of RDP houses in the township.

Community members in Mandela Park have said Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela must ensure that the probe begins with immediate effect.

They insist corruption continues to plague the allocation of government homes.

Residents have warned if this is not addressed they will halt all new developments in their area.

Community leader Loyiso Mpuku said they have proof of corrupt activities.

“Houses have been identified that are being sold in Mandela Park. The people receiving attend our meetings. We have seen that the government is not willing to take this issue seriously,” he said.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

The Philippines’ national police chief took the blame for the botched bus hijacking rescue attempt last week that killed eight Hong Kong tourists at a Manila park, announcing his decision to retire early from the service.

"As chief of the national police, I take responsibility and accountability of all Philippine National Police (PNP) units and all police personnel in everything they do or failed to do," Jesus Verzosa said in a statement on Sunday.

Verzosa, who assumed office nearly two years ago, said he has decided to retire from police service this month, three months before mandatory retirement on December 25, when he turns 56.

"It is now time to move forward and start anew. Rest assured that the national police will continue its sworn duty to serve and protect as well as render credible, effective and reliable service to the public," he said.

Verzosa’s statement came a day after members of the police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams that assaulted the bus told an official inquiry they lacked equipment and training during the rescue attempt.

It took them more than an hour to complete the rescue operations because the SWAT teams had no equipment to break into the bus where a sacked police captain was holding 15 Hong Kong tourists for about 12 hours.

"We had difficulty in gaining entry into the bus," Police Officer 3 Edwin Simacon told an inquiry late on Saturday. "We lacked equipment. If you will ask me, perhaps, we could have done better if we had explosives to break the glass windows."

Another police officer said they were not sure the vests they were wearing could stop bullets from a rifle while complaining about the lack of training on dealing with hostage-taking. Some of them had marksmanship training six years ago.

After two days of hearing, the inter-agency panel led by the justice secretary uncovered operational lapses and poor judgement calls made by civilian crisis managers and police commanders.

On Friday, President Benigno Aquino shielded his interior minister from resignation calls made by lawmakers, including his own allies, saying he has control over police forces and was taking responsibility for the death of tourists.

Six people including four children have been killed in a blaze in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire which broke out on Saturday night.

Seven other people have been left homeless after four separate infernos gutted down their homes at two other informal settlements.

Disaster Management’s Wilfred Solomons Johannes said, “In a devastating fire in Town Two Khayelitsha, six people were burnt beyond recognition. They comprised of a household of two adults and four minors. The cause of this fire is undetermined and the authorities will investigate.”

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

The police’s top brass have gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to remember members of the force killed in the line of duty.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele have been paying tribute to the officers.

The families of the slain officials also attended the commemoration.

The tears flowed from family members of 110 slain police officers have gathered for this year’s service, laying down flowers for their loved ones.

Some family members collapsed at the monument, while mother wailed as they were led away.

The annual event honours police men and women killed on duty in over the last year.

Mthethwa, various police commissioners and hundreds of uniformed officers attended the day.

The police minister called those who died the "shields of the nation."

There were prayers for the fallen, honoured guards and a fly-over by two police helicopters.

Cele has delivered his address, saying the loss of the officers was a major blow to their families and the country.

He said when officers clash with dangerous robbers, it should not be the officers who fall and called on the community to help root out these criminals.

“What does one do and say to the families of the lost loved ones at a time when their lives have been torn apart? We do feel grief at the loss of our colleagues. I shudder to think what the family must be going through,” Cele said to the congregation.

He also said efforts were underway to improve police training.

Some family members said the event made them feel like the police cared, but also brought back all the pain.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

At least 35 international experts from around the world will this evening converge in Stellenbosch to discuss the impact of global change in the tourism sector.

The gathering – organised by the International Geographical Union’s (IGU) Commission of Tourism, Leisure and Global Change – will be hosted in South Africa for the first time.

World-renowned geographers and international leaders in the field of tourism research will present papers on tourism development and global recession among others.

The IGU’s Professor Sanette Ferreira said on Sunday the event is vital.

“In the last 18 months we’ve had one crisis following the next. It seems the tourism sector will have to deal with all this as normal things. Every year there will be something new,” Ferreira said.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

At least five people were killed and 35 wounded on Sunday when a suicide bomber attacked troops at a firing range in Russia’s southern region of Dagestan, sources in official security agencies said.

The bomber detonated a car packed with explosives at the firing range outside the town of Buynaksk, about 50 km west of the local capital Makhachkala, said the sources, who declined to be identified.

Russia is fighting an Islamist insurgency in the mainly Muslim republics like Dagestan that make up its southern flank in the Caucasus.

There has been a surge in violence over the past two years in the North Caucasus, where Russia has fought two wars against Chechen separatists since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.

Fullback Kurtley Beale struck a dramatic long-range penalty with his only kick of the match to give Australia a 41-39 win over South Africa in a magnificent Tri-Nations clash on Saturday.

Beale’s nerveless goal in the final 30 seconds from 55 metres climaxed a game which see-sawed dramatically after the Wallabies had run the Springboks ragged in the first qaurter.

It also atoned for two previous mistakes by Beale who had thrown a wild pass that went out touch-in-goal to give South Africa a five-metre scrum, from which centre Jean de Villiers scored.

Beale then slipped when he tried to field a kick. The ball rebounded off his head to Springbok outside centre Jaque Fourie, who sparked an attack that led to flyhalf Morne Steyn’s 77th-minute penalty which gave the home team a 39-38 lead.

"There were a lot of nerves but the boys wanted me to take the kick so I just stuck to the process and told myself not to worry. I knew I had hit it well," Beale told a news conference.

The match began at a frentic pace with Australia scoring four tries in the first 26 minutes to lead 31-6 through some exhilarating broken field running.

Beale, wing James O’Connor, hooker Stephen Moore and flanker and captain Rocky Elsom scored tries, all of which were converted by Matt Giteau.

The Springboks struck back with a converted try by Fourie on the stroke of halftime to cut the deficit to 31-13.

PAIN OF DEFEAT

They then dominated most of the second half through converted tries to prop Gurthro Steenkamp and de Villiers plus three penalties by Steyn to take the lead in an astonishing comeback.

Wallaby wing Drew Mitchell then flew through the defence for an impressive try with O’Connor’s conversion returning the lead to the Australians.

It was not to last as Steyn succeeded with another penalty with three minutes remaining, which looked like proving the match winner.

But flanker David Pocock forced a ruck penalty and, after some deliberation, Beale was given the ball for the kick which was to break Springbok hearts at the end of a miserable Tri-Nations season following their 2007 World Cup triumph and last year’s series win over the Lions.

They end bottom of the standings with only one win in their six matches to finish behind Australia and champions New Zealand, who meet next Saturday in the final match of the tournament.

Australia coach Robbie Deans, whose team let slip a winning position last week, said he had had every confidence in Beale’s ability to convert an ultimate pressure kick.

"He’s that sort of player who has a point of difference about him, I knew the prospects were good. He stepped up really well because it’s pretty humiliating for the ball to hit you in the forehead in a place like Bloemfontein in front of that crowd," said Deans.

Springbok captain John Smit said the stirring fightback had done little to soothe the pain of defeat.

"We don’t want to be showing character every week, we can’t afford to keep playing catch-up rugby. There are no excuses, we were off our best. It’s unacceptable that we work so hard on our defence all week and then let ourselves down like we did today," he said.

The man for all occasions, Roger Federer provided a masterful demonstration of skill and precision in gale-force winds to breeze into the fourth round of the U.S. Open Saturday.

On a day when the swirling gusts teased and tormented the world’s best players, the Swiss master showed exactly how and why he has been able to overcome the obstacles to win 16 grand slam titles on all surfaces and conditions in beating Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-3 6-3.

"I kind of felt comfortable," Federer said. "I knew what I could do and what I couldn’t do."

Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki also blew their opponents off the court to set up a dream fourth-round meeting at a championship bereft of surprises but bubbling towards a grand finish next week.

The pair showed no mercy against their lower-ranked rivals, each romping to victory in 73 minutes despite being involved in some farcical moments thrown up by the conditions.

LOTTERY

Sharapova was aced by American teen-ager Beatrice Capra when taking an undignified swing at a ball swept out of her reach by a gust of wind.

Wozniacki was gifted a winner after a seemingly harmless forehand bounced over the head of Chan Yung-Jan and into the stands.

Serving was a lottery as players were often forced to re-toss, while umbrellas, towels and litter blew around the court and forced several points to be replayed.

For most of the top players, the wild weather made no difference to their results and Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling joined Federer, Sharapova and Wozniacki by winning in straight sets.

The lone major casualty was Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, a finalist in New York two years ago and the fourth seed this time.

She was beaten 6-2 7-6 by Kaia Kanepi of Estonia after enduring the worst of the conditions. On one of her serves, Jankovic only managed to catch the ball with the frame of her racket.

"I had a really hard time hitting the balls," said Jankovic, the highest-seeded player beaten at Flushing Meadows this year. "You hit the ball one direction, it goes another. You’re just getting ready to hit the ball and it just moves away from you."

’NEW DAY’

Sharapova was at her most ruthless in her 6-0 6-0 whitewash of wildcard Capra.

The Russian was upset here last year by another American teen-ager in Melanie Oudin, but made sure there was no repeat this time as she moved into the last 16 for the first time since she won the championship four years ago.

"This was a new day. What happened last year, I didn’t really want to go into the match thinking about it," Sharapova said.

"On a day like today, I just wanted to make sure I was consistent and did the right thing, maybe didn’t go for the lines as much and just played smart tennis."

Sharapova was one of three Russian seeds to advance safely Saturday. Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, beat her countrywoman Maria Kirilenko, while Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva defeated Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru.

Wozniacki dropped her opening service game against Chan but that was her only hiccup in the 6-1 6-0 rout of her Taiwanese opponent.

A finalist at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago and the top seed this year after injury forced Serena Williams to sit out, the Dane has dropped only three games in the tournament.

"I think I’ve shown I belong where I am," she said. "I’m just happy to be through to the fourth round. For me, it’s just about winning the matches."

After a slow start to the tournament, Djokovic and Soderling are both rapidly gaining momentum.

Djokovic had few problems seeing off American James Blake 6-1 7-6 6-3 in the featured night match while the big-serving Soderling was also untroubled by the conditions, cruising to a 6-2 6-3 6-3 win against Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker.

Djokovic’s next opponent is American Mardy Fish, who made his way through to the round of 16 the hard way, wearing down Frenchman Arnaud Clement 4-6 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-3.

Soderling plays Spain’s Albert Montanes ahead of a possible quarter-final with Federer.

"Everybody has been telling me since the draw came out that I’m going against Roger in the quarters," said Soderling. "I still have to win one more match so it’s still far ahead."

American Brandt Snedeker putted brilliantly to take a share of the lead with Australian Jason Day after the second round of the $7.5 million (4.85 million pound) Deutsche Bank Championship on Saturday.

Tiger Woods, who struggled with an opening round of 72, hit back with a six-under 65 to ensure he will see weekend action and have a chance to maintain his place in the lucrative FedExCup playoff series.

Snedeker did not miss a putt from inside 15 feet on his way to a seven-under 64 in breezy morning conditions at the Boston TPC.

"I definitely hit it better yesterday than today," Snedeker, referring to his long game, told reporters.

"Today I just putted fantastic. I made everything I looked at, so that was a nice way to get through the day."

He finished before the wind reached its peak, while Day had to endure the tougher afternoon conditions.

The 22-year-old from Australia’s tropical Queensland state was up to the task, however, carding a bogey-free 67.

Snedeker and Day were at 12-under 130, one stroke ahead of Americans Matt Kuchar and Charley Hoffman, while Briton Luke Donald was two strokes off the pace.

Day made a confidence-boosting start when he chipped in from 85 feet at the first hole.

"It was one of those shots where you had to commit to the spot that you were going to hit it," said Day, who has been in top form since his maiden tour victory at the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas in May.

"I birdied the first two holes and the last two holes and felt like I hit it just as good as yesterday."

Tiger Woods pulled within seven strokes of the lead and was delighted with the quality of his game.

"I missed a few but the only bad putt I hit was at 16. Other than that I really rolled it well.

"I just felt better today, more energetic and ready to go. It was a clean card and could have been a little lower.

"I had to shoot a good one if I was going to move on today, and I did that."

Woods is ranked 65th in the playoff series and needs a strong finish here to ensure he will be among the 70 to advance to the BMW Championship outside Chicago, the third of the four-stop playoff series.

American Chad Campbell will not see weekend action after being disqualified for failing to sign a legal liability form before the tournament.

Bizarrely, Campbell was allowed to play his first round before the mistake came to light on Friday night.

Officials informed him on Saturday morning.

"That’s the way it goes. It just kind of slipped my mind," said Campbell, part of a three-way playoff at last year’s Masters.

It was not the worst mistake he had made, he said, recalling flying to Hawaii for a tournament last year which he had not entered. "It’s starting to be a trend," he quipped.

England play their first Twenty20 international on Sunday since claiming the World Cup in Barbados this year against a backdrop of suspicion and innuendo rather than celebration.

The first of seven limited overs internationals against Pakistan follows an extraordinary week in which cricket authorities have been confronted by their biggest crisis since the 2000 match-fixing scandal.

Pakistan, the 2009 Twenty20 world champions, will take the field in Cardiff without their test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif who each face possible life bans.

The trio were charged on Thursday under the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption codes after alleged spot-fixing in the fourth and final test against England.

The News of the World newspaper reported on Sunday that a fourth player was being investigated by the ICC over match-rigging allegations. The ICC declined to comment.

The tabloid, which reported last Sunday that Butt, Amir and Asif had been involved in fixing incidents at Lord’s, also quoted test opener Yasir Hameed as saying some of his team mates were fixing matches.

However, Hameed subsequently denied making the allegations as he said he had never spoken to the tabloid.

"There has been a lot going on, some of it very unsavoury. No one wants that sort of news on the front or back page," said England team director Andy Flower.

"We have to see the outcome of these investigations first but obviously it’s not a very healthy position we seem to find ourselves in right now. But the game will survive. It’s a great, great game, people love playing it and people love watching it and that’s why it will survive."

The crisis has relegated a possible suspension for the man-of-the-tournament at this year’s Twenty20 World Cup to the category of minor news.

Kevin Pietersen will face an England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing for announcing his omission from both one-day squads with an intemperate outburst on Twitter. He will be replaced by Ravi Bopara.

Pakistan will be led by Shahid Afridi, whose all-round contributions were vital to his team’s World Cup triumph last year, while flamboyant fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also returns to international action.

Afridi apologised on behalf of his team on Saturday.

"I know they are not in this series, but on behalf of these boys I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all the cricketing nations," he said.

More than 15,000 Joburgers turned up at the annual Santam/94.7 Highveld Stereo Jo’burg Day festival on Saturday.

A list of award winning South African musicians took centre stage at the eventwhich was held at Riversands Farm in Fourways.

Revellers told Eyewitness News they really enjoyed themselves.

“What an awesome experience. The weather was wonderful,” said one.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

One of the senior police officials linked to corrupt procurement deals within the police has accused National Commissioner General Bheki Cele of lying.

On Friday, Cele told Parliament that Generals Stefanus Terblanche, Matthews Siwundla and Hamilton Hlela had resigned, supposedly after the special investigation unit launched a probe into dodgy deals worth billions of rand in their department.

However, Terblanche has told the Sunday Times that Cele forced him out because he did not want to follow the police commissioner’s orders to approve shady property deals.

On Friday Cele told Members of Parliament senior officers have allowed saps coffers to be milked.

But, Terblanche and general Hlela have told the paper Cele is lying.

They said the commissioner was the one who pushed to relocate police headquarters in Pretoria and Durban – something which cost the taxpayer over R700 million.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

At least 18 people were killed in Guatemala on Saturday, including a dozen on a bus that was buried in a landslide, as heavy rains lashed the Central American nation and southern Mexico.

A dozen people died when the bus they were travelling on was suddenly engulfed by mud around 8 a.m. on the Inter-American highway 50 miles (80 km) outside of the Guatemalan capital, emergency workers said.

Another six people were killed in separate incidents, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom told reporters.

Tropical weather systems in both the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico have triggered torrential rains throughout Guatemala and southern Mexico.

Constant rain in the region over the last week has left hillsides saturated with water and with more precipitation forecast for Sunday officials in both Guatemala and Mexico are taking precautions against landslides.

Heavy flooding in the Mexican Gulf state of Tabasco forced thousands of people from their homes. Authorities in neighbouring Chiapas and Oaxaca states, which border Guatemala, and the Gulf state of Veracruz also reported serious flooding.

"The bad weather in the southeast has caused the worst rainy season on record. We are marshalling aid for the affected area," wrote Mexican President Felipe Calderon on his Twitter page.

The state power monopoly opened floodgates on some hydroelectric dams in the region, worsening the flooding in some low-lying areas.

No deaths were blamed on the flooding in Mexico.

Mexico’s state oil company Pemex, which has extensive oil and gas operations in Tabasco state and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, reported no problems with production.

Hopefuls at the SA’s Got Talent auditions believe this year’s competition winner will be a Capetonian.

Hundreds of acts chanced their luck in a bid to catch the judges’ eyes during auditions at the Cape Town International Centre on Saturday.

Eyewitness News caught up with some of the hopefuls.

“You can go far if you just set a goal for yourself,” a wannabe said.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said on Saturday it is pleased officials are adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards animal cruelty.

Two men were found guilty on charges of illegal hunting at the Mitchells Plain court on Friday.

They were arrested by City Parks officials at the Philippi Nature Reserve earlier this year.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s Inspector Andries Venter said authorities are beginning to realise the growing concern of animal abuse.

“We had the privilege of working alongside the prosecutors closely. As a result we’ve had our cases in court. This is our fourth case in court this week,” he said.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

Political analysts said on Saturday the Tripartite Alliance should brace itself for more tensions. However, it is not at risk of falling apart any time soon.

President Jacob Zuma spoke in Durban on Friday and said he had read many obituaries for the Alliance but is certain it will remain for "a long time".

The bond between the ANC, the South African Communist Party and trade union federation Cosatu has been under added strain with the ongoing public servants strike.

Political analysts agree more turbulence lies ahead for the alliance but said reports of its imminent demise are as old as the alliance itself.

The Centre for the Study of Democracy said this kind of tension has been felt before under Thabo Mbeki’s rule and Zuma’s speech on Friday was aimed at calming nerves.

The centre’s Steven Friedman said, “The alliance is not going to come apart.”

Friedman said members of the alliance needed each other and the real battle will be about who controls it.

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)