“We are ready to lead once more.” With these words the 44thpresident of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, served noticethat he intends to restore Americans’ faith in their country — and thefaith of the world in America.

Obama was inaugurated yesterday amid unprecedented scenes of mass adulation at the National Mall in Washington DC.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans thronged to the mall to witness the event, watched by a huge global television audience.

Obama, who made history as the first African-Americanpresident, took his oath of office with these words: “I do solemnlyswear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of theUnited States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect anddefend the Constitution of the United States.”

Then he delivered ...

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa's lambasted the ANC for pledging itscontinuous support to party president Jacob Zuma even though he hascorruption charges hanging over his head. He also called on PresidentKgalema Motlanthe not to sign the Scorpions and Broadcasting AmendmentBills.

 Holomisa was at a rally in on the East Rand, while other politicalparties were also out campaigning. Just a few meters away from theANC's rally ... the UDM party leader voiced his criticism.

With the Supreme Court of Appeal judgment against the ANC presidentstill fresh, Holomisa says:' I ask the ANC not to take part in  thecourt challenge of Jacob Zuma, the country cannot have a  president whois facing criminal charges.”

The ID took its election campaign to Eldorado Park south of Johannesburg.

The total number of travellers who visited South Africa through allits ports of entry during November 2008 was up 1.1% year-on-year (y/y)to 2.207m from the 2.182m recorded in November 2007, according toStatistics South Africa (Stats SA) data issued on Tuesday.

A month-on-month decrease of 2.8% was recorded from October.

The number of foreign travellers who departed from South Africa inNovember was 748,487, an increase of 4.6% from the 715,801 recorded inNovember 2007.

The number of foreign arrivals was up 2.8% y/y to 827,605, from 805,400 in November 2007.

A total of 315 437 South African residents departed from South Africain November 2008, a decrease of 7.1% from the 339 473 recorded ...

Mpumalanga police are investigating a case of malicious damage toproperty after a gang of nine men tore down a tent and damaged thesound system at the launch of a new branch of the Congress of thePeople (Cope) on Saturday.

Cope's regional chairperson in Bushbuckridge and former ANCmember Luckson Mathebula says the suspects wore ANC T-shirts when theyambushed community members who were filling in membership forms in atent in Greenvalley village in Acornhoek.

'Nine men wearing ANC T-shirts emerged and cut the tent'sropes, forcing it to collapse on top of new Cope members,' saidMathebula.

He said the men proceeded to tear a Cope T-shirt worn by oneCope supporter and also damaged the sound system, chairs and tables.

Mathebula said the men continued intimidating Cope ...