INTERNATIONAL Turkeys annual inflation rate hit its highest level since 2002 in December, as the country continues to grapple with a currency crisis. Figures released by Turkey’s Office for National Statistics showed that inflation surged to a high of 36.1 percent last month, up from 21.3 per cent in November. The high inflation rate means prices for goods have also increased with the poorest in Turkish society unable to afford […]
By Tauhierah Salie Amid an increase in ‘halal-friendly’ eating establishments in recent years, Capetonian Muslims have begun scrutinizing halal certification. Speaking to VOC Breakfast, SANHA Theological Director Moulana Muhammad Saeed Navlakhi says restaurants and hotels etc, have coined the term “halal friendly” to lure Muslim customers. Halal certification, according to Navlakhi, describes a formal, holistic process wherein applicants reveal the ingredients of the products being sold as well as the […]
INTERNATIONAL Thousands of supporters of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi alliance of armed groups on Saturday marked the second anniversary of the killing of a revered Iranian commander and his Iraqi lieutenant in a US drone strike. Chanting "death to America," they filled a Baghdad square to honour General Qassem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, until his death on 3 January 2020. "US terrorism has […]
INTERNATIONAL Authorities in several Gulf countries renewed weather warnings on Sunday as several days of heavy rains battered the usually arid region. Gulf countries usually experience mild winters, with the exception of rare and brief episodes of heavy rain between November and January. These can be highly disruptive in the region, where authorities often do not usually install heavy drainage systems due to the rarity of such extreme weather events. […]
INTERNATIONAL Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has resigned from office amid security forces' deadly crackdown against anti-coup protesters across the country. Hamdok's resignation comes less than two months after he was reinstated as part of a political agreement with the military. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said a roundtable discussion was needed to come to a new agreement for Sudan's political transition to democracy. "I decided to give back the responsibility […]
VOC Operations to extinguish the blaze at Parliament, deemed a “national tragedy”, have been downscaled on Monday morning. Government dignitaries flocked to the scene of the Parliamentary precinct on Sunday, where an extensive fire ripped through the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. Internally, the National Assembly has been extensively destroyed by fire, water, heat and smoke. Resources were deployed en masse, with President Cyril Ramaphosa praising the […]
Tehran, Iran – Iran has called on the United Nations to take formal action against the United States for the assassination of its top general two years ago. Iran says Qassem Soleimani, the then-commander of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was in Iraq’s capital Baghdad on a diplomatic mission when his convoy was destroyed by missiles fired from a US drone. In a letter to […]
LOCAL Parliament’s Presiding Officers have confirmed the breakout of a fire on the Parliamentary precinct in cape Town this morning. The cause of the fire has not yet been established and investigations are underway by the relevant authorities. The fire has affected both the Old Assembly Wing and the National Assembly Wing of the buildings of Parliament, which house the chambers of the National Assembly and the National Council of […]
LOCAL The National Institute for Communicable Diseases recorded 9,828 new Covid-19 cases in its latest 24-hour report. This represents a 26.6% positivity rate. The majority of new cases were from the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal with 26% each, followed by Gauteng with 17%. The Eastern Cape reported 12% of the new cases. A further 53 Covid-19 related deaths were recorded and 62 patients had to be admitted to hospital. The […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
