Ukraine says Russian tanks flatten town; EU to threaten more sanctions

Pro-Russian separatists walk at a destroyed war memorial on Savur-Mohyla, a hill east of the city of Donetsk, August 28, 2014.

Ukraine said Russian tanks had flattened a small border town and pro-Russian rebels had made fresh gains in its east, as EU leaders signalled on Saturday they would threaten more sanctions against Moscow over the crisis.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, attending an EU summit in Brussels, said he was hoping for progress in finding a political solution, but told journalists there were now thousands of foreign troops in his country.

Russia has repeatedly dismissed accusations from Kiev and Western powers that it has sent soldiers into its neighbour, or supported pro-Russian rebels fighting a five-month-old separatist war in Ukraine's east.

Is this the beginning of the end for Zuma

                                                                       President Zuma

Cape Town - A series of setbacks in beleaguered President Jacob Zuma's battle against corruption allegations has sparked fresh speculation that he could be forced out of office.

Controversy over millions of Rands of taxpayers' money spent on his Nkandla home and the dropping of graft charges against him, returned to haunt Zuma with renewed force over the past week.

On Thursday he lost a five-year court battle to keep secret the so-called "spy tapes" that got him off the hook on more than 700 charges of fraud and corruption in 2009, shortly before he became president.

Lesotho PM confirms coup, flees to SA

                                                                                                 Tom Thabane

Maseru - Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane confirmed on Saturday that the military had seized power in a coup in the tiny kingdom and that he had fled to neighbouring South Africa in fear of his life.

"I have been removed from control not by the people but by the armed forces, and that is illegal," Thabane told the BBC.

"I came into South Africa this morning and I will return as soon as my life is not in danger," he said. "I will not go back to Lesotho to get killed."

DA welcomes referral of Nkandla terms

Johannesburg - Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane has hailed the referral of the Nkandla ad hoc committee's terms of reference to Parliament as a victory for accountability.

He said: "The terms of reference are critical to the work of the committee."

Maimane said only when the terms of reference included consideration of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's "Secure in Comfort" report on Nkandla, could the committee do its job to hold President Jacob Zuma to account.

SA not sending troops to Lesotho

Lesotho troops leave the Central Police Office in Maseru after seizing control of several police stations and jamming radio stations in the capital

Pretoria - The South African government was not immediately sending troops to Lesotho following claims that the neighbouring country had been taken over by the military, the department of international relations (Dirco) said on Saturday.

Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said diplomacy should be given a chance and the situation should be resolved through peaceful means.