Nicholas Lezard ponders the merits of the prequel to <i>The Lord of the Rings, The Children</i> of Hurin by JRR Tolkien, edited by his son Christopher
Percy Zvomuya reviews Zakes Mda latest offering <i>Cion</i>
The outgoing Nigerian government launched a last-minute auction of 41 oil-exploration licences on Friday, ignoring a court order not to sell two of them and widespread criticism over timing and transparency. Most Western oil majors kept away from the sale in which 10 pre-selected investors had already been given preferential bidding rights.
The dip in South Africa’s manufacturing production growth to 5,2% year-on-year (y/y) in March from 7,2% in February is still above the 2006 average of 4,8% y/y. Volume growth was at just 4,5% in December last year and the growth in 2007 continues to reflect strong growth.
An 87-year-old man accidentally drove the wrong way for 7km down an Austrian motorway before being stopped, police said on Thursday. No accident resulted from the ride on Wednesday night. The man said the rain and darkness had caused him to go in the wrong direction.
Army troops have been moved in to control access to one of Brazil’s top tourist attractions, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer monument, after police broke up a huge embezzling scam. Federal police arrested 20 people on Thursday for allegedly embezzling $150Â 000 to $250Â 000 a month from funds tourists paid to visit the fabled landmark.
Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday formally endorsed his Finance Minister, Gordon Brown, to become his successor, saying he would make a ”great prime minister”. ”I’m absolutely delighted to give my full support to Gordon as the next leader of the Labour Party and prime minister and to endorse him fully,” he told reporters.
The Department of Labour is to intensify the inspection of sectors where high workplace injuries and fatalities are being reported. ”National roving and blitz inspections will make sure that an inspector walks into a workplace at anytime. Our visibility will be at a high level,” labour director general Vanguard Mkosana said.
In a full-page newspaper advertisement, friends and family of slain Chinese newspaper editor Gino Feng have asked President Thabo Mbeki how many more people must die before he acts on crime. ”Bullet ripped his heart open. His wife and children had to watch him die whilst sitting in his blood,” reads the advertisement, placed in the Citizen.
Everything to play for and to the victor the spoils as the Sharks prepare to topple the Blues of Auckland to earn a home Super 14 rugby final in their tough-as-nails semifinal at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon. As a consequence, rugby hype is at its utmost frenzy as 52 000 spectators are set to fill the stadium to its rafters.