The days really do get shorter as you get older, although even the Old Testament patriarch Methuselah, who is supposed to have lived 969 years, is unlikely to have been troubled by the phenomenon.
War, fire, logging and agriculture are taking a heavy toll on Africa’s mountain regions, says the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme.
Southern Africa is fast developing an international reputation for excellence in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics.
One of South Africa’s leading maritime authorities has called on government to establish a coastguard, saying failure to do so could lead to huge losses in the country’s fishing industry.