He was the 20th century’s greatest scientist, his name synonymous with genius. But while Albert Einstein’s theories are known and lauded the world over, insights into his private life are patchy and largely negative. He has been variously portrayed as a bad father, cruel to his wives and an adulterer.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday certain ”major powers” should play a bigger role in the world body, but declined to name favourites for any new permanent seats on the Security Council. ”I have always maintained that no reform to the UN will be complete without a reform of the Security Council.,” Annan said.
An apparently intoxicated Jackie Chan disrupted a concert by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jonathan Lee in Hong Kong and exchanged insults with the audience, a news report said on Tuesday. Ming Pao Daily News said Chan suddenly jumped on stage at the concert on Monday night and demanded a duet with Lee. He then tried to conduct the band but stopped and restarted the music several times.
South African maize futures ticked up further on Tuesday in line with Chicago and had scope for more gains given lingering concerns about this year’s harvest, traders said. The benchmark December white maize contract climbed R15 to R1 454 a tonne, bringing its gains so far this year to roughly 26%.
Pedro De la Rosa will replace Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya for the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One team, it was announced on Tuesday. The Spaniard will compete for McLaren for the first time as a first-choice driver at this Sunday’s French Grand Prix, the team said.
Official records at the South African Department of Labour show that many unions and employer organisations are not "in good standing" in as far as registration procedures and legal requirements expected from bona fide organisations are concerned, the department said on Tuesday in a statement.
North Korea’s Vice-Minister Kim Hyong Jun arrived at the Union Buildings on Tuesday for bilateral discussions with Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad. High on the agenda of the meeting, that is expected to last just over two hours, would be North Korea’s test firing of seven missiles last week including a long-range Taepodong-2, believed to be able to hit Alaska or Hawaii.
Former Western Cape premier Peter Marais told his environment planning minister David Malatsi to make a ”political decision” on the Roodefontein golf-estate development if it was necessary, the Bellville Regional Court heard on Tuesday. He and Marais face corruption charges over payments totalling R400Â 000 to the New National Party in 2002, which the state claims were bribes.
Sudan and Chad are ready to work to restore relations, three months after N’djamena broke off ties over alleged Sudanese backing of a failed coup, a foreign ministry spokesperson in Khartoum said on Tuesday. Chadian Foreign Minister Ahmat Allami arrived in Khartoum late on Monday and went into talks with his Sudanese counterpart, Lam Akol.
At least eight people were killed and several injured following renewed clashes between security forces and outlawed groups in the south-eastern Nigerian market town of Onitsha, residents said on Tuesday. Fighting erupted on Monday when a joint patrol team of police and army attempted to dislodge the groups from the town.