Snipers patrolling rooftops, streets and entire city blocks sealed off and thousands of police and soldiers on duty — Israel and the Palestinian Authority are going on full alert for United States President George Bush’s visit. For weeks, Israeli and Palestinian officials have grappled with how to ensure the safety of the leader of the world’s sole superpower.
The African National Congress (ANC) will appoint an ad-hoc committee to draw up a ”detailed factual report” on the arms deal, the party announced in Johannesburg on Tuesday. ”We are not asking for the re-opening of the arms deal. We need to get a detailed formal report … to take informed decisions,” party secretary general Gwede Mantashe told journalists.
Zimbabwe’s state-run power company, Zesa Holdings, says it will step up efforts to revive operations of its three small thermal power stations in light of the diminishing electricity imports from conventional suppliers, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday. Zesa spokesperson Ben Rafemoyo said nearly Z-trillion has been set aside.
New Hampshire goes to the polls on Tuesday for the second key clash of White House hopefuls, with surging Democrat Barack Obama likely to deal a second defeat to former first lady Hillary Clinton. Just five days after his Iowa triumph spun momentum into his White House quest, Obama enjoyed a solid lead in New Hampshire.
The weeding out of apparent corruption in the Gauteng education department was to blame for textbook order delays for the 2008 school year, Gauteng provincial minister of education Angie Motshekga said on Tuesday. ”We had our own internal challenges,” she said at a media briefing in central Johannesburg about the department’s readiness for 2008.
Gold surged to a fresh record high on Tuesday, boosted by firm oil prices, with longer-term trends such as a weakening dollar spurring heavy buying by investment funds. Spot gold rose as far as ,80 an ounce, surpassing the previous record of ,05 reached last week.
An Austrian tourist who said he was questioned on suspicion of being a spy in Sudan has been allowed to leave the country without charge, his consul said on Tuesday. Thomas Hirschvogel wrote on his blog he had been barred from leaving the coastal city of Port Sudan after police found articles about a former rebel group in his luggage.
Russia is leading the race to complete a manned mission to Mars and could land a Russian on the Red Planet by 2025, a leading scientist was quoted as saying on Tuesday. ”We have something of a head start in this race as we have the most experience in piloted space flight,” the director of the prestigious Space Research Institute, Lev Zelyony, said.
The JSE was firmer by midday on Tuesday as a weaker United States dollar helped precious metals boost mining stocks on the bourse. By noon, the broader all-share index was 0,57% better, led by a 1,74% climb in the gold-mining index. The platinum-mining index gained 1,4% and resources added 1,17%.
Scientists in China have identified about 400 genes that appear to make some people more easily addicted to drugs, opening the way for more effective therapies and addiction control. Experts believe genetic factors account for up to 60% of a person’s vulnerability to drug addiction, with environmental factors accounting for the remainder.