Floods in Namibia have killed 42 people and displaced thousands since early February and officials said on Tuesday more flooding can be expected. Gabriel Kangowa, head of the Emergency Management Unit of Namibia, said 4 500 people have been displaced from their homes in central and northern Namibia.
Colombia said on Tuesday that Farc rebels had been planning to make a ”dirty bomb” with radioactive material, threatening the entire Latin American region. The charges by Vice-President Francisco Santos marked a dramatic turn in a regional crisis that has seen Venezuela and Ecuador cut diplomatic ties with Colombia.
China will raise its heavily scrutinised defence spending by nearly a fifth this year, a top official said on Tuesday, warning self-ruled Taiwan that Beijing would ”tolerate no division”. Jiang Enzhu, spokesperson for China’s National People’s Congress, or Parliament, stressed that China adhered to a path of peaceful development.
A memorial service is expected to be held for the more than 30 people who died in separate accidents in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Monday, provincial minister for safety and security Bheki Cele said on Tuesday. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sbu Ndebele declared Thursday as a day of mourning for the victims.
Stuart Johnston, one of the most knowledgeable motoring scribes in South Africa, has released the 2008 edition of the <i>Motorheads Diary</i>. Edited by Johnston and beautifully designed by Gauteng classic car buff Heide-Marie von der Au, the second edition of this page-per-day diary for car and bike enthusiasts is an absolute gem.
"For me, the most difficult part of judging at the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists’ Car of the Year competition is not losing sight of the fact that I’m judging the cars not so much against each other as against their direct competitors in the market place." Gavin Foster rounds up the Car of the Year finalists.
Proposals being punted about at the moment to make Formula One more environmentally friendly involve reducing engine size and power, and other regulations that have been put in place over the years to reduce speeds in the interests of safety can be relaxed to liven up the game a little, reports Gavin Foster.
No one in South Africa has been trained to tune a piano for nearly a decade — leaving only about 50 ageing piano tuners in the country. The South African Association of Professional Piano Tuners is now concerned that unqualified people could damage the industry as well as the piano in the corner of your living room.
Russia and Ukraine slid towards a new gas war on Tuesday as Moscow slashed supplies to the ex-Soviet republic by 50% and Ukraine’s state gas company said it may cut deliveries to Europe. Russian gas monopoly Gazprom was to cut supplies to 50% of their normal level on Tuesday at 5pm GMT, doubling a 25% cut already in force since Monday.
The British government is considering stepping up the pressure on Zimbabwe by banning its athletes from competing in Britain, the BBC has reported. The Inside Sport programme reported that the ban could notably prevent the Zimbabwe cricket team from touring England next year.