A post template

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

Custom allows miniskirts, say traditional leaders

Custom and ethnicity allow young women to wear miniskirts, the National House of Traditional Leaders said on Wednesday in reaction to a recent attack on a woman wearing a short skirt at a Johannesburg taxi rank. The traditional leaders said the actions of the woman’s attackers were not only ”barbaric”, but also unconstitutional.

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

GM crops take root in SA

South Africa produced 30% more genetically modified (GM) crops in 2007, with 1,8-million hectares of GM maize, soya and cotton being planted, Agri SA said on Wednesday. This makes the country the eighth-largest producer of GM crops in the world, behind larger countries such as the United States, Brazil, India and China.

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

UK earthquake: ‘It was unreal’

”The birds were flying around like it was daylight,” said David Alrewas, one of the thousands of Britons woken at night by the most severe earthquake to strike Britain in 25 years. The quake, measuring 5,3 on the Richter scale, according to the British Geological Survey, shook large parts of England and Wales at 1am GMT on Wednesday.

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

Pollution turns Chinese rivers red and foamy

Pollution turned part of a major river system in central China red and foamy, forcing authorities to cut water supplies to as many as 200 000 people, the provincial government and a state news agency said on Wednesday. Some communities along tributaries of the Han River were using emergency water supplies.

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

Racist video slammed as ‘barbaric’

A racist video — featuring University of the Free State employees on their knees eating food that had been urinated upon — was widely condemned by various institutions and political parties on Wednesday. The video, made by members of the Reitz men’s residence on the Bloemfontein campus, came to the attention of the public on Tuesday.

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

Oil price hits new peak as dollar slumps

Oil powered to a new record above a barrel on Wednesday, closing in on its inflation-adjusted lifetime peak, as an ailing dollar on worsening United States economic data triggered a surge across commodities markets. US crude stood 15 cents higher at ,03 a barrel by 1pm GMT, off its new record high of ,08.

No image available
/ 27 February 2008

Thailand braces for ousted leader’s return

Thailand, trying to recover from two years of political turmoil, braced for the return of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from nearly 18 months in exile on Thursday, with his battle against an array of opponents far from over. Rivals ranging from the royalist establishment to street-protest leaders will confront Thaksin.