China’s annual growth soared to 11,3% in the second quarter of this year, the fastest rise in more than a decade, on the back of strong exports and investment, the Chinese government said this week. The world’s fourth-largest economy may now face higher interest rates, economists believe, to reduce its reliance on cheap money and the risk of overheating.
In the middle of the World Cup, I was on BBC radio, arguing with Fiona McIntosh, a Grazia magazine columnist, about the Wags who, at the time, were the wives and girlfriends of the England football team. At the moment, the Wags have become the Swags (Summit Wives and Girlfriends, for G8).
A radical plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions by rationing the carbon use of individuals is being drawn up by British government officials. The scheme could force consumers to carry a swipe card that records their personal carbon allocation, with points knocked off each time they buy petrol or tickets for a flight.
Nadine Botha reports on dance pieces that show how our existence is a mixture of being and pretending.
Movie director Fanney Tsimong talks about his love for filmmaking and his dislike to being referred to as a “gay director”.
Nothing can describe the feeling of having worked tirelessly for 15 years rebuilding a country from the ruins of war, only to see it once again laid waste within a period of days. Just more than a week ago, the Lebanese were only beginning to reap the benefits of all their toils, with the summer tourist season making a major comeback.
A multibillion-rand manganese empowerment deal is on the brink of collapse because a Chinese-led company has attempted to monopolise the deal through shareholder misrepresentation, sources close to the transaction have claimed. The Department of Minerals and Energy will invoke Section 47 of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act to cancel the lucrative manganese prospecting rights.
The real aim is to change the regime in Lebanon and to install a puppet government. That was the aim of Ariel Sharon’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. It failed. But Sharon and his pupils in the military and political leadership have never really given up on it.
Tiger Woods, oozing confidence throughout the final round, completed a successful and emotional British Open title defence with a two-shot victory over compatriot Chris DiMarco on Sunday. One stroke clear at the start of the day, the 30-year-old American birdied three of the last five holes at Royal Liverpool for a five-under-par 67, sealing his 11th career major.
Iraq’s ousted president Saddam Hussein was admitted to hospital on Sunday suffering from the effects of his hunger-strike, chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Musawi told Agence France-Presse. The detained leader, who stopped eating 16 days ago, is too ill to attend the next session of his trial, scheduled for Monday, Musawi said.