Hundreds of thousands of people across Europe will on Wednesday commemorate the 20th anniversary of the world’s worst human-made disaster — when Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power complex exploded during a routine safety test and sent a plume of radioactivity a mile high to drift over 40% of Europe and as far away as Japan.
The French President, Jacques Chirac, on Tuesdya unveiled what he hopes will be his great legacy to France’s struggle against the global dominance of the United States: a series of technological projects including a European search engine to rival Google.
Sri Lanka’s air force resumed retaliatory strikes against Tamil Tiger positions on Wednesday, police said amid fears that the country was sliding back to full-scale war after a four-year truce. Air attacks were carried out in the north-eastern district of Trincomalee where the military bombed a cluster of boats of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Tuesday night.
"They have no voice, no jobs; poverty is excruciating, slavery is there. They are just suffering." This was the sobering assessment of Namibia’s indigenous San community, delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila last September after a visit to the north-eastern Otjozondjupa region where the majority of San live.
The unit trust industry has had another bumper quarter with the most inflows ever received. The industry took R19,7-billion of new investments, of which R13-billion came from retail sales, which are from individual -investors. However, this is not an indication that South Africans are starting to save more, writes Maya Fisher-French.
After eight years of unprecedented economic growth and equity and bond market strength, investors have started to question whether emerging markets will be able to maintain their positive momentum. Annual inflows into emerging market funds reached record levels of more than $15-billion last year.
The unit trust industry has had another bumper quarter with the most inflows ever received. The industry took R19,7-billion of new investments, of which R13-billion came from retail sales, which are from individual -investors. However, this is not an indication that South Africans are starting to save more, writes Maya Fisher-French.
Nepal’s royal regime cracked down on protesters recently in an attempt to stifle further disruption after two weeks of demonstrations aimed at toppling the country’s monarch, King Gyanendra. Security forces shot dead at least two people in the south-east of the country and announced a shoot-on-sight 18-hour curfew in Kathmandu, in a clear attempt to scuttle opposition plans.
Idan Halili, just 19 years old, has written a feminist critique that has astounded established feminist voices around the world. Her analysis takes the form of a letter sent to the Israeli army asking for exemption from compulsory service, based on a feminist rejection of militarism.
Michelle Wie, the hottest thing in women’s golf, will be the star draw at next week’s SK Telecom Open where she will bid to make her first halfway cut against men in eight appearances. The teen prodigy will be the third high profile woman golfer after Laura Davies of England and Japan’s Ai Miyazato to feature on the Asian Tour.