Deserts threaten to expand across much of North and Southern Africa, with the Science and Development Network reporting that global warming is set to put the dunes of the Kalahari on the march, for example. But elsewhere in the world, one country has launched a major plan to reclaim 250Â 000 square kilometres of land it has lost to expanding deserts.
Israel has said that Russia’s plans to meet leaders of the new militant Palestinian government, Hamas, may legitimise its political status in the eyes of the international community, but not diminish its terrorist nature. Hamas was elected in January to rule the Palestinian Authority. It is considered by many foreign governments to be a terrorist organisation.
Hat’s off to a job well done by our journos. They brought us the buzz about the local elections and gave us good insight into the significance of the event across the entire nation. Pity that one can’t say the same about the political parties who insulted voters with rhetorical generalities that took us not an inch deeper in our democracy.
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South Africa’s third local government election since the advent of democracy in 1994 took place in a low key and peaceful manner on Wednesday. ”The voting process has proceeded smoothly throughout the country,” the Independent Electoral Commission said in a brief statement.
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Peter Osgood, one of Chelsea’s greatest strikers who helped the club win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, died on Wednesday at the age of 59 while attending a funeral, the club announced. Osgood won FA Cups with Chelsea and Southampton and played four times for England between 1970 and 1974.
Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on Wednesday accepted he ordered the destruction of orchards as a reprisal for an assassination bid in a Shi’ite town, his first such admission in the turbulent trial. It was claimed Saddam pardoned two Shi’ites who were to have been executed for the assassination attempt in the town of Dujail.
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South Africans have become used to voting, a political analyst said about Wednesday’s quiet and uneventful local government elections. ”We are used to voting by now and local elections have always been ‘lower temperature’ elections than national elections,” political analyst Hennie Kotze said on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party is probing some of its senior officials in Masvingo province for allegedly campaigning for opposition candidates in last November’s controversial Senate election. But insiders say the probe is just an extension of power struggles in Zanu-PF over President Robert Mugabe’s succession.