Crumbling masonry, peeling paint and dusty patches where once were manicured lawns … The University of Khartoum has worn poorly under the searing Sudanese sun — as much as the language that the buttoned-up colonialists who built it came to spread. There are no official statistics for the number of English speakers in the country, but it is safe to say that they are few and far between. Change is in the air, however.
The Belgian Parliament has passed legislation to introduce a currency transaction tax, otherwise known as a "Tobin Tax", after its original promoter 30 years ago. This is a step forward for the global Tobin Tax movement. Belgium follows Canada, which passed Tobin Tax-enabling legislation about five years ago, and is the first move towards getting a handle on speculative currency dealing.
AngloGold Ashanti CEO Bobby Godsell recently called for "black Oppenheimers". "We need enriched individuals and we need symbols or role models of dramatic success in the black community," he writes in <i>Voices for a New Democracy</i>. Who is "we"? That "we" is not us. It is white capitalists who need black capitalists.
A black economic empowerment deal announced by financial services group Sanlam on Wednesday will enable the group to break into new markets, according to Sanlam Financial Director Flip Rademeyer. He said it would also allow the group to expand access to financial services to a broader market.
Why do old people have fewer friends than young people? Is it because they’re choosier? Or less entertaining company? Could it be that they just can’t work their cellphones? This is something I found myself wondering the other day when I noticed that, family excepted, there was not one person in my phone book whom I had met before I was 18. Making friends is easy enough — it’s staying in touch with them that’s the tricky part.
”Measuring political risk is not a science — it’s more a matter of perception. But even using scientific measurements, South Africa looks pretty good,” writes Allister Sparks. ”I don’t see any political risk in South Africa. What many people overlook when evaluating risk is that South Africa had an undemocratic state, but not an undemocratic society,” writes Moeletsi Mbeki. Read their respective stances.
Sony will begin selling a computer and home-server system in Japan with a 1 000 gigabytes of hard-drive storage — enough to record seven TV channels for a week straight, the company said. Vaio Type X, set to go on sale on November 20, will sell for about 520 000 yen ( 700), said Sony spokesperson Shinji Obana on Wednesday.
Australia made an uncharacteristic slow start in the first cricket Test against India here on Wednesday, reaching 70-1 in 26 overs by lunch on the opening day. Left-handed opener Matthew Hayden was the batsman dismissed in the first session, caught at deep square-leg in trying to sweep off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Committed, thorough and excited — three of the qualities Jonny Wilkinson said he wanted to see in the England team he takes charge of for three Tests next month. Speaking publically for the first time since being appointed Martin Johnson’s successor as captain Wilkinson spelled out his vision of the way ahead for the World Cup winners at a press conference on Tuesday.
Vandals splashed red paint on two luxury cars owned by influential Manchester United shareholder Maurice Watkins. Police would not confirm news reports that the vandalism was linked to a possible takeover bid for the club by American businessman Malcolm Glazer.