Scientists using satellites have mapped huge craters under the Antarctic ice sheet caused by an asteroid as big as the one believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65-million years ago. The evidence showed that an asteroid measuring between five and 11km across had broken up in the atmosphere and five large pieces had hit the Earth, creating multiple craters over an area measuring 2 080km by 3 840km.
Insensitive computer programmers with little knowledge of geography have cost the giant Microsoft company hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business and led hapless company employees to be arrested by offended governments. The problem has damaged the company’s reputation and the ”trust rating,” which is seen as key to keeping the company competitive, has dropped, a senior Microsoft executive revealed on Wednesday.
He is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, able to crush opposition parties, ban newspapers and ignore the courts. But King Mswati III of Swaziland is proving powerless against an HIV/Aids epidemic ravaging his kingdom. The landlocked country tucked between South Africa and Mozambique was recently identified by the United Nations as having the world’s highest infection rate, with 38,6% of pregnant mothers testing positive.
Once you’ve made it past the security checkpoints, passport control and customs officers at Johannesburg International airport, you’ll find yourself in a shoppers’ paradise, festooned with flashing lights declaring the vendors to be "tax free" and "duty free". This is a dangerous phase of your trip.
Even a hangover can’t dim the enchantment of Luang Prabang. The gauzy tranquillity of the place puts a languid drift into your step and a diaphanous cloak of dreamy carelessness descends on you. Communism kept Laos in a time warp for three decades. It also helped preserve the country’s heritage.
"The average age on this tour," the organiser said, "is 24,7." I guess my 41, Kate’s 33 and the "Spanish woman with an unpronounceable name" must have raised the average of what looked like an abundance of 16-year-old boys considerably. Andie Miller joins a bus load of youngsters on the scenic route to Swakopmund.
CRASH! Boom! Bang! Frighten the horses! Cause persons of a delicate disposition to scream! So what’s this then? A bird? A plane? No! It’s <i>Daily Sun</i>, the biggest-selling daily in South African history. The latest All Media and Products Survey figures show our noisy two-year-old is read daily by more or less the same number of people as read ALL the dailies in the Independent Newspaper Group COMBINED!
Despite the doomsayers and predictions of a recall for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the charismatic populist recorded a convincing victory in this week’s referendum. Chavez is a people’s candidate who casts himself as a latter-day Che Guevara. He is not without fault, but the referendum outcome carries an important global message.
Double medallist Roland Schoeman was back in action at the Olympic Games on Thursday morning to qualify through the men’s 50m freestyle heats along with relay gold medallist Lyndon Ferns. Meanwhile, the South African men’s hockey team lost their third pool match against The Netherlands 3-2, having led 2-1 at half-time.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
Three opportunistic tries by the Lions in the dying minutes of the match against England’s Saracens handed the Currie Cup side a convincing 43-27 victory. Lions substitute hooker Schalk Brits began the Lions’ comeback in the 29th minute of the second half after the Ellis Park outfit had found themselves trailing 27-22.