Latest news and views in Brief
The debate between conservationists and hunters is likely to ratchet up a few notches after disclosures a Texan hunting club secured a permit to hunt a Namibian rhino – and expects it to sell for up to $1m. The news has led to extreme outbursts, some so threatening that the FBI has been called in … Read more
PARIS – The French digital privacy watchdog is fining Google 150,000 euros ($204,000) for breaking rules on ensuring data privacy. The CNIL agency said on Wednesday that Google’s new privacy policy -which applies to all of its services from e-mail to calendars – isn’t specific enough about how and why it collects data from users … Read more
From the Associated Press: ZUCHINCHOR – More than 300 fishermen in southern Senegal have urged their government to crack down on Russian trawlers operating illegally off the coast of this West African nation, saying their livelihoods are at stake. Irama Djiba, president of a fishing association in the regional capital of Ziguinchor, said Wednesday the … Read more
Statement from Bosveld Phosphates: Bosveld Phosphates regrets to confirm that due to exceptional rainfall in late December, an impoundment dam at the company’s fertilizer manufacturing plant in Phalaborwa overflowed, resulting in a spillage of contaminated process water into the Selati River for a brief period on 3o December 2013. Bosveld engineers responded immediately to the emergency … Read more
From the Associated Press: HARARE: Zimbabwean authorities have given platinum miners 10 days to submit proposals to build a refinery by the end of the year. State media reported today that mines ministry official Francis Gudyanga said miners will be forced to stop exporting raw platinum if they fail to build the refinery by December. … Read more
From the SA Press Association: The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) North West will meet public works MEC Raymond Elisha on Thursday to discuss the purchase of a luxury car for premier Thandi Modise. “The department is expected to account [for] the… purchasing of a brand new R1.3 million BMW 750i car bought for … Read more
By Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher of Associated Press: Alan Mulally is staying at Ford. The chief executive, who was rumored to be in the running to become Microsoft’s next leader, told The Associated Press Tuesday that he won’t leave the automaker before the end of 2014. “I would like to end the Microsoft speculation because … Read more
A threat on Twitter by Tshwane city spokesman Selby Bokaba to withhold information from Sapa after it published his tweets about a police hit list were “seriously irrational”, the news agency’s editor said on Wednesday. “I will starve @SapaNews of content in future. I will DM [direct message] my friends only so that they can start attending … Read more
From the Associated Press: Germany’s trade surplus widened to a near record in November, official figures showed Wednesday in a development that may add potential fuel to critics’ concerns that the country is not spending enough to help out its struggling partners in the eurozone. The figures could well form the backdrop to discussions later … Read more
From The Presidency: President Jacob Zuma will, on the 9th of January 2014, hand over land to the N’wandlamhlarhi Community Property Association made up of communities who claimed land from Mala Mala game reserve in Mpumalanga province. The claimed land falls within the Bushbuckridge Municipality under the Ehlanzeni District, one of the prioritized districts by the Department … Read more