“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” 

– Laura Ingalls Wilder

Story of the Day

While you were sleeping

Woman pulled out of rubble in Taiwan
A woman was rescued from the rubble fully two days after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan. In addition, a man has been found alive in another toppled building. Thus far 35 have been listed as killed in the disaster, but over 100 remain missing. It is expected the majority of these people are in the destroyed Wei-guan Golden Dragon building.
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Rubio wilts under debate pressure
Republican candidate hopeful Marco Rubio has crumbled under debate scrutiny. A sustained assault by New Jersey’s governor, Chris Christie, resulted in Rubio repeatedly retreating into canned sound bites. This was a characteristic Christie was only too happy to point out. As a possible contender against the Trump machine, it appears as though Rubio may well have shot himself in the foot. 
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Haiti “grim” after president steps down
Haitian president, Michel Martelly, has resigned, leaving a grim atmosphere in his wake. The beginning of the country’s carnival has been called off due to violent protests while an interim government struggles with opposition parties who are calling for a court decision on who is to lead the country, rather than wait for scheduled elections in April. Either way, Haiti is not the best of vacation destinations at this moment.
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Broncos clinch the Super Bowl
The Denver Broncos have soundly defeated the up-and-coming Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl 50 championship. Peyton Manning, now one of the league’s oldest quarterbacks, achieved a fairytale ending by defeating the Panthers 24-10 in a thrilling NFL championship end. A leaky Panthers defence was simply unable to aid quarterback Cam Newton’s finish. Beyoncé, meanwhile, did exactly the same to Coldplay during the half time show, completely overshadowing her rival performers.
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In Numbers

15.3

The amount in billions of dollars that is expected to be generated in consumer-related spending as a direct result of Super Bowl 50.

Facts of the Day

Today in 1952 saw Queen Elizabeth II ascend to the throne of the United Kingdom. She has been feeding corgis treats and opening buildings ever since.

Fact of the day:  Agent 355 was the first undercover female agent in the history of the United States. Her identity was so secret during her activities in the Revolutionary War that her true name remains unknown.

Weather

Financial Data

BFN: min: 19° max: 33°, sunny
CPT: min: 18° max: 32°, cloudy
DBN: min: 21° max: 29°, sunny

EL: min: 20° max: 25°, rainy
JHB: min: 15° max: 29°, rainy
KIM: min: 20° max: 34°, sunny
NLP: min: 14° max: 31°, cloudy
PMB: min: 11° max:27°, cloudy
PKN: min: 16° max: 28°, rainy
PE: min: 18° max: 25°, rainy
PTA: min: 18° max: 30°, rainy

Oil=$34.06 Gold=$1,173.40 Platinum=$911.60
R/$=15.86 R/€=17.77 R/£=23.10 $/€=1.11
JSE All Share=49,753.29 DJIA=16,204.97 FTSE 100=5,848.06 : Source

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FEATURED

Target Zuma: What is the EFF’s post #PayBackTheMoney game plan?

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Rio: Beneath the spangles and the samba, a recurring cycle of dearth and excess

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Film review: Spotlight – when the pen was mightier than the Catholic Church

By MARIANNE THAMM.

Health-E News: The Age of Alzheimer’s

By KERRY CULLINAN for HEALTH-E NEWS.

US ’16: Who’s Progressive and who’s not?

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The Rivers’ rerun: A crucial Nigerian local election nobody’s watching

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The athlete’s gamble: Early specialisation or diversification?

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Cricket: Caught on the back foot and scorned by Boycott

By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Blitzboks: Looking good even while losing

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OPINIONS

Op-Ed: It is all about political capital

By STEPHEN GROOTES.

Op-Ed: SA Government’s numbers game

By MARIANNE MERTEN.

Obituary: Godfrey Cleinwerck
By MARIANNE MERTEN.

Ismail Lagardien: Jacob Zuma and the rise and fall of the ANC

Hagen Engler: Towards A White Wokeness

Herman Mashaba: The first things we have to get right

Rubio falters in presidential debate, offering hope to rivals