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While you were sleeping: 26 February 2016

While you were sleeping: 26 February 2016
By John Stupart
26 Feb 2016
0

Trump attacked on all sides, bombing in Mogadishu, and FIFA votes today.

“We are in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by man.”

 – Part of a US warning leaflet dropped in their thousands over Hiroshima before the first atomic bombing.

Story of the Day
It’s Game On, Round One: Hawks’ letter to Pravin Gordhan
At a media briefing this week after delivering his budget speech, Finance Minster Pravin Gordhan remarked that if he still occupied his position in October he had political support and if not, he didn’t. While rumours have been circulating that the Hawks were preparing to charge former senior SARS officials as well as Gordhan in relation to a “rogue unit”, it has now emerged that the Hawks have indeed sent a letter to Gordhan in an attempt to establish his “culpability” in the establishment of the unit. There is now no doubt that, behind the scenes, Gordhan has become a target. By MARIANNE THAMM.

While you were sleeping

All aboard the Trump hate train
Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have delivered a major verbal offensive against the Orange Menace. Both candidates accused the latter of repeating the same lines over and over again, and hammered Donald Trump for his lack of specifics. If Trump has one redeeming feature, however, it’s that he has remained steadfast in his defence of Planned Parenthood, regardless of criticism.
Read More

Al Shabaab kill three in Mogadishu attack
A mortar attack in Mogadishu, Somalia has killed three people, including a child. Al Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack, fitting their ongoing guerrilla campaign in the wake of widespread conventional military losses.
Read More

Boko Haram suffer 26 killed in attack
Boko Haram has sustained a loss of 26 who were killed during an attack on a displaced persons camp in Dika, Borno State. The Nigerian military confirmed recovering the 26 bodies, and reported many more militants were injured during the firefight.
Read More

FIFA aims to expunge the rot with vote
Today’s vote will try to clear FIFA’s tarnished image as well as remove Sepp Blatter from the picture entirely. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa is expected to ascend the throne, with UEFA’s Swiss general secretary, Gianni Infantino, a close second. Tokyo Sexwale is a non-contender, particularly after referring to some of the corrupt departures as “lost friends”.
Read More

In Numbers
1500
The number of cassettes found in a case belonging to Osama Bin Laden. At least one of them must have had his mix tape on it.

Facts of the Day
Today in 1815 Napoleon made his famous escape from Elba.

Fact of the day: A proposal has been made for a new error code when blocked from viewing a webpage. Error 451 is suggested to indicate censored web pages. The ‘451’ is a reference to Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’.

Weather & Financial Data
BFN: min: 19° max: 33°, cloudy
CPT: min: 17° max: 25°, cloudy
DBN: min: 22° max: 39°, cloudy
EL: min: 22° max: 26°, rainy
JHB: min: 18° max: 30°, rainy
KIM: min: 22° max: 33°, cloudy
NLP: min: 18° max: 33°, rainy
PMB: min: 16° max: 36°, rainy
PKN: min: 19° max: 32°, rainy
PE: min: 19° max: 25°, rainy
PTA: min: 19° max: 31°, rainy
Oil=$35.14 Gold=$1,235.49 Platinum=$927.28
R/$=15.58 R/€=17.19 R/£=21.77 $/€=1.10
JSE All Share=48,373.17 DJIA=16,628.77 FTSE 100=6,012.81 : Source

Now on Daily Maverick
FEATURED
It’s Game On, Round One: Hawks’ letter to Pravin Gordhan
By MARIANNE THAMM.

Post-Budget 2016: Greed isn’t good. A kleptocracy looms unless we change our ethics – Pravin Gordhan
By MARIANNE MERTEN.

Markets of Death, Part Two: Blood Permits – how cheating officials undermine wildlife regulations
by DON PINNOCK.

KwaZulu-Natal: Stuck between Gordhan and the unpaid traditional leaders
By CYRIL MADLALA.

Cosatu: Back in the ANC’s corner
By GREG NICOLSON.

Multilingualism: Pan South African Language Board going nowhere slowly, haemorrhaging millions
By MARIANNE THAMM.

It’s Game On, Round One: Hawks’ letter to Pravin Gordhan
By MARIANNE THAMM.

Post-Budget 2016: Greed isn’t good. A kleptocracy looms unless we change our ethics – Pravin Gordhan
By MARIANNE MERTEN.

Markets of Death, Part Two: Blood Permits – how cheating officials undermine wildlife regulations
by DON PINNOCK.

Great SA Drought: Inefficiency leaves the most precarious high and dry
By YVES VANDERHAEGEN & DONNA HORNBY.

How not to deliver a budget, the Nigerian edition
By SIMON ALLISON.

KwaZulu-Natal: Stuck between Gordhan and the unpaid traditional leaders
By CYRIL MADLALA.

Cosatu: Back in the ANC’s corner
By GREG NICOLSON.

Multilingualism: Pan South African Language Board going nowhere slowly, haemorrhaging millions
By MARIANNE THAMM.

Fifa’s presidential election: Sheikh Salman of No Doubt
By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

OPINIONS
Sisonke Msimang: The strongest victims in the world

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