--- title: "While you were sleeping: 30 March" description: "Argentina raises Falklands issue. Again. Colombian soldier endures 23 days in jungle, and Djokovic advances to quarters in Miami." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-30-while-you-were-sleeping-30-march/" published: "2016-03-30T06:03:39" updated: "2016-03-30T06:05:46" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 938 --- # While you were sleeping: 30 March > Argentina raises Falklands issue. Again. Colombian soldier endures 23 days in jungle, and Djokovic advances to quarters in Miami. By John Stupart · Published 30 March 2016, 08:03 SAST · Updated 30 March 2016, 08:05 SAST ## Content | \| \\| **Wednesday, 30th March***"No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair."* **– General George S. Patton** --- \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \| | | --- | | \| \\| # Story of the Day \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| ![Image](//gallery.mailchimp.com/6170d6a6d93cac57e83ba137f/images/930dd6aa-7279-4c55-98b3-4e22494bac37.jpg) \\| \\| --- \\| \\| [A tangled mess: SA local elections in real jeopardy](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-30-a-tangled-mess-sa-local-elections-in-real-jeopardy/) With so much of the political posturing currently on display by the political players, it is sometimes missed that this year’s local government elections are in grave danger. The Tlokwe case, soon to be argued before the Constitutional Court, could reach a conclusion where judges decide it is not possible to hold a free and fair election in South Africa right now. It may not have seemed so just two weeks ago, when the Independent Electoral Commission submitted its papers, but the arguments submitted by the independent candidates who started this whole process are seriously strong. This is a Gordian Knot that will require all the wisdom of our Constitutional Court judges to untangle. By STEPHEN GROOTES. \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # While you were sleeping \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Syrian soldiers continue offensive** Syrian regime forces have pressed their advantage even further, advancing on Al-Qaryatayn. The town, occupied by ISIL since August 2015, looks set to fall as ISIL are dealt successive blows by Syrian troops, backed by Russian air strikes. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-30-syria-army-keeps-pressure-on-is-after-palmyra-capture) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Falkland Islanders reject Argentinian claims** A newly released UN report on Argentina's continental shelf has bolstered the country's attempts to claim the Falklands. The islanders, meanwhile, have strongly rejected such statements, and noted that the report made zero assertions about the sovereignty of the British isle. Somewhere far off, the first pipes of 'Rule Britannia' can be heard amid the flutter of naval ensigns. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-29-falklands-rejects-argentine-claims-over-un-maritime-ruling) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Serbia to recompensate Holocaust victims** Serbia has just passed an 'heirless property restitution law'. In doing so, ownerless Jewish properties will be restored to the Association of Jewish Communities. This is one of the first such laws worldwide, and seeks to restore some semblance of justice to the fewer than 1 000 surviving Serbian Jews, after 80% of its 1942 population of 33,000 Jewish residents were killed in World War ll. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-30-serbia-returns-seized-property-of-holocaust-victims-to-jews) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Colombian soldier survives 23-day jungle ordeal** A Colombian soldier separated from his unit on the 5th March has finally been reunited with humanity. Orlando Sanchez had only his rifle, ammunition, canteen and explosives to keep him company. While evading FARC rebels and eating raw turtle, Sanchez kept his sanity by singing rap songs to himself. Because when all else fails, there's [fiddy](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fiddy) at your side. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-29-colombian-soldier-survives-three-weeks-lost-in-jungle) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Djokovic advances to quarterfinals** Novak Djokovic has defeated Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4 to go to the ATP Miami Open quarters. Looking a little wobbly, Djokovic defeated Thiem after a bit of a struggle with ongoing double faults. This is his 13th straight victory. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-30-top-ranked-djokovic-battles-into-miami-quarters) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # In Numbers \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **4.19/km²** \\| \\| --- \\|\\| The dollar price per km² paid by United States to buy Alaska. This was purchased today in 1867 for a whopping $7.2 million. \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Facts of the Day \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **Today in 1972 saw the beginning of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive.** The aftermath of this battle helped propel peace negotiations in Paris. **Fact of the day: Keanu Reeves used part of his profits from The Matrix to buy all the stuntmen motorbikes.** \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Weather & Financial Data \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| BFN: min: 16° max: 29°, cloudy CPT: min: 17° max: 21°, rainy DBN: min: 21° max: 36°, sunny EL: min: 21° max: 29°, cloudy JHB: min: 11° max: 29°, sunny KIM: min: 16° max: 33°, sunny NLP: min: 11° max: 33°, sunny PMB: min: 12° max 34°, sunny PKN: min: 13° max: 30°, sunny PE: min: 18° max: 27°, cloudy PTA: min: 15° max: 28°, sunny \\| \\| --- \\|\\| Oil=$39.24 Gold=$1,241.10 Platinum=$967.75 R/$=15.11 R/€=17.08 R/£=21.79 $/€=1.12 JSE All Share=51,787.20 DJIA=17,633.22 FTSE 100=6,105.90 [Source](http://emma.thewww.dailymaverick.co.za/servlet/link/3890/618590/129788333/3233800) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Now on Daily Maverick \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **FEATURES** \\\| ![Photo by GollyGforce - Living My Worst Nightmare, via Flickr](//ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/41vG-tOyO0zMZmpj1e5knVo4jBXWdockBSJkMZTPAaDdKMN8STDGtX4m2i8sk9KPATX2z76Y-wlqY__Cnykq2R8pt00iLRjxccy0K8y3dabnKnW43Uzr1lQ6YtCAUY3B7cdlyQTEnLQLwwW-Vd2vBKSdCUus20BaRt_Jtq8cU0wgWQ=s0-d-e1-ft#http://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/80x70q70Grootes-local-elections-in-real-jeopardy.jpg) \\\| [A tangled mess: SA local elections in real jeopardy](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-03-30-a-tangled-mess-sa-local-elections-in-real-jeopardy/) **By Stephen Grootes** \\\| \\\| --- \\\| --- \\\| \\\| ![Image](//ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Dl9y91z3OmpLWVC0ieogxI4-Cfp8dCBMgdMoB3MHg1oWs-Sut8A1c34RoaUHU47kp0Ik3uGwBIvoFUNGDLtb9fI1bSPHvUgLa1cHhb6JM8fdfnfYct97e_JzISei0cVF0g5kjcqnQ8hcmmOm-OqW5ceJc2VUKoJBdQ=s0-d-e1-ft#http://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/80x70q70Glynnis-on-Ntlemeza-appointment.jpg)Ntlemeza. 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