While you were sleeping: 25 April 2016

Guinea holds dubious elections. Yemen hits back at militants, and scientists explore ethical culling.

By John Stupart

25 Apr 2016

"Things explain each other, not themselves."

– George Oppen

Story of the Day

Shifting sands: DA comes of age in fast changing political landscape
The Democratic Alliance (DA), like the ANC last weekend, made a strategic choice about where to launch its 2016 local government elections manifesto. Johannesburg is one of the metros the DA wants to wrestle away from the ANC, so it had to make a big splash. This was the first event the DA had hosted in a stadium and the party demonstrated that its support is not insignificant. As desperation and infighting continues to define the dialogue in the ANC, the DA, while still occasionally tripping over its shoelaces, is finally growing some chest hair. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

While you were sleeping

Guinea set to re-elect president
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo appeared to be on track to extend his 36-year reign as Equatorial Guinea's president. With the country going to the polls, major opposition parties have boycotted the elections, citing massive corruption and electoral fraud.
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Yemen kills 800 al Qaeda militants
A series of Yemeni military operations has killed around 800 al Qaeda-affiliated militants. Backed by air strikes from its Arab coalition, Yemeni troops wrestled Al Mukalla back, and captured a nearby oil terminal in the province.
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Anzac Day sees services worldwide
The commemoration of Australia and New Zealand's role in the battle of the Somme will begin with a dawn service in France today. With over 8,500 troops dying each day of the 141-day battle, including a significant number of South African troops, there will be a number of commemorations over the course of 2016.
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Science seeks ethical end to chick shredding
A team of German scientists may have developed a way to preventing the widespread culling of male chicks at birth. Using a means of detecting the chicken's sex before it is even hatched, and before any nerve cells are formed, the Dresden University team believes they can provide a means of culling a chick that is both painless and more efficient than shredding.
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In Numbers

221

The depth in feet of the deepest secret London Underground tunnel. It was ultimately used to store documents during WWII.

Facts of the Day

Today is World DNA day. It celebrates the initial publishing of the findings on the structure of DNA in 1953.

Fact of the day: The Rosetta Stone is actually a tax document explaining the exemption status of a temple.

Weather & Financial Data

BFN: min: 12° max: 27°, cloudy
CPT: min: 16° max: 21°, rainy
DBN: min: 21° max: 30°, cloudy
EL: min: 21° max: 31°, cloudy
JHB: min: 16° max: 28°, cloudy
KIM: min: 19° max: 28°, cloudy
NLP: min: 15° max: 31°, cloudy
PMB: min: 13° max: 27°, sunny
PKN: min: 15° max: 29°, cloudy
PE: min: 18° max: 25°, cloudy
PTA: min: 11° max: 28°, cloudy

Oil=$44.78 Gold=$1,249.55 Platinum=$1,025.95
R/$=14.30 R/€=16.15 R/£=20.50 $/€=1.12
JSE All Share=53,323.58 DJIA=17,982.52 FTSE 100=6,381.44: Source

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