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South Africa

While you were sleeping: 7 October 2016

Obama declares emergency in Georgia ahead of Hurrican Matthew, FARC rebels go back to the bush, and largest Brazilian dinosaur literally comes out the closet.
Hurricane Matthew preparations in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
John Stupart
By John Stupart
7 Oct 2016
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"In all the world, in all the worlds, in all the immensity of time, there is no other like each of those streams, rising cold out of the earth where no eye sees it, running through the sunlight and the darkness to the sea. Deep are the springs of being, deeper than life, than death..."

– Ursula Le Guin

When Jacob met Thuli: President stonewalls Public Protector on state capture probe 

On Thursday, President Jacob Zuma and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela held their last official meeting in their current roles. It was not so the president could bid farewell to Madonsela and thank her for seven years of distinguished public service. Zuma was being interviewed as part of the Public Protector’s investigation into state capture by his friends, the Guptas. Zuma has obviously learnt nothing from the Nkandla fiasco. He has once more resorted to his “Stalingrad” strategy of obfuscating and dragging things out rather than providing straight answers. And Madonsela might have run out of time to crank open the Gupta chamber of secrets. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.
Read more

Story of the Day

While you were sleeping

Obama declares emergency in Georgia

After "monster storm" Hurricane Matthew killed over a 260 people in Haiti, President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Georgia. Florida's coast has shut down and had 90% of its flights cancelled. With winds now exceeding 130 miles per hour (that's 210 km/h), things will be getting very dangerous. Read More

Pound plummets in 'flash crash'

The pound hit its lowest level since 1985, dropping to $1.1841, before it reboundedslightly. The curious thing, however, is the reason for the crash was not entirely clear to traders. With many blaming Theresa May's comments on Brexit this week, this still did not explain the enormous, sudden plummet the pound experienced. Read More

FARC rebels return to the bush

After a surprise referendum result that unravelled the FARC-Colombian peace deal, thousands of rebels have returned to their jungle hideouts. The move, in civvies and unarmed, is not yet a major threat, but does not bode well for future peace prospects. Read More

Brazil's largest dinosaur emerges from cupboard

Pieces of Brazil's largest dinosaur, a 25m herbivore, have been unearthed after spending 60 years in a cupboard. The wait, it seems, was for a laboratory to 'mature' to the point where the giant spinal bones could be identified. The fossils are 66 million years old, so what's another six decades? Read More

In Numbers

13

The number of hours of surgery required for doctors to complete Marine veteran John Peck'sdouble arm transplant.

Facts of the Day

Today in 2001 saw the start of the Global War on Terror. This began with the invasion of Afghanistan.

When Australian driver Alan Jones won the 1977 Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix, nobody had a copy of his national anthem. Since they were unaware that it was 'God save the Queen', a drunk person played 'Happy Birthday' on a trumpet.

Weather

Financial Data

BFN: min: 10° max: 26°,cloudy
CPT: min: 11° max: 19°, cloudy
DBN: min: 17° max: 21°, rainy
EL: min: 16° max: 21°, cloudy
JHB: min: 5° max: 29°, sunny
KIM: min: 12° max: 26°, sunny
NLP: min: 14° max: 28°, cloudy
PMB: min: 12° max: 17°, cloudy
PKN: min: 15° max: 31°, sunny
PE: min: 13° max: 18°, cloudy
PTA: min: 12° max: 30°, sunny

Oil=$52.64
Gold=$1,254.26
Platinum=$964.90
R/$=13.88
R/€=15.47
R/£=17.29
€/$=1.11
JSE All Share=51,610.78
DJIA= 18,268.50
FTSE 100=6,999.96
Source

Now on Daily Maverick

 

FEATURES  

Photo: [Left] South African president Jacob Zuma reacts during a<br />question and answer session in Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, 17<br />March 2016. EPA/SUMAYA HISHAM; [Right] Public Protector Thuli Madonsela,<br />Picture: Greg Nicolson/Daily MaverickWhen Jacob met Thuli: President stonewalls Public Protector on state capture probe 
By Ranjeni Munusamy
GROOTES-SPYTAPES-SUBBEDM(1).jpgNew civil society coalition calls for President Zuma to resign 
By Daily Maverick Staff Reporter
Photo: Student protesters give flowers to Police forces as ongoing<br />protests continue against the cost of higher education at the University of<br />the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, 04 October 2016. EPA/KIM<br />LUDBROOKDA: Subsidise universities and reform NSFAS 
By Greg Nicolson
Photo: Students and supporters protest in support of the #FeesMustFall<br />campaign at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, 04 October<br />2016. EPA/NIC BOTHMAOp-Ed: The crisis in our universities is a symptom of a wider social crisis 
By Vashna Jagarnath
Photo: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio<br />Manuel de Oliveira Guterres informs the media about the Launch of<br />UNHCR’s global Statelessness campaign during a press conference at<br />the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, 903<br />November 2014. EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFIAntonio Guterres: A new figurehead for the old world order 
By Simon Allison
Main photo: Ashraf HendricksGroundUp: Which universities are open and which are not 
By GroundUp
Photo: President of Zimbawe Robert Mugabe (C) addresses thousands of<br />Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) supporters while his wife Grace<br />Mugabe (R) watches on at Harare International airport, Harare, Zimbabwe, 24<br />September 2016. Mugabe was returning from the 71st session of the United<br />Nations General Assembly in New York, USA. EPA/AARON UFUMELIICG: Confrontation in Zimbabwe turns increasingly violent 
By International Crisis Group
Photo: Freddy Bangelesa of the DRC, Courage Chemere of Zimbabwe and<br />Calvin Opiti of Kenya are international students at Wits. Photo: Cecilia<br />JohnsonGroundUp: Wits international students worry about possible loss of academic year 
By GroundUp
Main photo: Regional Consultation on Drug Policy Reform in West Africa<br />19 – 20 January, 2016 in Accra, Ghana ahead of the UNGASS 2016.Op-Ed: Drug Policy Reform gets a Foothold in West Africa 
By Leandre Banon
Photo: A boy runs with a peace flag as the results of the peace deal<br />referendum are announced in Bogota, Colombia, 02 October 2016. Colombians<br />voted ‘No’ to the peace pact signed less than a week ago<br />between the government and the FARC guerrillas. EPA/LEONARDO MUNOZICG: Re-assembling Colombia’s rejected peace deal 
By International Crisis Group
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) awards Kyrgyz President<br />Almazbek Atambayev (R) with an Order of Alexander Nevsky during a meeting<br />on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Heads of<br />Government summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 17 September 2016. EPA/IGOR<br />KOVALENKOICG: Kyrgyzstan – State Fragility and Radicalisation 
By International Crisis Group
Photo: Armed Houthi supporters attend a gathering to mobilise more<br />fighters into several battlefronts, in Sana’a, Yemen, 02 October<br />2016. According to reports, the Houthi rebels mobilized more fighters to<br />support their militias and allied troops fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni<br />government forces in several positions across war-torn Yemen. EPA/YAHYA<br />ARHABICG: The United States must help pull Yemen back from total collapse 
By International Crisis Group

OPINIONISTA

tony-beamish.jpgWhen the Constitutional Court blows it 
By Tony Beamish
Andrew-Gasnolar.jpgGood Samaritans – but not government – help a sand-bogged community Overcome its hardships 
By Andrew Ihsaan Gasnolar
still-a-boy copy.jpgLove in a time of visa applications redux, now with an added VFS boost 
By Antoinette Muller

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