Newsdeck

Newsdeck

While you were sleeping: 22 December 2016

While you were sleeping: 22 December 2016

UN votes to create Syrian war crimes unit, Trump gets fed up with F-35 project, and Petersen banned for two years.

Thursday, 22nd December

“Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.”
G.K. Chesterton

 
 

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Syrian war crimes unit to be established

The United Nations voted on Wednesday to create a war crimes evidence-building unit specifically focusing on Syria. Opposed by Russia, China and Iran amongst others, the body will gather testimony and other evidence in the civil war that has killed roughly 300,000 civilians.

 

Trump meets generals over F-35

Donald Trump has met with top military officials to discuss the ballooning costs of the F-35 project. America’s most expensive jet project to date, the costs of the troubled aircraft could reach as high as $1.5 trillion. Combined with Trump’s dislike for the new Air Force One’s costs, and aerospace companies clearly now have no friend in Trump Tower.

 

Ban placed on former Protea

Alviro Petersen was banned from cricket for two years by Cricket South Africa. Petersen, a veteran of many test matches and a regular with the Johannesburg Lions, was banned on corruption charges relating to meetings held with match fixers.

 

British defence dept loses hundreds of laptops

More than 700 laptops and over 300 memory sticks have gone missing in the past year and a half in Britain’s Ministry of Defence. The loss included encrypted laptops from several departments. At the very least one hopes the login passwords were more complicated than the Queen’s birth date.

 
 — 

FEATURED ARTICLES

2016: A Big Year for Putin

BY SAIF ISLAM

 

Op-Ed: A 2017 Springbok Wish List

BY DANIEL GALLAN

 

OPINIONISTAS

A Common Thread

A column by PAUL HOFFMAN

 
Gallery

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Daily Maverick Elections Toolbox

Feeling powerless in politics?

Equip yourself with the tools you need for an informed decision this election. Get the Elections Toolbox with shareable party manifesto guide.