South Africa, World
While you were sleeping: 29 May 2017
Laptop travel ban could be expanded globally, North Korea fires another missile, and Germany warns of "unreliable" US and Britain.
Monday, 29 May 2017
“Never give up! Even Moses was a basket case.”
Church sign in Cape Town
STORY OF THE DAY
TRAINSPOTTER: The Escape to Dubai, and other
By RICHARD POPLAK
We now know that President Jacob Zuma and his entourage have attempted to purchase for themselves a great, gilded oil-soaked escape hatch. This country has suffered many atrocities, slights and insults. So perhaps it’s
US laptop ban may be extended worldwide
US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly indicated on Sunday that the United States may well extend the current laptop ban to carriers worldwide. Kelly reiterated America’s desire to “raise the bar” on airline travel safety. Banning laptops is apparently the epitome of such a strategy. Although the ban has already proved to have a negative effect on airline profits, the world’s carriers will probably have no choice but to comply.
North Korea fires ballistic missile
Starved of media attention for a week, North Korea tested another missile. The short-range weapon test flew for six minutes and landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japan issued a characteristic condemnation and a vow to never let such things rest. In reality, however, that’s precisely what the region will continue to do.
Sunday saw Heathrow Airport delay or cancel hundreds of flights in the wake of a crippling IT error. The airport’s check-in system had suffered a massive crash due to what the boffins believe was a “power supply issue”. One has to wonder whether they’ve tried turning it off and on again.
Germany warns of
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned the European Union that the United States and Britain are no longer reliable allies. Speaking on Sunday, Merkel advised that the EU “must take its fate into its own hands”. Donald Trump’s failure at a Nato summit to re-endorse Article 5, which guarantees military aid should any member nation be attacked, was in part fuel for the German fire.
IN NUMBERS
800
The number of awards the Lord of the Rings trilogy was nominated for. They won 475 of them, making it the most awarded film series in the history of moving pictures.
FACTS OF THE DAY
Today in 1999 Olusegun Obasanjo takes office in Nigeria. He was the first elected official after 16 years of military rule.
The Ying and Yang symbol predates Taoism by 700 years. It was a shield logo in ancient Rome.
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