Topic: South Africa

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Gold nears three-week low on stimulus tapering

Gold fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday to a near three-week low after the Bank of Japan opted not to extend its stimulus program, stoking speculation that the era of ultra-loose global monetary policy is coming to an end.
In Nelson Mandela's village of Qunu, prayers and well-wishes

The South African government says the former president is in 'serious but stable condition.'
Global News Blog 'Blade Runner' Pistorius, media darling and party-goer, has murder trial postponed

The Pistorius trial was delayed until August 19 to allow the prosecution more time to sort evidence. Leading judge calls news coverage 'scandalous.'
Africa Monitor Is Nelson Mandela too soft on white South Africans? Robert Mugabe says so.

In a new documentary, the Zimbabwean president says that Mandela 'was too much of a saint' and takes the famous South African to task for not doing enough for the black majority.
A Jewish renaissance, tucked away in a Budapest apartment

Budapest's Teleki Square synagogue has survived two World Wars, the rise of the 'anti-Zionist' Jobbik party, and rotting fixtures – and is now part of a resurgent Jewish community.
Reader recommendation: White Dog Fell from the Sky

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
Opinion Give the kidnapped Cleveland women their privacy – and identity

Many have asked that the women who were held hostage in Cleveland be given privacy to heal. But compassion should involve more than suspending our curiosity. How we actually define people emerging from traumatic experiences can support their healing and the public’s.
Reader recommendation: The Covenant

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
Difference Maker He brought Christianity into the streets to promote civil rights

Episcopal priest Malcolm Boyd has taken the message of Christianity outside the walls of church to champion minority rights and show that God is everywhere.
Africa Monitor UK axes aid to South Africa, says it's time for partnership of equals

The UK will eliminate all aid to South Africa by 2015, the government announced this week. But some say Britain isn't done paying for history.
Change Agent Chris Bradshaw ships books to Africa to help make the impossible possible

The African Library Project has sent 1 million books overseas and built 1,000 libraries in nine different countries.
Africa Monitor Are South Africans 'backward'? Zambia's white VP says so.

In an unfiltered interview with the Guardian last week, Zambian Vice President Guy Scott had fighting words for the continent's economic powerhouse. Now Pretoria is demanding an explanation.
Are 3-D printers worth it?

You can build nearly anything in 3-D, thanks to the increasingly affordable 3-D printers. That raises interesting new questions for designers and hobbyists.
Scientists unravel mystery of cannibal shark embryos

Sand tiger sharks have been known for devouring each other in the womb. Scientists now believe that they can explain why.
Africa Monitor Another BRIC in the wall: Brazil stakes its claim in Africa

With its cultural and linguistic ties to Africa, Brazil may have key advantages over fellow BRIC China.
Was Africa the motherland of dinosaur predecessors?

The ancestors of dinosaurs might have established themselves in present-day Tanzania and Zambia, suggest newly discovered fossils.
Africa Monitor Do African nations have an ulterior motive in joining UN Congo brigade?

A UN 'intervention brigade' will enter the country this summer to fight Congolese rebels. But the countries sending troops have a political agenda as well.
Plant gases help curb global warming, finds study

Plants respond to warming temperatures by emitting vapors that help reflect sunlight, a team of scientists have discovered.
Monkeys imitate local food norms, study finds

The maxim, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' also applies to non-human primates, as scientists discover that wild monkeys have an ability to imitate the social eating behavior of other groups of monkeys.
Global News Blog Don't blame Canada: Former ambassador to Iran on Argo, America, and nukes

Canada's envoy to Tehran at the time of the Islamic revolution and the US hostage crisis, says Argo disappointed him and that he's worried about where Iran's nuclear program might lead.
Africa Monitor In tiny Lesotho, Chinese immigrants set up shop

Several thousand Chinese now work in the mountainous southern African nation as shopkeepers and traders, but some claim their presence undercut local entrepreneurs.
In South Africa, lack of white judicial appointments raises eyebrows

A leaked internal document charges that qualified white candidates are being overlooked for judgeships, sparking new debate about race and transformation in South Africa.
Rhino head heist: Half a million euros' worth stolen from Irish museum

The thieves are expected to try to sell the horns in Asia. Europol claimed in 2011 that most of Europe's illegal rhino trade was committed by a single 'ethnically-Irish organized criminal group.'
New Zealand legalizes gay marriage

On Wednesday, gay rights supporters celebrated the passage of a bill that will allow same-sex couples to marry for the first time in New Zealand. Though thousands of New Zealanders do not support the measure, polls show two-thirds do. Some say the bill may spur a boom in same-sex travelers from nearby Australia.
Primitive fish may shed light on evolution of limbs

Once thought to be extinct, the coelacanth (through its DNA) is aiding scientists in their growing understanding of evolution. When inserted into mice, the fish's DNA causes the mammals to grow limbs. In the fish the same DNA codes for fins, not limbs.