European Central Bank policymaker Ewald Nowotny has warned against kicking Russian banks out of the SWIFT payments transfer system as part of tighter sanctions on Moscow, the Austria Press Agency quoted him as saying on Thursday. Such a move “we would see as very problematic because it could perhaps undermine confidence in this system,” the
Hunger is the secret to long life says landgrabbing Mugabe
The secret to a long life, says Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who has just turned 91, is “not filling my stomach”. His country has been struggling with food shortages since his drive to chase white farmers from their properties. In an interview televised this week ahead of a huge birthday party in Victoria Falls, Mugabe
Read more: Hunger is the secret to long life says landgrabbing Mugabe
SA issues BRICS visas
Business and diplomatic travellers from South Africa’s BRICS partners will receive port of entry visas into the country, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Thursday. “I have approved the issuance of port of entry visas to BRICS business executives for up to 10 years, with each visit not to exceed 30 days,” he told
Russia, Cyprus signs military port deal
Ties between Russia and the West have plummeted in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, but Putin said the ships allowed to dock at Cypriot ports would mostly be used in international anti-terrorism and piracy efforts. “I don’t think this should worry anyone,” he said. Cyprus, which is heavily dependent on Russian investment, played down
Israel turns off power to Palestinians
The Los Angeles Times reports Israel cut the power to more than 700,000 Palestinians in two of Palestine’s largest urban areas, Nablus and Jenin, for more than 45 minutes “and warned that more outages are coming if Palestinian officials don’t pay millions of dollars in outstanding debt.” Citing Yiftah Ron-Tal, the director of Israel Electric
British politicians for sale
Two former ministers were caught on tape saying they would use their political influence in exchange for payouts
Two former ministers were caught on tape saying they would use their political influence in exchange for payouts
Russia plans own space station
Russia announced plans Tuesday evening to continue operating the International Space Station until 2024 — but afterwards, it will take its modules away to form its own space station. The ISS, which was assembled in orbit between 1998 and 2011, is made up mainly of modules owned by NASA and Roscosmos (the Russian space agency),
‘Mein Kampf’ returning to German bookshops
“This book is too dangerous for the general public,” library historian Florian Sepp warned as he carefully laid a first edition of “Mein Kampf” — Adolf Hitler’s autobiographical manifesto of hate — on a table in a restricted reading room of the Bavarian State Library. Nevertheless, the book that once served as a kind of
Soros, Ford shovel millions to control Internet
George Soros and the Ford Foundation have lavished groups supporting the administration’s “net neutrality” agenda, donating $196 million and landing proponents on the White House staff, according to a new report. And now, as the Federal Communications Commission nears approving a type of government control over the Internet, the groups are poised to declare victory
Farmers struggle with new fuel taxes, no drought relief
Agriculture is being punished, farmers’ organisation TAU SA said on Wednesday. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s 2015/16 budget increased fuel taxes and made no allocation towards drought relief. “With the current severe drought, we would have liked that the minister [of finance] would have made an allocation for drought relief in advance,” TAU SA said in
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Spy leaks: SA’s disdain for Israel’s cynical African policies
Secret documents obtained by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit expose a deep disdain by South Africa’s spies for their Israeli counterparts, with intelligence assessments accusing Israel of conducting “cynical” polices in Africa that include “fuelling insurrection,” “appropriating diamonds” and sabotaging Egypt’s water supply. A secret analysis from South African intelligence also dismisses a tour of African
Read more: Spy leaks: SA’s disdain for Israel’s cynical African policies
Britain heading for near total solar eclipse
Britain’s most complete solar eclipse in 16 years will block out as much as 90 percent of sunlight across parts of the UK and Europe next month. The moon will pass in front of the sun on Friday, March 20, casting a large shadow over the Earth. The partial eclipse will last for around two
France will not send military, arms to Kiev
France has no plans of sending military instructors or delivering equipment to Ukraine as opposed to Great Britain, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday. On Tuesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Britain would send instructors to Ukraine to train the country’s military, Sputniknews reported. “Great Britain has taken a hardline to the
War does not love British PM back
UK Prime Minister David Cameron certainly loves war. But events in Iran, Libya, Syria and now Ukraine, show that war does not love Cameron back, making him look rather like a dull schoolyard bully, oblivious to how he has actively contributed to global chaos. Cameron actively supported the 2011 military operation in Libya. Back in