notthenews

One man's view of the news

British Firms Buy Chiadzwa ‘Blood’ Diamonds

| June 19, 2010

British and Belgian companies have been buying diamonds from the Chiadzwa fields while their governments claim the gems are “bloody” and Zimbabwe should not be given Kimberley Process Certification to export them.

Jailed for breaking into Jail

| June 19, 2010

A Mozambican man, Macamelo Antonio, 28, was sentenced to 1 year for destroying state property after he used a hammer and crowbar to break back into prison. Mr Antonio had just been released for good behaviour from a 10 year sentence.

Get A Life, It Is The World Cup!

| June 15, 2010

“Allowing people to take time out to watch football during working hours is simply too costly, untimely, and unfair,” so says Willem Smit, a researcher at the Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland.

Headline Figures Don’t Make Happy People

| June 8, 2010

Exactly who are these people? Who are these analysts, forecasters and experts that come up with this kind of talk that dominates our news stories?

“Some Things Were Better Under Apartheid”

| June 4, 2010

Ian Smith , rebel leader of then Rhodesia, was reported to take great delight in telling all and sundry about the fact that many Zimbabwean ‘Africans’ he met told him that life was better under his regime than under the new independent Zimbabwe.

Money Talks: When Big Money And Governments Collide

| June 3, 2010

Mining group Xstrata has halted investment worth A$586m in two mines in Queensland, Australia because of the government’s proposed new tax on mining profits (BBC News – Xstrata shelves investment in Australia mining tax row).  Xstrata’s move adds to the pressure being exerted by the other mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Lonrho on [...]

Money Talks: Aid Saves Gays in Malawi

| June 3, 2010

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has admitted that he pardoned a gay couple sentenced to 14 years because he was concerned about international aid.

Lighting Woes – Funny World

| June 2, 2010

As Swansea council have decided to switch off around 1,500 street lights in in search of savings up to £100,000 a year, Cape Town in South Africa’s city bosses are to keep the lights on round the clock to deter thieves of a surging crime wave involving the theft of electricity cables blighting the city.