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The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel took another step into open antisemitism today when student activists in South Africa placed the severed head of a pig in the kosher meat section of a Woolworths store in Cape Town. The shocking gesture was aimed, the perpetrators said, at preventing “people who will not eat pork to pretend that they are eating clean meat, when it is sold by hands dripping with the blood of Palestinian children.” Jewish leaders were quick to condemn the act, organized by the Congress of South African Students (COSAS,) a body affiliated with the...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcEL-NlxBk0There is widespread allegation -- really a slander -- that Israel is an apartheid state. That notion is simply wrong. It is inaccurate and it is malicious. And it will not help to promote peace and harmony in the Middle East. Its only purpose is to demonize Israel, and to isolate her in an attempt to de-legitimize Israel's existence. And because it is so inaccurate, it betrays the memory of those who suffered through a real apartheid. As a black South African, who was born under apartheid, in the administrative capital of South Africa, Pretoria, I know what apartheid is....

The sudden slump in oil prices, which have fallen 15% in the past three months, has sent tremors through the capitals of the world’s great oil powers, many of whom could face testing budget crunches if the tendency persists. Higher output coupled with weaker demand from China and Europe has driven the price of crude down to $85 – its lowest for four years. The US also now produces 65% more oil than it did five years ago following the boom in shale production. The rise has contributed to the global glut of crude and allowed the US to import...

So much for that moderate Islam. (via Religion of Peace) South Africa’s controversial first gay-friendly mosque, which also allows Christian worshippers and women to lead prayers, was damaged by a fire overnight, its founder and the police said Saturday. I’m not sure how this even qualifies as a mosque if there are Christians leading prayers. Clearly a lot of Muslims felt the same way. The mosque has faced fierce criticism and threats of violence from Muslims with 14 national and provincial organizations representing the Muslim community across South Africa issuing a joint statement condemning Hargey’s plans.According to an AFP report,...

San Francisco politicians, eager to showcase their democratic credentials in their liberty-loving city, traditionally have not shied from taking stances on human rights, checking in on everything from apartheid in South Africa to Burma’s military junta. But on Wednesday, as tens of thousands of peaceful democracy demonstrators who had already been tear-gassed marched in Hong Kong, Mayor Ed Lee was on his City Hall balcony hoisting the flag of the target of those protests — the autocratic government of China.

"India desires a peaceful and stable environment for its development," Modi said, when delivering a speech for the first time as prime minister of India to the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly, which entered its fourth day here in New York. Noting that a country's destiny is linked to its neighborhood, Modi said "That is why my government has placed the highest priority on advancing friendship and cooperation with her neighbors." "This includes Pakistan." Modi said he is prepared to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism,...

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, on August 12, 2014. It was his first official visit to the Russian Federation as President. And Vladimir Putin was the first leader to invite him for a visit outside the Arab world since his swearing-in as head of state. The agenda included introduction to a selection of Russian military hardware for sale. (1) The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in the field of arms exports to Egypt in addition to studying the establishment of a logistics center Masri on the Black...

During last week’s African Aerospace and Defence show in South Africa Denel Dynamics revealed that the Marlin active radar-guided missile will undertake its first flight test early next year. This will be a ground-launched ballistic trial at the Overberg Test Range to examine the missile’s basic flight systems. Successful completion of this phase will lead to programmed tests of the missile’s guidance systems, before closed-loop guidance tests are undertaken, in which the seeker controls the guidance system. In the meantime, the seeker will undergo ground-based fly-over and captive-carry tests. Marlin is being developed to a South African DoD/Armscor contract for...

A South African opposition lawmaker wanted to get a point across to the deputy president during a parliamentary debate. So he raised his middle finger in a gesture widely recognized as obscene. South Africa’s parliament is supposed to be an enclave of orderly debate, but these days it’s better known for ruckuses associated with the Economic Freedom Fighters, a new political party that wants to redistribute resources to the poor.Floyd Shivambu, a deputy leader of the party, on Wednesday lifted his middle finger toward Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa while accusing him of involvement in the police killings of several dozen...

DEVELOPING: Judge finds Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide, or negligent killing, in shooting of girlfriend.

Brazil and South Africa may merge their defence research bases to jointly conquer world markets. In Brazil to attend the III IDB-Brazil Show, Trevor Raman, the Director-General of the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor), a public company linked to the Department of Defense of South Africa, recalled the partnership between the two countries in the development of technology for creating the A-Darter air-to-air missile. In his opinion, even before the success of the venture, the next step is to strengthen cooperation and seek to manufacture products that are competitive on the world market. "This project was challenging for both...

More rhinos were killed by poachers last year in Africa than ever before. In 2014 the dubious record looks set to be broken again. The black market price for rhino horn is now considerably higher than cocaine. Poachers from Mozambique's poorest villages sneak into South Africa, heavily armed under the cover of darkness. They are here to hunt rhinos. The money they make from just one rhino horn is enough to feed their families for months. It’s a payoff worth risking their lives for. Between 1990 and 2007 poachers killed on average 14 rhinos a year in South Africa. Last...

A disabled boy wants to be able to sue the Cape Town based Foetal Assessment Centre over its failure to inform his mother that he had down syndrome before he was born. The child's mother said that had the Foetal Assessment Centre properly informed her of the risks of down syndrome, she would have terminated the pregnancy. The mother missed the window period to file a claim on her own behalf.

After recently ending its arms embargo against Pakistan, Moscow seems set to go through with a deal to sell MI-35 attack helicopters to the South Asian nation, ostensibly to assist it in its war against Islamist militants. This sale has little precedent; Pakistan and India’s Cold War alliances, with the U.S. and Russia respectively, have largely endured to this day. After 9/11 especially, Pakistan was a major recipient of American aid and military equipment, while India maintained its strategic relationship with Russia by continuing to be its biggest weapons buyer.

The impetus underlying China’s manifold interests in the Middle East remains a topic of close scrutiny. The dramatic social and political changes that are taking root in the region portend a vastly different geopolitical cartography in contrast with previous arrangements. These circumstances yield important implications for the people of the Middle East and foreign powers, such as the United States with longstanding strategic interests in the region. Owing to its notable inroads into the Middle East in recent years, China also is watching regional events unfold with great interest. Due to its increasing demand for Middle Eastern oil and natural...

Several million Zimbabweans left for South Africa and other countries during past economic turmoil. Now, a year after the re-election of longtime leader Robert Mugabe, the country is facing new financial hardships. Zimbabwe's unemployment rate is estimated at 80 percent, pushing many people try to earn a living as street traders.

Denel sees a future for the Rooivalk combat helicopter and is engaging with the Department of Defence and Armscor on the future production of the aircraft, according to Denel Group CEO Riaz Saloojee. Saloojee was speaking during the presentation of Denel’s annual financial results on Friday. “Given the capabilities of this aircraft…there will be a future for this platform,” he said. Denel has acknowledged the “excellent performance of the Rooivalk combat support helicopter during deployment as part of peace support operations in Africa,” where it “made a significant impact on the peace enforcement in the region.” “The successful deployment of...

Almost three years after it announced plans to produce a low-cost, multirole aircraft for military and civilian duties, South Africa’s Paramount Group has completed the first public flight of its AHRLAC design. Paramount Group The advanced high-performance reconnaissance light aircraft’s formal debut was performed at Wonderboom airport in Pretoria on 13 August – just over a month after Paramount unveiled the prototype on 10 July. Flight testing of the type has now reached a total of around 5h, the company says. According to its developer, AHRLAC “integrates designs from attack helicopters, surveillance platforms and reconnaissance aircraft with the ability to...

South African President Jacob Zuma voiced outrage Monday over civilian deaths in Israel’s campaign in Gaza but distanced himself from calls to expel the Israeli ambassador, AFP reported. “We are outraged by the killing of civilians by Israel, some in United Nations shelters,” Zuma was quoted as having told a news conference in Washington where he was attending a U.S.-Africa summit. “We call upon all sides to lay down arms and work towards a negotiated solution that will lead to an internationally recognized and supported two-state solution,” he said. Zuma also condemned the killings of Israeli civilians by the Hamas...