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While you were sleeping: 11 August 2017

While you were sleeping: 11 August 2017
John Stupart
By John Stupart
11 Aug 2017
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Trump ups the rhetoric against North Korea, van Niekerk misses out on another gold, and piglets gene-coded in medical breakthrough.





TGIF, 11 August 2017


“Science is magic that works.” 
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.




 



 















From the time of the notorious 2013 Sun City wedding, the Guptas’ activities in South Africa have attracted a great deal of negative international media attention. Indeed, the reputational damage caused by the Guptas’ state capture to the global image of South Africa is probably incalculable. But one man might be able to help calculate it: Ajay Gupta, who for a full decade – until 2016 – sat on the board of Brand South Africa. That’s the body responsible for crafting a positive image of South Africa overseas. 





 



 



 









Trump and Korea ratchet up rhetoric



It appeared on Thursday that President Donald Trump and North Korea are upping the ante, with the former telling Dear Leader to be "very, very nervous". Both countries are scaling up the verbiage ahead of a planned August missile launch by the North. Trump's response so far has been to play stupid diplomatic games, possibly resulting in the winning of stupid nuclear prizes.





 





Van Niekerk misses out on double, but SA medal tally now best ever haul



Wayde van Niekerk lost out on a gold medal and doing the 200/400m double in less time than what it takes to even form a coherent thought. But his silver medal took South Africa's tally to five - the country's best ever haul at the IAAF World Championships.





 









Gene-coded piglets pave way for medical breakthroughs



Hold on to your bacon, medical science just got interesting. Scientists have successfully customised the genetic code of piglets to eradicate several dormant viral infections. In doing so, the pathway for animal-to-human organ transplants might well be possible. The team of Harvard geneticists were able to successfully edit the embryonic cells of a pig and place them into a surrogate using the standard clone technique. If you're clutching your Bible right now, bear in mind that your morning bacon could well hold the key to saving millions of lives.





 





McIlroy suffers serious setback at Quail Hollow



Rory McIlroy's hopes for a fifth major were severely dashed on Thursday, after firing a one-over 72 and placing 33. McIlroy had been looking far better until a bogey on the 13th, a double bogey on the 14th, and a missed par putt on the 15th. McIlroy will have to hope for both a fantastic next round of golf and a series of disasters for his fellow competitors.





 









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IN NUMBERS


19



The century that saw "dude" introduced as a popular slang term.





 









FACTS OF THE DAY



Today in 1972 saw the last American combat unit leave Vietnam.


During filming for the Wolf of Wall Street, Jonah Hill had to be hospitalised for snorting too much fake cocaine.





 
















 









FEATURED ARTICLES














































































































































OPINIONISTAS



















































The Other News Round-Up: Plastic Fantastic


A column by MARELISE VAN DER MERWE



 










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