SA Official Fired For Being Drunk At Flower Show – A senior South African official has been fired for allegedly being drunk at the Chelsea flower show in London. SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) board chairperson Tami Sokutu was “released from his position”. [citypress] I’ve heard about a guy making a nuisance of himself at Starke Ayres. I wonder if it’s the same guy..

U.S. Weapons Reaching Syrian Rebels – The CIA has begun delivering weapons to rebels in Syria, ending months of delay in lethal aid that had been promised by the Obama administration, according to U.S. officials and Syrian figures. [washpo]

Geneva Talks Mark Big Test For U.S., Russia – The decisions of the U.S. Congress and the United Nations on how to handle Syria’s chemical weapons now hinge on two days of meetings starting Thursday between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. [wsj]

Francois Hollande Reckons David Cameron Committed ‘Schoolboy Error’ On Syria – David Cameron committed a “schoolboy error” in allowing himself to be beaten in a parliamentary vote over Syria and came out of it “weakened”, Francois Hollande is reported to have said. [telegraph]

Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari Comeback A Headache For Fernando Alonso – Kimi Raikkonen’s return to Ferrari, which was confirmed on Wednesday, may not be exactly what Fernando Alonso wanted and it was certainly not on Felipe Massa’s wish list but it will give Formula One a lift in 2014. [guardian]

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg On NSA Leaks: ‘The Government Blew It’ – Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg came out swinging on revelations that Internet companies have been turning over users’ information to national intelligence agencies. [latimes]

Ruffled Feathers: SA Artist Cohen Arrested In Paris – South African artist Steven Cohen was arrested on Tuesday in a “highly touristic place of Paris” and charged with sexual exhibitionism. He was wearing a bird costume. [mail&guardian]

After 68 Years, German Town Will Strip Hitler Of Honorary Citizenship – The town of Goslar, Germany finally got around to revoking Adolf Hitler’s honorary citizenship. Sure, it’s been 68 years since Hitler’s death, but better late than never. [msn]

Italian Priest Gives Pope Francis a 20-Year-Old Renault – An Italian priest has given Pope Francis a 20-year-old white Renault 4 to drive himself around Vatican city. [bbc]

This Is The iPhone To Buy – The big media event is over, and the new iPhones have been presented to the masses. Now the most important question: Which one should you put on your credit card? [wired]

Famous ‘James Bond’ Lotus Espirit Submarine Car Sells For R8.5 Million At Auction – The Lotus Espirit driven underwater by Roger Moore as James Bond in 1977’s ‘The Spy Who Killed Me’ sold at auction on Monday for $860,000. The pricey prop cannot even be driven on the road, underscoring the serious market for Bond memorabilia. [nydailynews]

AfriForum To Take Farm Murders To UN – AfriForum and the families of farm murder victims will take a petition the UN to get the minister of police to act, the organisation said on Wednesday. [news24]

White South Africans Not Happy – Hypertension-related illnesses such as strokes and heart attacks kill far more whites than blacks because many whites are not happy. [timeslive] 

Dell Launches $5.5 Billion Loan To Back Leveraged Buyout – Computer maker Dell Inc (DELL.O) set indicative pricing on the new $5.5 billion loan backing the company’s approximately $25 billion buyout by founder and CEO Michael Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. [reuters]

Massive Underground Water Reserve Discovered In Drought-Stricken Kenya – Scientists in Kenya have discovered a massive underground reserve that could allow the drought-ravaged country to meet its water needs for the next 70 years. [verge]

California Lawmakers Pass Expanded Semi-Automatic Weapons Ban – New sales of semi-automatic rifles with removable magazines would be banned in California under a bill passed by the Democratic-led state legislature on Tuesday. [nbc]

Skyscraper-Sized Waves Recorded Beneath The Ocean – For the first time, scientists have recorded an enormous wave the size of a skyscraper breaking at a key location at the bottom of the South Pacific Ocean. [natwor]

Monkey Vaccine Key To HIV Cure – Scientists have moved a step closer to an HIV vaccine by immunising monkeys against an animal version of the virus. [hied]

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