A South African cabinet minister, Collins Chabane, and two of his security staff have been killed in a car crash.
Their car collided with a lorry in the north-eastern city of Polokwane.
Mr Chabane, 54, was minister for public service, a member of the governing ANC's national executive committee and a close associate of President Jacob Zuma.
He was in charge of planning Nelson Mandela's funeral.
Mr Zuma said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by his friend's untimely death which was a "huge loss to government and the country as a whole".
He extended "heartfelt condolences" to Mr Chabane's wife Mavis and the families of Sgt Lesiba Sekele and Sgt Lawrence Lentsoane, who also died.
The ANC said "the falling of a great baobab tree" would leave "a huge void in the ANC and government".
A lorry driver is being investigated over possible manslaughter, reported AFP news agency.
As well as alcohol and excessive driving speeds, lack of railway freight is said to be partly responsible for South Africa's high road accident toll - with private motorists forced to share the road with long lines of large mining Lorries.
LEICESTER/UNITED KINGDOM, March 19, 2015 - Since 1935, the Cat D8 crawler dozer has pushed through mud and stone. Now, Caterpillar launches its new D8R which, according to the manufacturer, combines the durability and reliability of its predecessors with features that further enhance operator safety and comfort, while simplifying routine maintenance.
More comfort and convenience
The D8R’s new cab with enhanced visibility to the sides of the machine is quieter and more effectively pressurized to keep out dust for a cleaner operating environment. New pilot-operated controls for the implement hydraulic system reduce operator effort. For further convenience, the new crawler dozer features a single-handle control for direction/range selection and tiller-bar steering that allows the machine to work more precisely around structures, grade stakes, or other equipment. A redesigned instrument panel and electronic monitoring system are supposed to further ease the work of the operator.
Serviceability and telematics
For fast, simple routine maintenance, Caterpillar designed the D8R with grouped service points, sight gauges, fast-fuel-fill capability, and easy access to the engine compartment. According to Caterpillar, the machine’s modular design allows easy access to major power-train components for service or replacement, and individual radiator cores are quickly replaced. An electronic telematics system provides direct access to machine data like location, event codes and service hours.
Engine and undercarriage
The updated 38t heavy D8R relies on the field-proven 320 horse powers 3406C DITA engine with a mechanical fuel-injection system. Available for the D8R are Desert and Waste Handler arrangements that are specially equipped to work more efficiently in these harsh environments. With differential steering, the D8R maintains power to both tracks through turns, resulting in consistent blade loads and higher production. A load-sensing hydraulic system continually adjusts hydraulic power for higher efficiency by using a dedicated implement pump, says Caterpillar.
The D8R’s undercarriage is fully suspended to provide a high degree of ground contact, especially in uneven terrain, resulting in greater traction, less track slippage, better balance, and a smoother ride. The D8R is available in Standard and Low Ground Pressure (LGP) configurations, and can be equipped with a variety of blades.
Tanzania's parliament has approved a tough new law aimed at curbing foreign employment.
The bill requires firms to satisfy the authorities that no local could do the job before employing a foreigner.
It reflects growing resentment towards foreign workers in Tanzania, a BBC reporter says.
It did not "make sense to see a Chinese driving a commuter bus" in Tanzania, ruling party MP Esther Bulaya was quoted by local media as saying.
Tanzania has seen a huge influx of Chinese nationals in recent years, with many of them carrying out skilled and semi-skilled jobs, says BBC Tanzania reporter Tulanana Bohela.
'Succession plan'
However, workers from other African states - including neighbouring Kenya and Zambia - are likely to be most affected by the law, our reporters says.
They are employed by private firms in managerial posts, apparently because of a shortage of a skills among Tanzanians.
The Non-Citizens Employment Regulation Bill states that firms employing foreigners would have to draw up a "succession plan" to pave the way for locals to eventually take the jobs.
The government hopes the bill, still to be signed into law by President Jakaya Kikwete, will come into effect on 1 July.
Our reporter says the bill also raises questions about whether efforts to promote greater regional integration are proving effective.
Tanzania and Kenya have been involved in a dispute over whether their tour operators could pick up tourists from each other's airports, often to take them to game parks popular with Europeans.
Sierra Leone is to enforce a three-day lock down of key parts of the country to try and contain the Ebola epidemic.
There have been 3,325 confirmed deaths from Ebola in the West African nation.
A three-day curfew in September, keeping people at home under quarantine, was hailed as a success by authorities, despite some criticism.
The country's National Ebola Response Centre says a new lock down will come into place next week. It will affect close to 2.5m people.
While the number of cases has slowed since the peak of the outbreak, the virus is far from eradicated.
In the seven days leading up to March 15, there were 55 new cases in Sierra Leone, and 90 in neighbouring Guinea.
The number of new cases in Liberia - where most deaths have occurred - has not been registered.
Palo Conteh, the head of the NERC, told the AFP news agency that the curfew would take place across the Western Area of Sierra Leone, a part of the country that includes the capital, Freetown.
The districts of Bombali and Port Loko will also be affected.
"The lockdown will be conducted from March 27 to March 29 and will be like the one we conducted in September last year," said Mr Conteh.
"The government and partners are hopeful that latent cases that are now not being reported or recorded will come out."
Mr Conteh said that health workers will visit every house in the areas affected by the lock down. They will remind people about the dangers of touching corpses and taking patients to traditional healers.
There have been 10,179 deaths due to Ebola, according to the World Health Organization.
The majority of those deaths have been in three West African countries - Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The economic effect of the outbreak has been severe in Sierra Leone.
The World Bank estimates that the revenue of some parts of the population has dropped by as much as 40%, and that close to 180,000 people have lost work as a result of the crisis.
Despite dozens of new cases every week, the government is determined to meet a target to eradicate Ebola by 15 April.
Los Angeles International Airport officials on Tuesday will mark a major construction milestone on a $115 million project that is expected to reduce walking times for passengers catching connecting flights.
The final steel beam will be placed on top of the under-construction Terminal 4 Connector facility during a “topping out’’ ceremony to celebrate progress in the project.
The multistory facility is expected to improve the connection between terminals on the airport’s south side, and will allow passengers to move more easily between the Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminal 4, airport officials said.
The building will include new baggage inspection and transfer facilities, a bus port and a five-lane security checkpoint area.
The project is expected to be completed next year.
BAM International has won a €37m (£26m) design and construct contract to renovate and extend Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania.
The work for Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (Kadco) is due for completion in July 2016.
The scope includes the refurbishment of the terminal building (built in 1971), the construction of a new parallel taxiway and the extension of the existing apron and taxiways. Repairs to the existing runway, drainage works and airfield lighting installation will also be carried out.
Kilimanjaro International Airport is situated between Moshi and Arusha in northern Tanzania and is one of the four international airports in the country. It is the second largest airport after Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam for which BAM has completed two rehabilitation projects already and is currently constructing the new Terminal 3 building.
Egis and Systra have been appointed to carry out design studies for new metro lines in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
The contract relates to three lines - green, blue and red - stretching a total of 95 km, including 25km underground and 48km of elevated sections.
The project is part of a plan initiated over the past few years by Saudi Arabia to develop and modernise its transport infrastructure. As the second holiest city in the country, Medina has to deal with an influx of several million pilgrims each year.
The metro is due to enter into service in 2020, with the project divided up into two distinct phases.
The consortium will be tasked with carrying out the feasibility studies and the preliminary design for the metro, including the preparation of invitation to tender documentation for design and build contracts.
Foster & Partners’ design has been unveiled for ‘The One’, an 80-storey mixed-use tower on a prominent downtown site in Toronto, Canada.
The One will rise to a height of 318m, making it Toronto’s second tallest building after the CN Tower. It combines a residential tower with a retail base, which is integrated with the city’s underground pedestrian ‘Path’ network.
The base comprises nine levels of shops, cafes and restaurants, arranged around a 60m atrium.
The apartments are reached via a glass bridge at level 12, and incorporate winter-gardens with panoramic city views.
BRE has formed a partnership with Netherlands-based GRESB to promote sustainability in commercial real estate.
Collaboration between the two global organisations is intended to promote their shared goals of advancing transparency and sustainability performance in the real estate industry.
The partnership brings together the organisations responsible for the BREEAM green building certification scheme and the GRESB sustainability benchmark for real estate portfolios. The aim is to help improve connections between asset- and portfolio-level assessments, streamlining the flow of information.
BRE’s BREEAM family of schemes is used in more than 60 countries, with several country-specific BREEAM schemes operated across Europe. BREEAM encourages integrative design, construction, and operation that promotes low carbon, low environmental impact buildings and communities. “BREEAM is a globally-recognised sustainability standard for buildings which provides proven economic, environmental and social benefits to property owners and occupiers,” said Gavin Dunn, director of BREEAM. “It currently provides a valuable route to achieving credits under the GRESB benchmark and our hope is to extend its reach under the partnership so more clients can realise the benefits on new and existing properties. Our collaboration demonstrates that GRESB recognizes all green building standards and schemes that have credibility and rigour behind them. We look forward to a fruitful relationship.”
GRESB assesses environmental, social, and governance attributes and performance of property funds around the world. In 2014, GRESB covered 637 funds representing US$2.1 trillion in property value. The GRESB benchmark addresses issues including corporate sustainability strategy, policies and objectives, environmental performance monitoring, and the use of high-quality voluntary rating schemes such as BREEAM. Close to 25% of GRESB participants have one or more BREEAM-certified assets in their portfolio.
“Commercial real estate investors are increasingly demanding information on their assets and portfolios to better understand immediate sustainability risks such as flooding and exposure to energy efficiency regulation, but also to allocate capital to sustainability-related investment opportunities, such as the repositioning of inefficient assets that might otherwise become obsolete,” said Nils Kok, CEO and co-founder of GRESB. “Our partnership with BRE helps both organisations to further deliver on the joint mission to advance sustainability in the built environment to enhance and protect shareholder value.”
The use of self-compacting concrete has significantly accelerated the construction of houses for the Ministry of Defence.
Using high-performance concrete for the slab flooring is enabling main contractor Lovell to build 346 new homes in just 11 months.
Lovell is building new accommodation for some of the 1,000 troops from the 16 Signal Regiment and 1 Armoured Division Signal Regiment that are relocating from Germany to a new £51m ‘super garrison’ development at Beacon Barracks in Staffordshire.
Groundwork subcontractor Chasetown used HopeFlow high-performance, self-compacting concretes to ensure that the build is being completed to a stringent timescale. Work started in August 2014 and is on course to be all complete by July 2015. Typically a build of this size would take between three and four years.
Hope Construction Materials supplied 12,500m3 of concrete for the build. HopeFlow performance products were used in a bid to speed construction, laying 20 slabs (and homes) per week as opposed to an average of four. By doing so, Chasetown was able to pour the slabs without the need of power floating, with slab construction time reduced by nearly 75%.
Throughout the build Hope supplied a total of 2,500m3 of HopeFlow concrete and 10,000m3 of conventional concrete, from its Four Ashes and Staffordshire concrete plants respectively. Conventional concrete was used to build the footings, drainage, curbing and road access.
Hope area commercial manager Paul Coleman said thst demand for high quality, quick-pour products was growing. “Since its launch the HopeFlow product has proven particularly popular and we are delighted to have used it on what was an important and substantial building initiative,” he said.
“This was a large-scale project and there was a real desire to complete the build quickly and professionally to ensure available housing when our troops return to Britain. We’re pleased that by using HopeFlow we vastly reduced the build time of the project to get the soldiers in their homes as soon as possible.”
Chasetown contract manager Kevin Pugh said: “We were working to particularly tight deadlines in order to ensure that the homes were ready for when the troops return home and HopeFlow has played a major role in being able to meet this demand due to its fast pouring time. This simply wouldn’t be possible without it.”
Rescue sheets have been available for new cars for some time now and are increasingly common on commercial vehicles and Lorries. They provide information about the vehicle's structure and the best places to cut the bodywork open to rescue the driver and passengers.
Liebherr has now developed rescue sheets for its newer mobile crane models, showing the structure of the bodywork and warning of any hazardous substances on it. The rescue sheet is located behind the driver's seat.
Liebherr said that although modern automotive engineering is safer it also hampers the fast rescue of passengers. Mobile cranes are a particularly niche type of commercial vehicle that few fire crews are likely to have dealt with.
In developing the concept, Liebherr worked with its own local fire service from Ehingen in Germany. In addition to providing advice and exchanging information, practical tests were carried out on driver's cabs and crane cabs.