Reports emerge of shocking atrocities in Aleppo

[Daily Maverick] FIRST THING with JOHN STUPART Tuesday, 13th December "I get a little behind during Lent, but it comes out even at Christmas." Frank Butler [Elections aftermath: Why did the ANC ignore its own research?] STORY OF THE DAY [2016 South African Person of the Year: Pravin Gordhan, Mcebisi Jonas and Team Treasury] By RANJENI MUNUSAMY. This was a year when a league of despicables who inhabit the state and the ANC could have triumphed. It was when a family who knows not the meaning of shame tried to annex our country by corrupting state institutions, parastatals and the security agencies, and by controlling their minions in Cabinet and their number one marionette: President Jacob Zuma. They tried to hijack our National Treasury. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, his deputy Mcebisi Jonas, Treasury director-general Lungisa Fuzile and the men and women in the finance department are no heroes. They are people who simply did their jobs under incredible pressure, fended off ratings downgrades and kept the machinery of our economy running when the easier option was to throw in the towel. [SARS thanks you] for your tax contributions. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [UN chief reports Syrian atrocities] UN head Ban Ki-moon has expressed alarm over reports emerging of various atrocities being committed in Aleppo. Groups of women and children appeared to be the victims of war crimes in the besieged city. It was not clear just who was responsible for the mass killings, nor whether any investigation will be permitted by the Syrian regime. [Trump blasts F-35 costs] Not content to go to the brink of a trade war with China, Donald Trump has pivoted back to shouting at aerospace companies over costly projects. Trump has lashed out at "out of control" costs in Lockheed Martin's F-35 project. As the most expensive jet in history, Trump may well have a point. [Silence surrounds Gaza woman's death sentence] A woman sentenced to death in Gaza for killing her husband has seen little to no media coverage, let alone any manner of legal recourse. The 26-year-old, identified as Nahla A, was put on trial in secret, her family declined to provide a lawyer for her defence for fear of retaliation by her husband's relatives, and many questions remain over the first death sentence in 20 years handed down by Gaza authorities. [Faith No More, Slayer artists to join forces] Faith No More frontman, Mike Patton, and Slayer drummer, Mike Lombardo, are joining their dark talents together to form a metal supergroup. Patton possesses a six-octave vocal range, one of the highest of any living artist, including those in opera. You can almost taste the delicious whiff of metal the duo intend to produce in early 2017. — PICTURE OF THE DAY BY EPA/BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL Germany's Anne Hubinger (C) shoots to score during the Women's European Handball Championship group 1 match between Spain and Germany at the Scandinavium indoor arena in Gothenburg, Sweden, 12 December 2016. IN NUMBERS 7% The percentage of wars carried out for religious purposes, according to the Encyclopedia of Wars. FACT OF THE DAY Today in 1577 Sir Francis Drake departed on his journey around the world. He left from Plymouth, England. The Dalai Lama's personal bodyguard in the '90s was a ninja. [SARS thanks you] for your tax contributions. FEATURED ARTICLES [2016 South African Person of the Year: Pravin Gordhan, Mcebisi Jonas and Team Treasury] [2016 South African Person of the Year: Pravin Gordhan, Mcebisi Jonas and Team Treasury] BY Ranjeni Munusamy [2016 South African Person of the Year, Runner-up: Mogoeng Mogoeng, Dikgang Moseneke and the Constitutional Court of South Africa] [2016 South African Person of the Year, Runner-up: Mogoeng Mogoeng, Dikgang Moseneke and the Constitutional Court of South Africa] BY Stephen Grootes [2016 Special Appreciation: Thuli Amazing – the Madonsela Quotathon] [2016 Special Appreciation: Thuli Amazing – the Madonsela Quotathon] BY Marelise van der Merwe [2016 Dr Strangelove of the Year Award: Take a bow, Team Zuma] [2016 Dr Strangelove of the Year Award: Take a bow, Team Zuma] BY Richard Poplak [2016 Sports Person of the Year: Wayde van Niekerk] [2016 Sports Person of the Year: Wayde van Niekerk] BY Antoinette Muller [2016 African Person of the Year: Pastor Evan Mawarire] [2016 African Person of the Year: Pastor Evan Mawarire] BY Simon Allison [The Madness of King Hlaudi: Committee members wake from deep slumber] [The Madness of King Hlaudi: Committee members wake from deep slumber] BY Marianne Thamm [Op-Ed: Resetting South Africa’s Foreign Policy] [Op-Ed: Resetting South Africa’s Foreign Policy] BY WILMOT JAMES & GREG MILLS [SABC/Motsoeneng coup: Court rules Hlaudi must fall] [SABC/Motsoeneng coup: Court rules Hlaudi must fall] BY Marianne Thamm [amaBhungane: The Namibian prison warder who built an empire on state contracts] [amaBhungane: The Namibian prison warder who built an empire on state contracts] BY AMABHUNGANE [Theatre: The iconic Annie the musical is back, still brilliant, still relevant] [Theatre: The iconic Annie the musical is back, still brilliant, still relevant] BY Marianne Thamm [SABC/Motsoeneng coup: Ad-hoc committee member wants Minister of State Security to account] [SABC/Motsoeneng coup: Ad-hoc committee member wants Minister of State Security to account] BY Marianne Thamm OPINIONISTAS [Karima Brown, you sold us the rotten deal] [Karima Brown, you sold us the rotten deal] A column by NOMBONISO GASA [Who is Prof Maguvhe? And on whose shoulders does he stand?] [Who is Prof Maguvhe? And on whose shoulders does he stand?] A column by John Matisonn — Weather BFN: min: 17° max: 31°, cloudy CPT: min: 17° max: 26°, cloudy DBN: min: 21° max: 26°, cloudy EL: min: 17° max: 24°, rainy JHB: min: 14° max: 26°, AM rainy KIM: min: 22° max: 32°, cloudy NLP: min: 18° max: 32°, rainy PMB: min: 14° max: 27°, PM rain PKN: min: 18° max: 28°, cloudy PE: min: 18° max: 26°, cloudy PTA: min: 17° max: 28°, PM rain Financial Data Oil=$55.99 Gold=$1,162.42 Platinum=$931.78 R/$=13.60 R/€=14.47 R/£=17.24 $/€=1.05 JSE All Share=50,527.86 DJIA=19,783.62 FTSE 100=6,890.42 [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND] Copyright © 2016 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. You are receiving this mail because you are awesome and on the Daily Maverick First Thing subscriber list. [Preferences] | [Unsubscribe]