DURBAN (Reuters) – The world is getting hotter, with 2011 one of the warmest years on record, and humans are to blame, a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday.

It warned increasing global average temperatures were expected to amplify floods, droughts and other extreme weather patterns.

DURBAN (Reuters) – The world is getting hotter, with 2011 one of the warmest years on record, and increasing temperatures are expected to amplify floods, droughts and other extreme weather patterns around the planet, said a U.N. report released on Tuesday.

The World Meteorological Organization, part of the United Nations, said the warmest 13 years of average global temperatures have all occurred in the 15 years since 1997.

DURBAN (Reuters) – The world needs a far more ambitious plan to cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases than the Kyoto Protocol, European Union climate negotiators said on Monday, calling for a global deal to be reached by 2015 and in place by 2020.

Time is running out to save the Kyoto Protocol, which sets legally binding emissions cuts for most major economies and is designed to reduce the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, increasingly extreme weather and crop failure.

DURBAN (Reuters) – Countries will make a last ditch effort to save a dying Kyoto Protocol at global climate talks starting on Monday aimed at cutting the greenhouse gas emissions blamed by scientists for rising sea levels, intense storms and crop failures.

Kyoto, which was adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, commits most developed states to binding emissions targets. The talks are the last chance to set another round of targets before the first commitment period ends in 2012.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Time is quickly running out to strike a deal at global climate talks to save a Kyoto Protocol in its death throes and make major cuts in the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists blame for rising temperatures, wilder weather and crop failures.

Major parties have been at loggerheads for years, warnings of climate disaster are becoming more dire and diplomats worry whether host South Africa is up to the challenge of brokering the tough discussions among nearly 200 countries that run from November 28 to December 9 in the coastal city of Durban.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 23 (Reuters) – South African state
utility Eskom is likely to run up about 400 billion rand ($47.6
billion) of debt over the next three years as it pays for
upgrades to keep the lights on in Africa’s biggest economy,
chief executive Brian Dames said on Wednesday.

In a briefing accompanying the Eskom’s interim
results, Dames also said the power supply would remain tight
until the first units of two major new power plants started to
come online.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 22 (Reuters) – South Africa’s
parliament passed a bill on protecting state secrets on Tuesday
despite criticism at home and abroad that it harks back to
apartheid legislation and further harms the country’s weakened
credibility on tackling corruption.

The Protection of Information Bill allows any government
agency to apply for classification of information that is
“valuable” to the state and criminalises the possession and
distribution of state secrets.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s parliament is poised to pass a bill on protecting state secrets on Tuesday despite criticism at home and abroad that it harkens back to apartheid legislation and further harms the country’s weakened credibility on tackling corruption.

The Protection of Information Bill allows any government agency to apply for classification of information that is “valuable” to the state and criminalises the possession and distribution of state secrets.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 18 (Reuters) – One of South Africa’s
most influential newspapers accused a top presidential spokesman
on Friday of censoring an article about his possible involvement
in a shady arms deal.

The incident could prove to be a further embarrassment to
President Jacob Zuma who in recent weeks sacked two ministers
found as corrupt in government reports and is also facing
renewed calls to account for his actions in the same arms deal.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Embattled ANC Youth
League leader Julius Malema said on Wednesday he is a victim of
a witch hunt by some top members of South Africa’s ruling party
who want him out over his calls to nationalise mines and seize
white-owned farm land.

Malema, one of the country’s best known politicians for his
plans for radical transformation of Africa’s biggest economy, is
fighting for his political life after an ANC disciplinary
committee last week found him guilty of bringing the party into
disrepute and expelled him for five years.