England prepares for titanic clash against Croatia

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [Daily Maverick] Wednesday, 11 July 2018 “...So please, be tolerant of those who describe a sporting moment as their best ever. We do not lack imagination, nor have we had sad and barren lives; it is just that real life is paler, duller, and contains less potential for unexpected delirium.” Nick Hornby Story of the Day [Ghosts of Zuma and Conflicts of Interest lurk behind Jiba, Mrwebi SCA majority finding]( By Marianne Thamm Former President Jacob Zuma’s rape trial as well as allegations of corruption related to the arms deal formed the unseen architecture around Tuesday’s Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) majority decision overturning a North Gauteng High Court ruling striking Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Nomgcobo Jiba, and NPA specialised commercial crimes head, Lawrence Mrwebi, from the roll of advocates. However, it’s not over yet for the two Zuma-era loyalists. [100% Growth Finance - financing that backs entrepreneurs.]( While You Were Sleeping [Trade war worries resurface]( Asian markets, particularly Tokyo, opened significantly lower in the wake of new tariffs announced by the United States. The Trump administration announced a wave of new tariffs to the tune of $200-billion, targeting a range of new Chinese exports. With these taking effect in September, you can be sure Beijing will not be taking this without a counter-punch. [England's showdown with Croatia for last final spot]( By all rights neither England nor Croatia should have been in this semi-final. Both sides have faced the wall of elimination, whether through penalties or dogged opponents. And yet, here they are, vying for a spot against France. It has all the potential for a legendary game. [Take a look at the odds here.]( [Trump slams NATO on eve of summit]( President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO allies "reimburse" the United States for costs associated with the military alliance. Trump landed in Brussels on Tuesday ahead of a NATO summit guaranteed to infuriate European leaders. As Trump is scheduled to meet with a Brexit-plagued Britain and Russia's Vladimir Putin, his trip might well get simpler towards the end. Trump agrees, telling journalists that Putin would probably be the "easiest" of the lot. [Cable car for Hollywood sign planned]( Warner Bros has unveiled plans to construct a cable car to the Hollywood sign. Starting from the studios, the cableway is expected to cost $100-million. The project was announced as a dual tourism-boosting, traffic congestion easing tactic, with the cable car expected to take thousands of cars off the road to the sign and into ticket-paying boxes on the 1.6km route. [100% Growth Finance - financing that backs entrepreneurs.]( Picture of the Day By EPA-EFE/Zsolt Czegledi Storm clouds cover the sky above a field of blooming sunflowers near Debrecen, 226km east of Budapest, Hungary, 9 July 2018. In Numbers 200 The minimum estimated number of ghost towns in Texas. Facts of the Day Today in 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird is published. It has been tormenting high school English students ever since. More people speak English in Nigeria than in the United Kingdom. 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