LOCAL boy Kyle Abbott was supposed to speak to a group of cricket aficionados – we call ourselves the Natal Cricket Society – at Kingsmead last Wednesday. But he had to cancel because he’d been called up to the national squad as a replacement for Jacques Kallis.

A FULL-SIZE working replica of the Titanic is to be built in China following an agreement between an Australian entrepreneur and a Chinese shipyard.

HERE’S a simple test of mental agility. The outcome determines whether you’re on the ball or beginning to lose it. It’s rather harsh and judgemental but is designed in our best interests.

THEY take no chances with these old-timers down at the docks these days. Phyllis Ambrose tells me a whole lot of them were breathalysed at 9.45am. She finds it something worthy of mention in the Street Shelter for the Over-40s.

CONTROVERSY rages. American singer Beyonce lip-synched, pretending to sing for President Obama at his inauguration. All kinds of people are now saying pop stars do this regularly at their gigs. Is this a verneukery?

WHO should I meet up with the other day but Al Venter, my old colleague who has been writing stuff for decades now about Africa for publications like Jane’s Defence Weekly.

YOU’VE heard of the needle in a haystack. Well how about the diamond ring in the bin bag?

SHOCKING data comes in to illustrate the skewness of wealth distribution in South Africa.

IF MUSIC be the food of love, play on… a pianist has been playing romantic music to Galapagos tortoises at London Zoo, hoping to encourage them to mate.

DID Shakespeare do a hatchet job on Richard III, last of the Plantaganet kings of England? Here’s how he has him describe himself: