Natal

This year’s selection invites you to travel from the dark islands of Indonesia to less exotic locations like Idaho. The choices reflect more unusual destinations, far removed from typical tourist spots.

According to the editors, the emphasis was placed on “locations where visitors feel welcome and support the environment and local community.”

Thousands of people gathered at the Zulu royal palace in South Africa on Aug. 20 to witness the crowning of a new king in the country's richest and most influential traditional monarchy.

Misuzulu Zulu, 47, ascended to the throne once held by his late father, Goodwill Zwelithini, during traditional ceremonies that were partially overshadowed by a bitter succession dispute.

Flooding in South Africa's Durban area has taken at least 300 lives and is a "catastrophe of enormous proportions," President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday.

"This disaster is part of climate change. It is telling us that climate change is serious, it is here," said Ramaphosa, visiting flooded areas of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area.

In an attempt to suppress the violence, the South African authorities deployed the army on the streets of the cities where the fiercest riots were recorded, but despite that, shops and apartment buildings were set on fire during the day.

At least 19 people were killed in eastern South Africa on Sunday when an overloaded minibus lost control and rolled down a steep embankment, according to local government officials.
The crash happened near a bridge on the main road outside of Pietermaritzburg, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, according to authorities.

Of the 50 cities on the list, 43 are in Latin America, including 19 in Brazil, eight in Mexico, and seven in Venezuela.
The region’s violence is in large part drug related, driven by traffickers and supplemented by gang wars, political instability, and widespread poverty that has been exacerbated by sluggish economic growth or economic reversals.

InStyle presents the “The World’s Coolest Caves You Can Actually Sleep In” that can be rented via Airbnb and three of them are located in Santorini.The US magazine notes that “if you’ve ever wanted to get away, here’s your chance to do it caveman style. These hidden chasms all have their own unique history and mystery that make staying there an unforgettable experience.

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was banned for nine matches by FIFA on Thursday after being found guilty of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.
   
Suarez was also suspended from any football-related activity for four months and fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($111,000).
   

By Derek Gatopoulos

After a troubled start, the smiles are returning to West Africa at the World Cup.

Nigeria has earned its first victory after a stalemate with Iran, and Ghana held Germany to a 2-2 draw after losing to the United States. Now Ivory Coast is looking for a place in the last 16 by beating Greece after its earlier loss to Colombia.

By George Georgakopoulos

Greece’s first ever clean sheet in its World Cup history has kept it in the running for the second round, as the 0-0 draw with Japan on Thursday, with a man down for most of the game in the rainy and windy conditions at Natal, has given it its first point in the tournament.