SHARES in Duiker Mining slumped almost 7% in opening Friday trade as the market reacted to its news that the South African coal miner expects to make a loss in the first half of its financial year. The stock retreated 45 cents or 6.98% to R6 following the company’s late Thursday warning.

SOME 22 people drowned when their boat capsized in western Uganda’s Lake Albert earlier this week, police said on Friday. Police spokesman John Kimera said that the accident occurred on Wednesday night when the boat was travelling from Kihoro town in Hoima district to Panyamuru in Nebbi district. The boat reportedly hit submerged metal bars […]

SEVERAL hundred disappointed Nigerian football fans ran onto the pitch at the National Stadium, Lagos, Sunday, after Cameroon beat the co-hosts in a penalty shoot-out. The Surulere stadium was packed with more than 40000 supporters cheering Nigeria throughout the match which ended at 2-2 after extra-time was played. Despite regular appeals for the spectators to […]

THE Democratic Republic of Congo says a prolonged civil war had scared off nearly $1-billion in foreign mining investment from the mineral-rich nation, but a new mining code should lure investors back. Mines Minister Frederic Kibassa Maliba told investors at a mining conference he is confident that a three-day show in Kinshasa next week will […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 12.35pm. THE editors of the Mail & Guardian and the Sunday Times have been subpoenaed to appear before the Human Rights Commission to respond to allegations of racism. The editors could face fines or six months in prison if they ignored the summons to appear before the body next month. […]

THE new chairman of the SABC board is Dr Vincent Maphai, the Minister in the office of the president, Essop Pahad, announced on Friday. The new deputy chair is Barbara Mafakela. Pahad said President Thabo Mbeki had appointed the board which will serve for a period of 4 years effective March 1.

THE United States is evacuating all its employees and contractors from northern Namibia because of the worsening security situation, and tells its citizens to stay away from the region. “US government affiliated personnel there are being relocated and US citizens in the area are urged to depart,” the State Department said in a statement. Included […]

A LIBERIAN judge has sentenced President Charles Taylor’s brother-in-law to life imprisonment for the ”road rage” murder of a taxi driver. Judge Joseph Andrews threw out a request for a retrial submitted by lawyers acting for Henrique Cassell, and handed down the life sentence late on Thursday. A 12-member jury unanimously convicted Cassell last month […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 6.30pm A FAST-falling rand wore down market on Friday afternoon as the currency fell to its lowest level in 17-months. Markets looked to the falling currency, paying little attention to a stellar gold price that rose $6 overnight. The all gold index ended the day one point lower at 1258, […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Saturday 6.00pm THE government is to destroy some 260000 surplus state-owned firearms this year with the help of funding from Norway, defence secretary January Masilela said on Saturday. This follows a decision last year by the country’s National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) not to sell firearms that were acquired by […]