ECONOMIC and bilateral issues will top the agenda at meetings in Cape Town between a high-level Austrian delegation, the government and representatives of the private sector. At the helm of the visiting delegation is the Austrian head of state, Chancellor Viktor Klima. Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on Wednesday that he is hoping the […]

THE Free State has become the third province to be rescued by central government following the effective collapse of its own financial administration. Cabinet has invoked section 100(1)(a) of the constitution, and may now instruct the provincial government on the steps it must take meet its obligations. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel will announce the details […]

A THAI princess and chemistry professor, Chulabhorn Mahidol, will be a keynote speaker at a science conference at the University of Cape Town next week, the Thai embassy announced on Thursday. The princess, youngest daughter of Thailand’s King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit, is professor of organic chemistry at Mahidol University in Bangkok and president of […]

NIGERIA’S largest political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, confirmed on Wednesday that it will hold its national convention in the town of Joson February 9 and 10. The party has still to decide who will be its presidential candidate for the February 27 election. The two current front runners are former military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo […]

TANZANIA’S Dar es Salaam port will soon be on the Internet after commissioning an electronic transmission system for shipping manifests. This Advanced Cargo Information System connecting the port to others in neighbouring countries will facilitate internal and transit business. By co-ordinating and routing cargoes based on manifests, costs will be reduced and there will be […]

SEVENTH-seeded Amanda Coetzer will face world number one Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals of Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo on Friday. The South African came back from a 2-5 down in the final set to beat qualifier Els Callens of Belgium 2-6 6-1 7-5. Another South African, Mariaan de Swardt, was beaten by […]

CHINESE Vice President Hu Jintao, on a five-day official tour, attended the opening in Johannesburg of his country’s second consulate in South Africa on Wednesday.The vice president then went to Soweto to visit the Hector Petersen memorial, now a regular event on the itineraries of visiting dignitaries. Hu is heading a 70-member trade and business […]

INTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion Vuyani Bungu will try to gather boxing organisations titles in a bid to line up a fight with Briton Prince Naseem Hamed — a World Boxing Organisation featherweight — in July. Bungu faces contender Victor Llerena of Colombia on Saturday. At the pre-fight medical, promoter Rodney Berman said he […]

THE next summit of the Organization for African Unity will be held in Algiers from July 12-14, about two weeks later than originally planned, Algerian television announced on Wednesday.OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim, who visited the site of the inter-African meeting on Algiers’ western seaboard, said he is satisfied with the preparations for the […]

BRYAN PEARSON, Cape Town | Thursday 5.10pm. OPERATION Good Hope, a police operation to crack down on urban terrorism in Cape Town, moved into full swing on Thursday as six members of vigilante group People Against Gangsterism and Drugs were charged in court, another five were arrested and a number of houses raided. Heavily armed […]