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/ 27 February 2008
Two Venezuelan helicopters flew into Colombia on Wednesday to pick up four lawmakers held hostage for years in jungle camps by Marxist rebels, in a diplomatic victory for Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia last month released two politicians in a deal brokered by Chávez.
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/ 27 February 2008
It is unclear whether proposed job cuts in the mining industry are caused by power cuts and electricity rationing, or other factors, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said in Parliament on Wednesday. ”I’ve been a trade unionist for many years, and you often use an event like this to explain something you’re going to do anyway,” he said.
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/ 27 February 2008
The fraud case against former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) director general Billy Masetlha and his two co-accused was postponed in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday. The case against Masetlha, IT specialist Muziwendoda Kunene and former NIA manager for electronic surveillance Funokwakhe Madlala was postponed to June 11 to 13.
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/ 27 February 2008
The Cape High Court on Wednesday rejected a second bail bid by murder accused Najwa Petersen, expressing scepticism over her ”almost miraculous recovery” from mental illness. ”The appellant’s case relating to her precarious state of health, as presented in the first bail application, appears to have undergone a complete volte-face in the second,” the judges said.
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/ 27 February 2008
The Bulls have included their fit-again World Cup Springboks Bakkies Botha and Akona Ndungane in the team to play the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday in a repeat of last year’s Super 14 final. Their inclusion was expected, pending their fitness, but coach Frans Ludeke made a surprise selection of Morne Steyn at flyhalf, while giving Springbok Derick Hougaard a rest.
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/ 27 February 2008
Australia batsman Matthew Hayden has launched a verbal attack on India’s cricketers, describing Harbhajan Singh as an ”obnoxious weed” and challenging Ishant Sharma to a fight. Hayden said the Australian players were fed up with the constant complaints from the Indians about their on-field behaviour.
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/ 27 February 2008
Fasten your seatbelts, Super 14 rugby is coming to the East and Southern Cape. It may only be in 2010 or 2011 but the regions will be represented by a team in the Super 14. This was confirmed by project manager Godfrey Afrika on Wednesday, the man tasked by the South African Rugby Union and SA Rugby to oversee the procedure.
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/ 27 February 2008
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, whose victory in Sunday’s presidential election is all but assured, on Wednesday took a day out from his unofficial campaign … in order to campaign. National television showed Medvedev responding to the audience’s queries about pensions and salaries.
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/ 27 February 2008
South Africa’s government threw its weight behind embattled Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Norman Arendse on Tuesday by calling for an increase in the number of black players in national teams. Arendse angered selectors and CSA chief executive Gerald Majola by vetoing the squad chosen by national selectors to tour Bangladesh.
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/ 27 February 2008
South Africa’s targeted CPIX inflation rate quickened to 8,8% year-on-year in January from 8,6% in December, above forecasts, data showed on Wednesday. The all-items consumer price index (CPI) increased by an annual rate of 9,3%, compared to 9% in December, Statistics South Africa said.