Hundreds of Kenyans have fallen ill after a chemical consignment was dumped on the roadside near the port city of Mombasa, officials said on Thursday. According to a local official, up to 1 500 people have sought treatment at local hospitals, complaining mainly of chest pains and respiratory problems.
Solidarity on Thursday welcomed a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) ruling on a charge of unfair racial discrimination in the trade union’s favour. Solidarity declared a dispute with South African Airways Technical in February and referred the matter to the CCMA.
United Nations peacekeeping troops are heading for ”Iraq-style disaster” in Darfur as long as talks between the government and rebel groups remain stalled and the United States maintains its hostile stance, Sudanese officials and regional experts warned on Wednesday.
Trade conditions appear to be out of negative territory after the Trade Activity Index (TAI) increased for the third month in a row, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Thursday. The TAI, which measures the view of business on current trade activity, increased from 44 in December last year to 48 in January and 50 in February
Islamist insurgents cut off the heads of three Somali soldiers south of the capital on Thursday and the United Nations special envoy said he would try to set up peace talks between the opposition and government. It was the first case of beheadings since the government and its Ethiopian military allies ousted the Islamists from power in late 2006.
Durban’s disaster-management team and city officials are busy calculating the cost of damage caused during a heavy downpour on Tuesday night that continued into the early hours of Wednesday. Two oil refineries, hospitals, courts, homes, shacks, railway lines, buildings and roads were affected by the overnight storm.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders may soon erase the most potent symbol of the island’s division, by reopening a bullet-pocked crossing between the two sides closed for nearly half a century. Hopes of ending decades of estrangement were revived after last month’s election of Cyprus President Demetris Christofias.
Freer trade could bring benefits worth up to -billion a year to the world economy, according to a study on Thursday that dismisses growing unease about globalisation. The report, by two economists in Australia and Britain, also suggested greater immigration to rich nations from developing countries would raise economic growth.
The chief executive of South Africa’s players’ association on Thursday urged axed fast bowler Andre Nel not to make a decision regarding his future in the heat of the moment. Nel was a controversial omission when South Africa’s squad for three Tests in India next month was announced on Tuesday.
Gold rose to all-time high on Thursday as investor buying speeded up after the dollar sank and oil hovered near lifetime peaks. Gold rose to .70 an ounce before easing to trade at ,60/992,0 at 11.08am GMT, against ,90/982,70 late in New York on Wednesday.