A lone trader out to win a little fame made the purchase that took oil prices to the historic level of dollars a barrel this week but he lost on the deal, analysts said. The trader has been named by United States and British media as Richard Arens, who runs a one-man oil brokerage, ABS.
A British police team flew into Pakistan on Friday to help probe the killing of Benazir Bhutto after President Pervez Musharraf admitted he was unhappy with his country’s handling of the investigation. The detectives from an elite anti-terrorism team at Scotland Yard flew in amid raging controversy over the assassination of the opposition leader.
A diarrhoea outbreak has hit Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, following weeks of uncollected garbage, sewer blockages and erratic water supplies, the state-owned Herald daily reported on Friday. More than 400 cases of diarrhoea have been recorded in Mabvuku and Tafara, two of the capital’s suburbs, but there is no confirmation of deaths.
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Jacob Zuma’s homestead at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal is said to be bracing for another festivity, with the new African National Congress (ANC) president reportedly planning to marry Nompumelelo Ntuli — the mother of two of his children — on Saturday, the Mercury newspaper reported on Friday.
South African stocks extended gains at midday on Friday, bolstered by strong gains among miners amid rampant commodity prices, while a healthy start in European markets added to the upbeat sentiment. But volumes remained thin as some players remained on the sidelines ahead of the United States December non-farms payrolls data due out later in the day.
The African National Congress (ANC) was saddened by the ”untimely death” of Mlungisi Sisulu, the son of Max and Elinor Sisulu, it said on Friday. ”The ANC extends its heartfelt condolences to the Sisulu family, his colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and friends,” ANC head of the Presidency Smuts Ngonyama said in a statement.
Spot gold held near record highs on Friday in Asia as a rally in oil prices to more than a barrel and a weak dollar supported the investment appeal of the precious metal. Platinum hit a record high on Friday, before drifting lower. Investment funds are flocking to gold, which jumped more than 30% in 2007.
John Patterson reflects on the death of one of the great movie genres, the western.
Huge numbers of Kenyan police deployed on Friday to block an opposition rally in Nairobi as Washington sent its top Africa diplomat to help resolve a post-election crisis that has claimed more then 350 lives. On Thursday, police had used water cannon and tear gas to disperse opposition supporters marching on the city centre for a "million-man" rally.
Sachin Tendulkar provided a masterful demonstration of batting to give India an unexpected but fully deserved lead in the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Tendulkar defied Australia’s bowling attack for almost seven hours, striking 14 boundaries and a six to chalk up his 38th Test hundred.