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/ 12 November 2007
For Senegalese street sellers from Manhattan to the Vatican, selling fake Prada purses and Gucci sunglasses is as much a question of religious devotion as of making a quick buck. Many traders are members of the Mouride brotherhood, which has become Senegal’s most influential religious and economic force.
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/ 12 November 2007
The leaders of Germany and France meet on Monday to compare notes on dealing with Iran’s nuclear programme, fresh from discussing tougher sanctions during separate visits to United States President George Bush last week. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin for the talks a week before an expected meeting of world powers.
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/ 12 November 2007
President Thabo Mbeki has denied that the government is behind the Koni Media Holdings’ bid to buy media giant Johncom. He described as ”irrational” the media storm around the bid by Koni — which is partly owned by Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa, presidential political adviser Titus Mafolo and former chief of protocol Billy Modise.
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/ 12 November 2007
A Sri Lankan newspaper chose a graphic way to illustrate how a media rights dispute between Cricket Australia and the international news agencies is hurting its coverage of the series. Next to the report, in a space where a match photo would usually go, was a black figure in the shape of a batsman playing a stroke.
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/ 12 November 2007
South African furniture retailer Lewis said on Monday first-half revenue rose 11,2% to R1,718-billion, with merchandise sales 7,5% higher. Lewis said headline earnings per share for the period to end-September rose 11% to 308,5 cents. Lewis said operational and merchandise strategies would continue to produce satisfactory results.
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/ 12 November 2007
Three people have been arrested after a seven-year KwaZulu-Natal boy was beheaded for R20Â 000 in what is believed to be a muti transaction, KwaDabeka police said on Monday. Police spokesperson Captain Bongani Khomo said the incident has left police officers and the Clermont community in shock.
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/ 12 November 2007
South Africa’s biggest mass-market lender, Abil, increased headline earnings per share for the year to end-September by 20%, and said on Monday it was confident of reaching its financial goals in the current financial year. African Bank Investments Limited said headline EPS was 268,4 cents while headline earnings rose 20% to R1,334-billion.
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/ 12 November 2007
"Life is leaking out of Madagascar. The gross deforestation of the island has left brown rivers of sand flowing towards the sea, and it has been devastated by gem mining and a high rate of malaria infections and deaths." Zahira Kharsany visited Madagascar during its recent Mother and Child Health Week.
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/ 12 November 2007
They dug up yet another mass grave in Spain recently, this time near the village of Arandiga, 45 miles from Zaragoza. The bones of eight men, all trade unionists, lay where they had been hurriedly buried more than 70 years ago in the early days of the civil war. They had been shot at the same spot by supporters of General Francisco Franco.
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/ 12 November 2007
The Bush administration took a hard line last week on United States diplomats resisting postings to Iraq, when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the US ambassador in Baghdad issued blunt reminders of their duty to serve anywhere in the world.