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/ 25 October 2007
California wildfires that have destroyed 1 300 homes and forced the evacuation of 500 000 people raged into a fifth day on Thursday, but firefighters seized on a break in the weather to largely halt the march of destruction. About 15 fires still blazed across the southern part of the state, lighting up the night sky.
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/ 25 October 2007
A Darfur rebel group has attacked a Sudanese oilfield and kidnapped a Canadian and an Iraqi worker, a leader of the group said on Thursday, vowing further attacks. ”We attacked Defra oilfield and kidnapped two foreign workers, one is Canadian and another is Iraqi,” said Abdelaziz el-Nur Ashr, field commander for the Justice and Equality Movement.
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/ 25 October 2007
A 12-day-long strike at Sasol Mining in Secunda has come to an end with both Sasol and employees represented by the newly recognised United People’s Union of South Africa trade union agreeing that work would resume on Thursday afternoon. An estimated 2 000 employees embarked on the strike almost two weeks ago.
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/ 25 October 2007
With five forwards and only two backs on the bench, it does not take a rocket scientist to predict that the Cheetahs will play it mostly tight in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup final against the Lions in Bloemfontein. And the Lions are aware of it. ”They will probably try and make a statement with their forwards, but we’ll just play our own game,” said Lions coach Eugene Eloff.
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/ 25 October 2007
South Africa’s chances of clinching a one-day and Test series double against Pakistan will be decided when they play a fourth one-day international on Friday. South Africa trail 2-1 in the five-match series, having already won the Test series, and must win on Friday to keep the series alive.
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/ 25 October 2007
Zimbabwe’s home affairs minister has dismissed as hearsay claims by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that MDC members are being targeted in violent attacks by ruling party supporters, state media said on Thursday. A delegation from the MDC was on Wednesday summoned to meet Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi.
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/ 25 October 2007
Disarray in both government and rebel ranks makes quick progress unlikely in Darfur peace talks billed by the United Nations as a ”moment of truth” to stop four-and-a-half years of violence in western Sudan. The best that can be hoped at the gathering in Libya, which begins on Saturday, is agreement to meet again.
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/ 25 October 2007
A trial within a trial will be held to decide on the admissibility of certain evidence in the drunken-driving case of Pretoria High Court Judge Nkola Motata. ”I’m of the view that the objection by the defence for the state to tender evidence in the manner it requests is to be sustained,” Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court magistrate Desmond Nair ruled on Thursday.
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/ 25 October 2007
There is no compelling evidence that circumstances in Zimbabwe currently pose a threat to financial stability in South Africa, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said on Thursday. Releasing the <i>Financial Stability Review</i>, it said that currently the potential for negative news from Zimbabwe to affect investor sentiment towards South Africa is small.
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/ 25 October 2007
All wild abalone (perlemoen) fishing will be suspended from November 1 to ensure the survival of the species, the government announced on Thursday. A social plan to address the job losses resulting from the decision has been approved, government communications head Themba Maseko said.