Russia symbolically staked its claim to billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the Arctic Ocean on Thursday as two mini-submarines reached the sea bed more than four kilometres beneath the North Pole. The two craft planted a one metre-high titanium Russian flag on the underwater Lomonosov ridge.
Veteran journalist Joe Thloloe has been appointed the new press ombudsman. The announcement was made in Johannesburg on Friday at the first meeting of the Press Council, set up to administer the office of the ombudsman and appeal panel. Thloloe is a former editor-in-chief of the South African Broadcasting Corporation television news.
The once secret organisation that led South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority out of the political and economic doldrums into decades of oppressive rule is battling to find a niche for itself. Following its pursuit of exclusive white interests, the Afrikanerbond is finding it hard to justify its past or find a foothold in the present.
Holden Roberto, one of the fathers of Angolan independence, has died of cardiac arrest at the age of 84, the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) announced on August 3. Roberto formed the FNLA in the 1960’s as one of several nationalist movements pressing for an end to Portuguese colonial rule.
Underlying inflation pressures in South Africa’s economy, even after stripping out higher food and fuel costs, are strongly on the upside, central bank Governor Tito Mboweni said on Thursday. He also warned that if proposals for a sharp increase in electricity tariffs are approved, inflation could be pushed even higher.
The Fuel Retailers Association questioned why oil companies had not made alternate fuel delivery plans ahead of a nationwide chemical workers strike, as pumps continued to run dry on Friday. ”Why didn’t they arrange by Monday [the start of the strike] to have these drivers ready?” said association CEO Peter Morgan.
British businesses are losing more than £50-million a year because of employees leaving work early on Friday, according to a survey published on Friday. The top excuses for starting the weekend early are a long lunch, doctor’s appointment and an out-of-office meeting near to home.
The JSE was in positive territory at midday on Friday, trading 169 points in the black. The resource index was driving the market after Anglo American released good results on Friday. At 12.06pm, the JSE all-share index had gained 0,61%, with the resources adding 1,09% and platinum climbing 0,77%.
There is little that is new in government’s newly released industrial policy framework, says the Democratic Alliance (DA). ”The policy is low on measurable outcomes, and nowhere speaks to the important Millennium Development Goals of halving unemployment by 2014,” DA trade and industry spokesperson Pierre Rabie said in a statement on Friday.
Libya has reached a multimillion-dollar deal to buy anti-tank missiles and radio systems from European aerospace giant EADS in what would be the first such purchase since an arms embargo was lifted on Tripoli in 2004. French Defence Minister Herve Morin confirmed on Friday that a letter of intent had been signed.