South Africa’s central bank Governor Tito Mboweni said on Friday there was upward pressure on prices from sources other than food and oil, and that while interest rates were generally too high, low rates cause overspending. ”We are noticing a kind of generalised tendency for prices to rise … so we are seeing generalised price [increases],” he told a breakfast meeting.
Public servants expressed their determination to continue their indefinite strike this week, closing down schools across the country and interrupting hospital and other government services. Union organisers planned to "shut down the government" on Friday, buoyed by support from the Congress of South African Trade Unions central executive committee.
Roger Federer closed in on a Grand Slam title sweep when he overcame courageous but nerve-racked Russian fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7) to reach the French Open final on Friday. The world number one is hoping to win a first Roland Garros title and become just the third man to hold all four Grand Slam crowns at the same time.
Apple has not yet sold a single iPhone, but investors are driving up the company’s shares to record highs as they bank that the combined telephone and media player will be a major hit. A slew of brokerages are raising their targets on Apple’s stock to as much as — equivalent to about 40 times its expected fiscal 2008 profit.
Swede Fredrik Jacobson defied gusting winds to hold a share of the lead with Australia’s Adam Scott in the opening round of the St Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday. Twice US Open champion Retief Goosen and American Brian Gay carded 68s to share third place
Three Cabinet ministers were jeered by striking workers when they arrived at the Kalafong Hospital near Pretoria to assess security during the public-service strike. Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula arrived at the hospital under heavy guard.
A White House-backed Bill to revamp United States immigration laws stalled in the US Senate on Thursday, handing President George Bush a major legislative setback. The sharply divided Senate refused to limit debate on the fragile compromise hammered out by a bipartisan group of senators and the White House.
I have just watched the quarterfinal match between the reigning King of Clay and double-defending champion of the French Open, Rafael Nadal, and the man he used to look up to as a young boy, Carlos Moya, who is also a previous winner of the French Open.
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal court asked the United Nations Security Council on Thursday to put pressure on Sudan because of its refusal to hand over two suspects charged with war crimes. The ICC issued arrest warrants in February for Ahmad Harun, a former state minister of interior, and Ali Kushayb, a militia leader.
His pompadoured henchman, Silvio Dante, is barely breathing and full of holes; his brother-in-law Bobby is dead and Tony Soprano himself is left in a darkened bedroom, clutching a machine-gun. Even his therapist has dropped him as a patient after being convinced that ”the talking cure” doesn’t work on sociopaths.