An Australian hotel catering for homosexuals has won the right to ban heterosexuals from its bars so as to provide a safe and comfortable venue for gay men. The Victorian state civil and administrative tribunal ruled last week that the Peel Hotel in the southern city of Melbourne could exclude patrons based on their sexuality.
The Department of Minerals and Energy is working on regulations to govern "the norms and standards" of energy appliances so as to reduce the use of energy, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Wednesday. Speaking ahead of her budget vote, the minister acknowledged that people would be obligated "to be energy efficient".
With CPIX breaching the upper limit of the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) inflation target of 3% to 6% for the first time in 44 months in April, economists feel that an interest-rate hike next week is virtually unavoidable. In fact, many believe that one hike many not be sufficient to quell consumer spending.
Norway is the most peaceful country in the world and Iraq the least, according to a study launched on Wednesday, which notably puts Japan near the top and Russia and Israel close to the bottom. The Global Peace Index, published a week before a Group of Eight summit in Germany, rates 121 countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe.
India’s one-day series with South Africa in Ireland next month is in doubt following the cancellation of a deal between the Indian cricket board and the broadcast rights holder, a report said on Wednesday. Private broadcaster Zee Television pulled out of the five-year deal they signed with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Press Trust of India news agency said.
Members of the Communication Workers’ Union at Vodacom have vowed to continue with planned industrial action, the union said on Wednesday. ”Following the Labour Court’s lifting of the strike interdict against workers, the union has resolved to continue with the industrial action,” it said in a statement.
Britain ”fully supports” United States efforts to toughen United Nations Security Council sanctions against Sudan because of the situation in Darfur, a British official said on Wednesday. ”We hope that all members of the Security Council will work with the US to create a resolution which effectively addresses the challenges in Darfur,” the Downing Street official said.
South African Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa says he expects to make an announcement on the National Lottery on Thursday. At a media briefing at Parliament on Wednesday, he said he was awaiting a report from the National Lotteries Board on the matter.
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to undergo a third operation on his troublesome left ankle, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Wednesday. Flintoff, who missed the first two Tests of England’s current four-Test series against the West Indies because of the problem, will have investigative surgery over the weekend.
Springbok coach Jake White has made three changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s second Test against England at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Bulls wing Akona Ndungane replaces Ashwin Willemse in the number 14 jersey, while the other two changes are in the front row where props CJ van der Linde and Gurthro Steenkamp replace BJ Botha and Deon Carstens respectively.