New Zealand’s mounting injury toll claimed another victim on Thursday when All Blacks centre Conrad Smith was ruled out this weekend’s Test against Canada in Hamilton. Smith had been hoping to make his international comeback on Saturday but was forced to delay his return because of lingering problems with his troublesome hamstring.
Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said on Thursday that it had started renting out its "<i>wakamaru</i>" robots to work at the front desk of offices, hospitals and other places in need of the humanoid touch. The robot, which is 1m tall and weighs 30kg, is available to rent for a mere 120Â 000 yen ($1 000) a day for up to five days.
Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan took the helm on Thursday of an alliance of African government and business leaders seeking to reverse a decline in the continent’s agricultural output. Sub-Saharan African food production was declining year-on-year as a third of the continent’s population suffers from hunger, Annan told reporters.
A toddler suffering from a lung infection died after nurses at a Bloemfontein hospital told his mother to take him home as they were preparing for a strike, Die Volksblad reported on Thursday. After spending the whole of last week by her son’s bedside, Joyce Ditsoane boarded a taxi for a 45km ride home when nurses told her there would be no one to take care of the boy on Wednesday.
The JSE retained its strong tone at midday on Thursday buoyed by higher overseas markets, with fixed line telephone operator Telkom gaining on vague talk that it might sell Vodacom. At noon the all-share index was up 0,89%. Resources gained 0,77%, the platinum mining index picked up 1,53% but the gold mining index fell 0,55%.
Veteran prop Os du Randt was sidelined by South Africa for this weekend’s Tri-Nations rugby opener against Australia so he’ll be ready next week for the All Blacks. Only four starters from last weekend’s 35-8 win over Samoa were named by coach Jake White on Wednesday for Saturday’s Test at Newlands.
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s younger brother went on trial in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Thursday on charges of heroin possession. Ronald Ramsay (38) was arrested in February after entering a supermarket in Bali’s tourist strip of Kuta. Police said they seized 100 milligrams of heroin from him.
Hamas fighters launched another wave of fierce attacks on their Fatah rivals on Wednesday, plunging the Gaza Strip closer towards civil war. Gunmen from Hamas and its rival faction Fatah fought heavy battles in the north and south of the strip, with the Islamist movement repeatedly gaining the upper hand.
Four-times winners Cameroon head a list of at least eight countries who have a chance to qualify this weekend for next year’s African Nations Cup finals. Cameroon, Angola and Morocco are all a point away from a place in January’s tournament, while wins would also send defending champions Egypt and Algeria through.
After eight days of being ”missing in action”, international ”fugitive” Radovan Krejcir has handed himself over to police, media reports said on Thursday. The Czech Republic tycoon was due to surrender himself at the Kempton Park police station at 11am on Wednesday but was instead taken into custody by Interpol.