A protest by villagers at a major oil export pipeline complex in Nigeria entered a third day on Thursday and no crude was flowing through the facility, a protest leader said. Villagers from K-Dere occupied the pipeline hub at Bomu on Tuesday and forced Shell to shut 150 000 barrels per day of output.
South African fashion and homewares retailer Mr Price reported a 27% earnings rise on Thursday, boosted by its store expansion programme. Diluted headline earnings rose to 183,6 cents per share in the year ended March 31, while revenue from continuing operations increased 24%.
The man charged by Britain with murdering former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko denied involvement on Thursday, saying British intelligence and a self-exiled Russian billionaire were far more likely suspects. ”Britain is making me a scapegoat,” said a confident and combative Andrei Lugovoy.
England’s Premiership soccer players will earn more than £1-billion for the first time next season thanks to television, sponsorship and merchandising deals, a top accountancy firm said on Thursday. Leading players could command as much as £200 000 per week — or a record £10-million a year.
JK Rowling, who became the world’s first billion dollar author on the back of Harry Potter’s success, has given the go-ahead for the creation of a Florida theme park dedicated to the schoolboy wizard. ”The plans I have seen look incredibly exciting and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed,” Rowling said.
The Cabinet has dismissed suggestions the government is insensitive to the plight of its employees and called for ”responsible leadership” during protest actions. ”We reject any insinuation that government is insensitive to the plight of its employees,” government communications head Themba Maseko said.
A man died and 11 others were seriously injured in an explosion at a scrapyard in the Bon Accord area of Pretoria on Wednesday, the Tshwane metro said. ”Preliminary indications show that there were explosives in the metals with which the men were working at the time of the explosion,” spokesperson William Baloyi said.
Tropical Storm Barbara, the first Pacific cyclone to form close to the coast this year, swirled erratically off Mexico on Wednesday and may reach hurricane strength within four days. Mexico’s Civil Protection Agency said Barbara was veering slightly southwards about 305km south of the port of Puerto Angel in the state of Oaxaca.
Western Cape police are still searching for the gang which gunned strip-club owner Yuri Ulianitski and his young daughter in Milnerton on Tuesday night. Ulianitski’s wife Irina survived the attack and is in a stable condition in the Milnerton Medi-Clinic.
The JSE was higher at noon on Thursday, boosted by heavyweight miners which were buoyed by better metals prices, but banks came under a bit of selling pressure due to inflation worries. At noon, the all-share index was up 0,94%. Resources added 1,54%, the platinum mining index gained 1,03%, but the gold mining index fell 0,14%.