Anglo-Swiss mining company Xstrata has made a friendly cash bid worth 4,6-billion Canadian dollars for nickel producer LionOre Mining International, the groups said in a joint statement on Monday. The offer for the Canadian group, worth -billion or €3-billion, comes as the price of nickel strikes record high points.
Workers at Air Senegal International, 51% held by Morocco’s state-owned Royal Air Maroc, launched a two-day strike on Monday, grounding flights to France and destinations across West Africa. Staff at Air Senegal called the stoppage to demand an increase in their wages, their unions said.
Tiger Woods, despite uncharacteristically missing several short putts, held off a late challenge by playing partner Brett Wetterich to win his third successive World Golf Championship by two shots on Sunday. Four ahead at the start of another blustery day at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Woods ground out a one-over-par 73 to finish on 10-under 278.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday denounced Iran for the "unjustified and wrong" seizure of 15 British sailors and marines, rejecting Tehran’s claim they had entered Iranian waters, and warning that the situation had become very serious. "I hope the Iranian government understands how fundamental an issue this is for us," Blair said in Berlin.
The latest Grant Thornton Employment Growth Index (EGI) reflects a 7% year-on-year growth in employment among medium to large privately held businesses in South Africa. This is four percentage points up on last year’s EGI which only reflected a 3% growth as a result of hampered employment growth within the manufacturing sector.
South African Breweries (SAB) confirmed on Monday that it would be capitalising on the success of its premium brand, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, by introducing the brand into on-tap draught. Initial availability would be at selected outlets from the end of March, with a planned roll-out nationwide in the next few months.
Talks between the City of Johannesburg and the South African Municipal Workers’ Union over the ongoing Metrobus strike resumed on Monday morning, the municipality said on Monday. Municipal spokesperson Gabu Tugwana said the City of Johannesburg officials had replaced Metrobus representatives in handling the negotiations.
The controversial floor-crossing law allowing MPs, MPLs and local councillors to switch political allegiances while retaining their seats looks set to remain, albeit with some changes to appease detractors. This is according to an African National Congress discussion document to be discussed by branches ahead of the party’s June policy conference, the Star reported on Monday.
South African Roland Schoeman again denied American Ian Crocker to successfully defend his 50m butterfly world title in Melbourne on Monday. The Arizona-based Schoeman held off the 100m butterfly world-record holder’s desperate finish to win the one-lap scamper by 0,29secs in 23,18 seconds.
Last week’s blasts at the Malhazine armoury in Mozambique were due to a robbery that went wrong, military sources told an independent newspaper on Monday. In its Monday edition, Tribuna Fax, quoting anonymous military sources, said the blasts came after officials, who were stealing mercury, failed to tightly close containers.