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The Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust is angered by what it calls sensationalising of the multimillion-rand defamation claims that the former deputy president is launching against several media groups, a statement said on Wednesday. ”We are tired of the blatant media bias against our friend, Jacob Zuma,” a statement read.
”Some money” was taken from Standard Bank clients when hackers gained access to the bank’s accounts, group spokesperson Ross Linstrom said on Wednesday. ”There has been some money [taken] but very little. That is not our concern. Our concern is tightening up [security]. In terms of people, it is less than ten,” Linstrom said.
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Police at Berlin’s fan festival have been testing a new device designed to detect chemical and biological threats — giving it a dress rehearsal for the World Cup final. The 70kg portable device, named Sigis 2, can detect 200 different chemical compounds from a distance of 5km.
Annika Sorenstam was so tired from playing 54 holes in two days that she took Tuesday off after winning the US Women’s Open. Pat Hurst was exhausted before she got to the first tee for the 18-hole play-off, and that was after a night of rest. Imagine how Billy Burke and George Von Elm must have felt.
At least two people were killed when Islamic gunmen opened fire on scores of young demonstrators protesting a ban on World Cup viewing at a cinema in central Somalia, witnesses said on Wednesday. The pair were shot and killed late on Tuesday when soccer fans, barred by Islamists from watching the semifinal match between Germany and Italy, complained.
Kenyan police said on Wednesday they were searching for two men suspected of beating to death a fan of Brazil’s World Cup team after the reigning football champion’s weekend loss to France. The 21-year-old Brazil fan died after being savagely attacked by the France-supporting suspects who allegedly chided and ridiculed the victim.
Fraud and corruption in prisons are on the decline, a senior official said on Wednesday. ”Although the road ahead remains arduous and long, I can confidently say we are winning this battle,” said acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services Patrick Gillingham on Wednesday.
The International Development Association, an arm of the World Bank, has written off ,616-billion of Ethiopia’s debt under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, the bank’s country office disclosed on Wednesday. In a statement, the World Bank said Ethiopia’s economic performance over the past three years had been ”strong and broad-based”.
Consumer confidence remained at record-high levels during the second quarter of 2006, according to the latest FNB/BER consumer confidence index (CCI) released on Wednesday. First National Bank (FNB) and Stellenbosch University’s Bureau for Economic Research (BER) said in a statement the CCI declined by an insubstantial one index point.
The JSE was weaker in noon trade on Wednesday in line with world markets. Renewed interest-rate jitters sparked by a weaker rand and concerns about North Korea’s missile tests also contributed to the weakness. By 12.06pm, the all-share and all-share industrial indices slipped 0,7% and 0,62% respectively.