The South African Trade and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) acknowledged on Wednesday it had a R3-million debt, but denied this was from the recent security guard strike. Spokesperson Ronnie Mamba confirmed union general secretary Randall Howard had issued a memorandum urging staffers to keep costs under control, but said this was routine.
The Wimbledon seeding committee got this one just right. The top four seeded players have advanced to the women’s semifinals at Wimbledon. It’s only the fifth time in 25 years that the semis have featured the elite four. On Thursday, 2004 champion Sharapova will play Mauresmo, and Clijsters will face Henin-Hardenne in the 20th career match between the Belgian rivals.
Simone Thibaudeau hates boring holidays and Claude Fievet loves Central Asia. So when they were invited on a package tour of Afghanistan, the woman of 73 and the man of 80 did not hesitate. In a Kabul hotel after three weeks in the north of a country that is more associated with war than tourism, they were tired but inspired.
Credit providers and credit bureaux have until July 28 2006 to register with the newly created National Credit Regulator (NCR), the body said in a statement on Wednesday. "It will therefore be an offence for credit providers and credit bureaux to conduct any business after the closing date if they are not registered with the NCR," said Nomsa Motshegare, the registration manager.
At least six people were killed and 11 wounded when gunmen ambushed a German aid-agency vehicle in southern Sudan, witnesses said on Wednesday, highlighting insecurity in the region. Five Sudanese teenagers riding in the back of a pick-up belonging to the German Agency for Technical Cooperation and one were shot dead in the incident.
Banking group Absa says that house-price growth is at its lowest in four-and-a-half years. According to the latest Absa house-price index, nominal year-on-year growth of 13,6% was recorded in June this year compared with a growth rate of 14,3% in May. This was the lowest year-on-year growth since January 2002 when it was also 13,6%.
A former national guard captain whose military service was supposed to end seven years ago was sent to Iraq for a year by mistake because of an incorrect discharge date in his records. Jim Dillinger was 43 when he received a letter from the Defence Department in May 2004 saying he was one of 5 600 members of the Individual Ready Reserve being sent to Iraq.
Wimbledon semifinalist Kim Clijsters believes China’s history-making Li Na has all the weapons to shoot her into the world’s elite. The Belgian defeated Li 6-4, 7-5 on Tuesday to reach the last four at the All England Club, but Li wasn’t disgraced and had plenty to be pleased about having become the first Chinese player to make the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam.
The Second Network Operator (SNO) will deliver business services from the end of the year and general services for the public from next year. ”The SNO has adopted a phased approach to rolling-out its services,” managing director Ajay Pandey said in the statement. ”We are currently in discussion with various potential customers and are now in advanced stages of readiness to deliver.”
Young Asian readers seeking the thrill of ghouls and haunted houses no longer turn only to Western favorites to satisfy their itch. Asia’s answer to the record-selling British boy wizard Harry Potter is the Mr Midnight series of books. The appeal, says author Jim Aitchison, is the books’ ability to address an Asian child’s values and sensibilities.