England coach Duncan Fletcher has called Monty Panesar the best finger spinner in the world after the left-armer produced another impressive display against Pakistan. Panesar took 3-39 in the second innings at Headingley and six wickets in the match as the hosts completed a 167-run third Test victory and with it secured an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
South African Airways (SAA) passengers flying from the United Kingdom back home will be subjected to strict security screenings and the carriage of normal cabin luggage will not be allowed after United Kingdom police thwarted a plot to blow up aircraft in mid-flight. SAA has also warned of inevitable delays.
United Kingdom police on Thursday foiled a plot to blow up aircraft in mid-flight between Britain and the United States, and were holding 21 people after overnight raids, senior officers said. Unconfirmed media reports said anywhere from six to 10 US commercial airliners had been targeted in the plot, which police said had "global dimensions".
Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the latest big name to desert Juventus when he moved to Italian rivals Inter Milan for ,95-million on Thursday. The Sweden striker signed a four-year contract, Inter said on their website after completing the most expensive incoming deal in Italy of the close-season.
South Africa’s economy will grow more slowly than expected in 2006 and 2007 but will weather a weaker currency, higher interest rates and emerging-market jitters, the Bureau for Economic Research said on Thursday. The independent research body lowered its latest quarterly growth forecasts for the continent’s biggest economy to 4,3% in 2006 and 4,1% in 2007.
Thousands of South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) members took to the streets on Thursday in a strike against Shoprite Checkers, the union said. Saccawu’s negotiator Thoko Mchunu said the action was a protected strike and involved 35Â 000 members and thousands of non-members who also shared the same view as the union.
Police said on Wednesday that a foiled plot to blow up aircraft flying from Britain to the United States was ”an attempt to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale”. A spokesperson said: ”We believe that the terrorists’ aim was to smuggle explosives on to planes in hand luggage and to detonate them in flight.”
A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and wounded over 90 near a sacred Shi’ite shrine in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf on Thursday, hospital sources said. They said the bomber blew himself up when he was stopped at a police commando checkpoint as he was heading to the Imam Ali shrine.
The appeal hearing for Durban business man Schabir Shaik in the Supreme Court in Bloemfontein has been postponed by more than a month, the court said on Thursday. The hearing was expected to take place from August 21 to 25, but has been postponed to September 25 to 29.
The JSE was weaker across the board in noon trade on Thursday, knocked by negative world markets and a stronger rand. There was an element of catch-up following the Women’s Day holiday on Wednesday and this exacerbated the bourse’s losses. By 12.01pm, the all-share and all-share industrial indices shed 1,49% and 1,07% respectively.