Tradition, the world’s third-largest interdealer broker, is entering the fray in the South African marketplace. It says South Africa offers real potential for their business, but also feels it is unfair that the country suffers under the weight of its emerging-market status.
A new stadium, that will host one of the World Cup semifinal matches in 2010, was unveiled in Durban on Thursday. Named after King Shaka’s father, the King Senzangakhona Stadium will cost R1,6-billion to build and will seat a crowd of up to 80Â 000 soccer fans.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance is to call on Auditor General Shauket Fakie to carry out a forensic audit of housing departments in all the provinces and at national level. Standing committee on public accounts DA member Eddie Trent said national and provincial housing officials were unable to account for irregularities involving more than R300-million.
Fresh demands by the opposition for Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe to accept a new Constitution and elections to avert a Ukraine-style uprising against his government are an olive branch that will find no taker unless backed by nationwide street protests, according to analysts.
A Vietnamese court on Thursday rejected an appeal by former British glam rocker Gary Glitter against a three-year jail term for sexually abusing children, calling him a danger to society. The faded 1970s star, born Paul Francis Gadd, had been found guilty on March 3 of "committing obscene acts" with two young girls.
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In the auditorium of the Goethe Institut, Johannesburg, a movie is being shown, but it is running late. Moments before 9pm, the screen goes black and film fans are told they are welcome to borrow the film to watch the ending at home. It’s time for the Soccer World Cup, and the big screen comes alive again just in time for the German national anthem.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday urged rival factions to reach an agreement that would allow his people to break the international isolation that has gripped them since Hamas took office. Abbas said he was optimistic the various parties would reach an agreement on a statehood document during a new round of talks in Gaza.
Burundi’s last active rebel group shelled the capital, Bujumbura, overnight, injuring at least eight civilians, officials said on Thursday. This was the second such attack in less than a month. Both have occurred since the rebel group and the government began peace talks in Tanzania.
Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change will be ”trashed” if it attempts to overthrow the government of President Robert Mugabe, a ruling party spokesperson was quoted as saying on Thursday. Nathan Shamuyarira accused the Brussels-based International Crisis Group of urging the opposition to organise a coup, said the official Herald newspaper.
Striking security guards will bring business operations in Sandton to a standstill, the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said on Thursday. ”They cannot be working and enjoying lunch while workers are hungry,” said union spokesperson Jackson Simon.