Russia signed a ,9-billion arms deal with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela on Thursday, risking a confrontation with the United States, which has imposed an arms embargo on the South American country. The outspoken Venezuelan president also told reporters in Moscow that his country could develop its own nuclear programme.
Danes are the happiest people in the world, according to a new survey published on Friday that measures health, wealth, education, sense of identity and the aesthetic quality of the landscape. The survey follows another earlier this month that said the tiny South Pacific Ocean archipelago of Vanuatu was the happiest country on Earth.
The world’s largest diamond miner, De Beers, on Friday said it expects the outlook for the global rough diamond market for the second half of 2006 to be difficult. "It has been a testing time over the past six months," De Beers chairperson Nicky Oppenheimer said during a results teleconference.
The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has officially kick-started the construction of its largest facility to date — the R2-billion new central terminal building project at the Johannesburg International airport. The project was officially announced by Acsa CEO Monhla Hlahla at a sod-turning ceremony on Friday.
The retail price of all grades of petrol will increase by 31c per litre from Wednesday August 2, the Department of Minerals and Energy said on Friday. The wholesale price of diesel with a sulphur content of 0,05% and with a sulphur content of 0,005% will rise by 22c a litre and 25c a litre respectively on the same date.
Blackburn Rovers have signed South Africa striker Benni McCarthy from Porto, the Premier League club said on Friday. McCarthy, who joins for an undisclosed fee, has signed a four-year contract. ”We tried to sign Benni 12 months ago and have been tracking the situation since then,” Blackburn chairperson John Williams told the club’s website.
Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) plans to get older women to strip during forthcoming anti-government protests, a party official was quoted as saying on Friday. Women are the weapons the MDC will use to put the right leader in power, the Manica Post newspaper quoted MDC official Grace Kwinjeh as saying.
A second large cargo plane delivered tons of unidentified equipment on Friday to the Islamic militia that controls Somalia’s capital, adding to growing fears that civil war could return to the chaotic country. Fighters loyal to the Supreme Islamic Courts’ Union closed roads around Mogadishu International airport while the plane unloaded the cargo, chasing away onlookers.
The JSE was weaker in noon trade on Friday on profi-taking after Thursday’s strong run. Softer world markets contributed to the negativity. By 12.07pm, the all share index slipped 0,73%. Resources retreated 1,07%, the gold mining index tumbled 2,26% and the platinum mining index lost 1,63%.
Israel battered Lebanon on Friday, killing 11 people as waves of air raids struck villages in the hills behind the southern port of Tyre and hundreds of artillery rounds crashed across the border.