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A planned strike at Sasol could be called off once members of the trade union Solidarity accept a new salary offer made by the petroleum company. Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said on Thursday the union would recommend to its members that they should accept the new offer.
Cellphone operator MTN announced on Thursday that it will contribute R476-million towards sponsorship of the 2010 World Cup, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported. MTN is the second company to announce a major sponsorship. First National Bank has already announced it will sponsor the soccer extravaganza to the tune of -million.
Oil surged to a record high above a barrel on Thursday on renewed worries over supply from major exporter Nigeria and as conflict between Israel and Lebanon heightened international tensions. Prices also rose as the Iran nuclear row headed back to the United Nations Security Council and North Korea walked out of talks with South Korea.
American Floyd Landis underlined his yellow jersey credentials with a resounding performance in the Tour de France’s 11th stage, which gave him the yellow jersey on Thursday. Russian Denis Menchov of the Rabobank team took the victory after 206,5km of racing between Tarbes and Pla de Beret, of which almost 62km was climbing into the high mountains.
World soccer governing body Fifa said on Thursday they have opened a disciplinary inquiry into the behaviour of Italy World Cup winning defender Marco Materazzi. In a statement, Fifa said: ”The decision was taken following claims made by French player Zinedine Zidane, who attacked Materazzi with a headbutt during the final of the Fifa World Cup in Berlin on July 9.”
Three more men joined the alleged killer of a National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) senior official in the Carletonville Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, West Rand police said. Spokesperson Inspector Solomon Sibiya said all four men had their case postponed to next Wednesday for a formal bail application.
The print media are treating the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in a hostile manner, chief executive of the SABC Dali Mpofu said on Thursday. ”There is this hostility that I don’t understand. The SABC either gets no coverage, hostility or cartoons. Why, I don’t understand,” he told the Johannesburg Press Club.
A police dog that was left in a pickup truck with the engine running apparently knocked the vehicle into gear and ran down a woman who was walking to her mailbox. Mary F Stone (41) was expected to remain hospitalised with a fractured pelvis and tailbone until at least Friday, said her husband, Paul Stone.
Indian police have detained about 350 people in connection with the deadly Mumbai train bombings, as a top official said on Thursday that investigators believe they ”should have something substantial soon”. A man claiming to represent al-Qaeda reportedly claimed on Thursday that the terror network has set up a wing in Kashmir.