The JSE was in positive territory in noon trade on Thursday, helped by stronger European markets and higher commodity prices. It was another quiet morning and just over R2-billion worth of shares had changed hands. By 12.03pm, the all share and all share industrial indices added 1,23% and 0,95% respectively.
The final round of talks in the petroleum sector on Wednesday failed to resolve differences between the parties, and mediation in the chemical bargaining council did not result in an agreement, trade union Solidarity said on Thursday. "Employers offer a 5,5% increase, while our members are demanding 10%," said spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans.
An injury-ravaged Springbok team leave South Africa on Thursday night for the southern hemisphere’s Tri-Nations competition with Australia and New Zealand with speculation rife their coach will head to England at the completion of the matches in September.
Radical Islamic militia fighters in central Somalia shot and killed two people at the screening of a banned World Cup soccer broadcast, an independent radio station reported. The Islamic fighters, who have banned such entertainment, were dispersing a crowd of teenagers watching the Germany-Italy match.
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Luiz Felipe Scolari says Portugal can be proud of its football team despite their agonising loss to France, as he goes about the difficult task of picking them up for a third-placed play-off match. He warned Italy they will have their work cut out against France in the final in Berlin on Sunday, while paying tribute to his players who matched Portugal’s best World Cup campaign.
Israeli forces moved further into northern Gaza early on Thursday morning after Palestinian militants succeeded in hitting the Israeli city of Askelon with rockets for the second night running. Palestinian sources said gunmen tried to engage the tanks and armoured personnel carriers after they moved from border areas to positions close to settlements that were evacuated by Israel 10 months ago.
North Korea faced united condemnation of its missile tests at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, with the United States and Japan pressing for a strong response to the launch of seven missiles in 24 hours. ”We hope that the response of the council will be swift, strong and resolute,” said Kenzo Oshima, Japan’s ambassador to the UN.
Britain absorbed far more money from sub-Saharan Africa than it gave in aid and debt relief last year, despite pledges to help the region, the charity Christian Aid said on Wednesday. In the 12 months since an annual Group of Eight summit in Scotland last July, the British economy gained a net profit of more than £11-billion ($20,3-billion) from the region.
When former radio presenter and adventurer Patricia Glyn read her great-great-grand uncle’s diary three years ago, she immediately decided on a roots odyssey. She would walk in the footsteps of her ancestors and peek into the world they once knew, writes Yolandi Groenewald.
There’s something batty going on inside the Palace of Westminster, home of Britain’s Parliament, and it’s got nothing to do with political shenanigans.
In a first, the Bat Conservation Trust will deploy inside the gothic-style premises in central London next Monday to determine exactly how many bats live beneath its rafters, towers and gargoyles.