The Black Brokers Forum, the largest representative body of black financial-services providers in South Africa, will be hosting its first conference to address the numerous issues affecting black professionals and consumers in the local financial-services industry.
Iran’s press on Tuesday hailed the hard-line regime’s letter to arch-enemy George Bush — with moderate papers hoping for detente and hardliners praising President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s "audacity". "Regardless of the content … such a communication could lead the two sides to direct talks," the centrist <i>Shargh</i> newspaper said somewhat optimistically.
South Africa’s market for internet access services will continue to grow steadily, according to information and communications technology market analysts BMI-TechKnowledge’s (BMI-T) latest research. It released the South African internet services market report for 2006 on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe state bureaucrats on Monday said unemployment in the country stood at a comfortable 9% as late as 2004, according to the latest <i>Labour Force Survey</i>, totally rejecting independent estimates that joblessness surpassed the 50% mark several years ago and is at present anything above 70%.
Nevada boxing regulators revoked Zab Judah’s licence and fined him  000 on Monday, the harshest penalty yet for a melee which broke out at last month’s welterweight title fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Judah was punished for landing a punch to the back of Mayweather’s head in the April 8 IBF title bout.
Shane Warne, cricket’s greatest wicket-taker, is turning from England foe to friend. The Australian, who has claimed 172 English Test wickets and counting, announced his involvement on Monday in a school initiative aiming to bolster and hone England’s scant spin-bowling skills.
City Press political editor Jimmy Seepe has died, South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported on Tuesday. Seepe died in the Tshepo-Themba Clinic in Dobsonville, Soweto, where he had been in a coma since collapsing at his home in Pimville last month.
Security bosses have agreed to meet the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union within days in a bid to end the union’s pay strike, media reports said on Tuesday. The meeting was at the invitation of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, which is trying to broker a deal.
Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott made England’s provisional World Cup squad on Monday even though he has never played in a Premier League game. Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson also included injured stars Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen in the 27-man roster, as well as several other players who’ve barely kicked a ball in the last few months.
Pule, Patrick ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, unanimously acclaimed as one of South Africa’s greatest soccer players, died on Monday at the age of 50. The shock reverberated round the country, with a pall of gloom and sadness cast over Kaizer Chiefs, the club with whom he was most widely associated during an illustrious and varied career.