Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday ridiculed a European Union plan to offer trade and technology incentives in exchange for his country agreeing to halt sensitive nuclear work. ”They think they can take away our gold and give us some nuts and chocolate in exchange,” Ahmadinejad told a rally in the town of Arak.
Critics on Wednesday crucified Hollywood’s hotly awaited film of the runaway bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, ahead of its glittering premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Several disappointed whistles were all that greeted the end of Ron Howard’s -million film, and, even worse, the 2 000-strong audience even burst out laughing at the movie’s key moment.
Unit one at Koeberg power station in the Western Cape was successfully returned to service on Wednesday after being out of commission for the past five months for repairs. The generator was damaged in December 2005, resulting in both the rotor and stator requiring repair.
The City of Cape Town has withdrawn permission for the Congress of South African Trade Unions to march there during a national strike on Thursday. Mayoral spokesperson Robert MacDonald said the decision came after Tuesday’s violent march in the city.
Stanlib on Wednesday announced the appointment of George Brits, currently chief executive of Stanlib Asset Management, as chief executive of Stanlib Limited with effect from June 1 2006. The appointment date coincides with the date that the current chief executive of Stanlib Limited, Bruce Hemphill, will be taking over the reigns at Liberty Life.
Tributes and messages of condolence streamed in on Wednesday afternoon after former KwaZulu-Natal social welfare minister Prince Gideon Zulu (72) died on Tuesday evening following a long illness. United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa hailed Zulu as a ”fierce warrior … who showed humility and warmth”.
Uganda on Wednesday set a July deadline for the leader of the notorious rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to end a nearly two-decade insurgency and agree to peace talks or face military destruction. President Yoweri Museveni said his government would assure the safety of LRA supremo Joseph Kony and four lieutenants indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
Tributes and messages of condolence streamed in on Wednesday afternoon after former KwaZulu-Natal social welfare minister Prince Gideon Zulu (72) died on Tuesday evening following a long illness. United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa hailed Zulu as a ”fierce warrior … who showed humility and warmth”.
Three days of torrential rain destroyed more than 1 000 homes, most of them mud huts, and unearthed 50 tombs in a rural section of Burundi, officials said Wednesday. The downpour started on Sunday and washed away 900 homes in Mpanda and 200 in Kinyinya, according to administrators in the region.
HIV/Aids organisations in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, have warned people to be on the lookout for individuals selling fake antiretrovirals (ARVs).