"Is the bubble about to burst?" That’s the question many people are asking in the wake of months of a particularly buoyant stock market. According to Robert Keip, CEO of FNB Investment Products, many people have grown their wealth significantly because of the strength of the equities market.
Fuelled by strong investor demand, the assets of Absa’s NewGold Gold Bullion Debentures have shown remarkable growth of 216% in the period December 2005 to January 2006. Absa’s NewGold allows investors to invest directly in actual gold rather than gold companies.
Tonga produced the only surprise in the opening 12 matches of the Commonwealth Games rugby union sevens competition in Melbourne on Thursday, beating medal contenders South Africa 26-19. The hard-tackling South Pacific islanders deserved their Pool D win at the Telstra Dome and were led superbly by inspirational captain Tevita Tu’ifua.
Australia’s superstar swimmers helped lift the doping gloom which had descended upon their weightlifting colleagues as action at the 18th Commonwealth Games got under way on Thursday. A total of 11 gold medals were to be decided with five in the pool on the opening day and the host nation’s swimmers put down their marker by qualifying fastest into three of four finals.
Egypt unveiled a sleek fleet of eco-friendly, natural-gas run taxis on Wednesday that will soon pick up tourists on Cairo’s pollution-choked streets. The 150 bright yellow Volkswagon taxis are the first wave of about 1 500 cars that will be introduced to the crowded, chaotic metropolis where thousands of dirt-stained cabs belch noxious fumes and dominate the streets.
South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi became the second defending athletics champion to be ruled out of the Commonwealth Games in a matter of hours on Thursday. The 25-year-old 2004 Olympic silver medallist injured an ankle when it was spiked in the world indoor 800m final in Moscow last Sunday.
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Global positioning systems units in South Africa are retailing for twice as much as they sell for in the United States, bringing into question the markup on the latest technologies that are imported into South Africa. A Garmin E-trex Yellow GPS unit retails in the US for about $100 (R617).
Elphus Mashile smiles contentedly as he enjoys the sunshine from the stoep of a colonial-style house set in a manicured garden. "I am so happy that I can stay at Keurboom," he says. "I do not know how I would get treatment if I could not come to this place." This is Mashile’s second visit to the Keurboom Interim Home in Belgravia, which provides support and care for patients undergoing treatment for cancer.
With more than five million of its 47-million citizens HIV-positive, South Africa currently has more people living with HIV/Aids than any other country. This brings with it a heavy burden as concerns providing anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to those in need. More than 500Â 000 South Africans require ARVs.