Shares in South Africa’s steel and vanadium producer Highveld Steel and Vanadium (Hiveld) on Monday plunged 28% after the payment of the company’s interim and special dividends. At 10.20am, Hiveld’s shares on the JSE Securities Exchange were quoted at R48,95, down 28% or R19,25 from its previous close.
Junior platinum-miner Barplats on Monday reported a headline loss per share for the year to June 2005 of 14 cents, from an 18,9 cent loss for the 2004 year. Revenue for the year declined to R40,177-million from R112,893-million in 2004. Gross profit for the year totalled R3,454-million from a loss of R5,675-million.
Global resources group BHP Billiton on Monday announced that it has extended its share buy-back programme by 12 months to September 30 next year. The group also increased the maximum number of shares that may be purchased by BHP Billiton Limited under the buy-back programme from 186-million to 358-million.
The board of Swedish financial-services group Skandia has reportedly rejected as being too low an offer by South Africa’s Old Mutual to acquire the company, according to reports by Swedish newspapers on Monday. Skandia is set to make an announcement on the issue on Monday, the newspapers said.
President Robert Mugabe lashed out on Sunday at church leaders who have been among the most outspoken critics of Zimbabwe’s human rights record. Addressing the funeral of Josiah Tungamirai, Mugabe recalled that the Cabinet minister and retired air force commander had quit a Catholic seminary to join the fight against white rule in what was then Rhodesia.
The Australian Rugby Union and national team coach Eddie Jones on Monday voiced their support for embattled Wallabies’ skipper George Gregan ahead of this weekend’s final Tri-Nations match with New Zealand. There have been calls for Gregan to get the axe after a season of indifferent performances at the helm of the Wallabies.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson claimed his side are ready to challenge for the English Premiership title after watching them beat Newcastle 2-0 at St James’ Park. Goals from Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy clinched victory for the Old Trafford club and left Ferguson eyeing the future with far more optimism that his opposite number Graeme Souness.
Authorities in New Orleans on Sunday took the unprecedented step of ordering the evacuation of the city in anticipation of the arrival of the biggest storm in its history. The three million residents were told to flee as Hurricane Katrina, bringing winds of 280kph and threatening catastrophic flooding, blew in from the Gulf of Mexico.
Iraq took a historic gamble on Sunday when the ruling Shia and Kurdish coalition bulldozed over the objections of Sunni Arabs to finish a new Constitution. Frantic efforts to reach a consensus collapsed when a blueprint for a new democratic state which lacked the support of Sunni leaders was submitted to Parliament, triggering what promised to be a bitter referendum battle.
"As SUVs and MPVs (sport utility/multi-purpose vehicles) become more popular, so the choice available to the buyer increases. And instead of just big, ungainly SUVs to choose from, there is now a plethora of smaller vehicles more suited to urban travel available. I spent a week with the Fiat Panda and came away fairly impressed," writes Nick Bates.