The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (Icasa’s) discussion document on cellphone pricing — due for release on Monday — will also deal with the call-centre industry which the regulator describes as part of its renewed policy imperative.
In one of the most sensational archaeological discoveries in Germany, four papal seals dating back 600 years have been uncovered from a medieval toilet shaft in the northeastern city of Greifswald, officials said on Thursday. The four round seals cast in lead date to the papacy of Pope Bonifatius IX (1389-1404).
South Africa’s application to have the world heritage status of Sterkfontein’s fossil hominid sites extended to include the Taung Skull fossil site in North West province and the Mokopane Valley in Limpopo province was accepted on Friday. The Department of Arts and Culture said the Taung Skull site exhibited the same characteristics as hominid sites such as Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai.
”Operation Most Wanted” led to 11 arrests on a variety of charges on Thursday and Friday, the Pretoria police said. The Rietgat tracing unit made four arrests for armed robberies and attempted murder, the Pretoria flying squad arrested five men for hijacking and the city’s organised crime unit made two arrests for drug dealing, said Constable Brenda Kgafela.
While Harry Potter has cast a spell over children worldwide, to the delight of local English teachers many young readers in France seem willing to cross the language barrier on their magical journey with the young wizard.
Hurricane Emily strengthened dangerously after slamming into Grenada, where it blasted out windows and flooded two main hospitals and tore roofs from homes still damaged by last year’s storms. At least one man was killed. The storm grew to a dangerous category three as it cleared the Windward Islands, unleashing heavy surf, gusty winds and torrential rains on islands hundreds of kilometres away.
The JSE was still down slightly in midday trade on Friday after slipping off Thursday’s all-time high. The JSE started lower on early profit taking as well as the stronger rand against the United States dollar, equity brokers said. On Thursday the all share reached an all-time high of 14,832.18.
The next empowerment deal that South Africa’s largest food group, Tiger Brands, does will be broad-based and the empowerment parties involved will have to add value, with a possible grouping being communities near the group’s operations, Tiger Brands chief executive Nick Dennis said on Thursday.
The treatment that ”illegal foreigner”, ”prohibited person” and Hollywood star Wesley Snipes received from the National Immigration Branch showed that the new immigration system worked, the Department of Home Affairs said on Friday.
Standard Bank, which garners the largest chunk of the credit-card market in South Africa, and First National Bank have both managed to increase their share of the market at the expense of the country’s other major banks. According to a new analysis, the overdraft market seems to be a more competitive area of banking.