The JSE Securities Exchange moved to an all-time high on Thursday despite the steady rand, which has moved off its worst levels in a year. Resources remained the star performers. The all share index rose to a fresh high of 13,965.10 shortly after midday.
Visiting South African President Thabo Mbeki pushed on Wednesday for more United States economic aid to Africa and logistical support for African peacekeepers in Darfur in a meeting with US President George Bush. The United States has offered aircraft to transport African Union peacekeepers to Darfur, and has approached Nato for help as well.
A group of alleged mercenaries, recently released from Zimbabwe, will most likely have to spend time behind bars in South Africa, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Thursday. Spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said the NPA wants the Regulation of the Foreign Military Assistance Act to be enforced.
Hundreds of squatters packed their bags, dismantled their houses and left the Angelo informal settlement in Lilianton, Boksburg, on Wednesday night after a day of evictions. At the start of operations on Thursday, there was none of the resistance offered at the start of the evictions on Wednesday.
Nikolay Davydenko celebrated his 24th birthday a day early on Wednesday when he reached his first grand-slam semifinal with a dramatic 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Spain’s Tommy Robredo in a marathon French Open last-eight clash. The 12th-seeded Russian will now face Argentina’s unseeded Mariano Puerta.
Chelsea were fined £300 000 (R3,7-million) and handed a suspended three-point deduction for tapping up Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole, the Premier League announced on Wednesday. Cole himself was fined £100 000 (R1,2-million) and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho received a fine of £200 000 (R2,5-million).
Ockert Cilliers, one of the candidates for the third 400m hurdles spot in the South African team to the World Athletics Championships, continued his winning ways on Wednesday when he recorded an impressive win at the Regione Lombardia International Association of Athletics Federations Grand Prix 11 meeting in Milan.
A six-year-old New Zealand racehorse named Rain, Hail or Shine died in its paddock on Wednesday after being struck by lightning, its trainer said. Ralph Manning, who trained the horse to two wins and five placings from 24 starts, said he found the horse dead after a thunderstorm.
Queensland Reds and Wallabies fullback Chris Latham has won his fourth Australian Super 12 player of the year award despite his team’s dismal performance in the competition. Latham polled 11 votes to win the award, decided by match referees, one vote ahead of Brumbies flanker George Smith.
Arsenal vice-chairperson David Dein may believe that the Premiership runners-up can return to a businesslike relationship with the team who deposed them as champions, Chelsea, but that is certainly not the line coming out of their London rivals. Arsenal and Chelsea must sit down together at the two-day Premiership conference on Thursday.