Iraqi security forces, backed by the United States military, swept into a town south of Baghdad at dawn on Monday after reports that Sunni militants had kidnapped as many as 100 Shi’ites there. But residents and Sunni clerics said the reports had been grossly exaggerated by government officials bent on re-establishing control in the lawless region.
Cinema group Ster-Kinekor says rival Nu Metro Film Distribution has undermined its efforts to show new movies from Warner International and Fox studios cheaply. As a result, Ster-Kinekor will not be showing Be Cool, Robots or Miss Congeniality II at its Ster-Kinekor Junction cinemas.
Thousands of supporters of Tanzanian main opposition party, the Civic United Front (CUF), on Sunday protested in Dar es Salaam against last week’s barring of the party’s presidential aspirant in the country’s Zanzibar islands from registering for October elections. About 32 000 CUF members have been barred from registering in Zanzibar.
Côte d’Ivoire’s President Laurent Gbagbo is to start on Monday two weeks of talks with different groups in the country with a view to implementing a peace deal brokered by South Africa. But he faces problems given the reluctance of rebel groups to lay down their arms, as well as reservations among his own supporters over the accord.
The JSE Securities Exchange was sharply weaker just after midday on Monday after Friday’s sell-off on Wall Street sparked an avalanche on global markets. Losses were seen across the board, with only five shares on the all share index managing to post gains.
Harmony has reached an understanding with Solidarity and the United Association of South Africa on retrenchments at its Free State operations, the company said on Monday. ”The discussions with the other recognised union, the National Union of Mineworkers, ended inconclusively,” Harmony said in a statement.
After deliberations that delayed the intended media conference by three hours at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Friday, SA Rugby finally announced a reshuffle in provincial affiliations in the enlarged Super 14 franchises for the next three years, subject to an annual review and initial three-year trial period.
As the public hearings on Telkom’s ADSL broadband service neared an end on Monday, Naspers subsidiary M-Web argued that despite numerous calls for the dual-listed group to reduce its charges, Telkom will oppose a decrease in ADSL tariffs. Telkom will on Monday afternoon receive an opportunity to express its response.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal became the second-youngest winner to date of a Masters Series tournament when he beat defending champion Guillermo Coria of Argentina 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 in a thrilling Monte Carlo title showdown in Monaco on Sunday.
The 18-year-old left-hander, seeded 11th, also collected his third title of the year.
It was the place where the celebrated genius went to escape the madding crowds. And for three glorious summers the modest wooden summerhouse in the lakeside village of Caputh, near Potsdam, provided Albert Einstein and his family with the perfect retreat.