Blackburn have confirmed the signing of South African captain Aaron Mokoena who had a trial at Ewood Park before Christmas. The 24-year-old began training with his new team-mates on Tuesday but he needs international clearance before he can play.
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Insurance company Old Mutual on Monday said it is willing to speed up claims resulting from the tsunami disaster in south-east Asia. In a statement, Old Mutual spokesperson Stephen Bowey said it normally takes two to three days to process a life-insurance claim once a death certificate is in the company’s possession.
An exhibit of underwear worn by Portuguese celebrities, which included an item donated by Manchester United’s teenage football star Cristiano Ronaldo, wrapped up on Thursday after causing traffic to surge at a small gallery in northern Portugal, a spokesperson for the venue said.
A south-western Chinese town has spent nearly -million on a replica of the country’s most famous monument, the Great Wall, in a bid to draw more tourist dollars, state press said on Friday. The 1 680m wall erected near Chengdu city in China’s Sichuan province is a fraction of the mammoth original structure.
Three years after Ireland adopted the euro, up to 130 people a day are still turning up at Central Bank headquarters in Dublin to turn their old Irish punts into the single European currency. ”There is still about 310-million punts’ [R2,9-billion] worth of old money outstanding,” a Central Bank spokesperson said.
A British man celebrated his 100th birthday more than £7 000 (R75 000) the richer on Sunday after placing a bet 10 years ago — on his own long life expectancy. Arthur Best bet he would reach the age of 100, which he did on Sunday.
The South African government has set up an interministerial committee, assisted by a task team of senior officials, to coordinate relief efforts for countries affected by last week’s tsunami disaster. South Africa will also send a delegation to an international donor conference to be held in Indonesia on Thursday.
The provincial department of education in Mpumalanga will not take any disciplinary action against the whistleblower who reported irregularities in the province’s matric exams to the police. The Sunday Times reported this week that the department planned to take actions against the whistleblower.
DA slams action against whistleblower
Hundreds of Israeli settlers danced, sang and studied Jewish texts in the rain outside Parliament on Monday in a sit-in against government plans to dismantle settlements in the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank. The protest was part of a mass campaign by settlers against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Gaza ”disengagement plan”.