Mindful of the terrible disruptions caused to the Mother of Parliaments (the one in Westminster, not Frene Ginwala) by fox-hunting supporters, and no doubt spurred into action since that old gossip Hogarth pointed out weaknesses, security at our own seat of government has been tightened up. At least that’s the sort of spin that’s likely to be put on events in the visdorpie on Monday.
Debutant Michael Clarke and captain Adam Gilchrist hit sparkling centuries as world champions Australia sent India on a leather hunt in the first cricket Test here on Thursday. The overnight pair batted until the last over of the morning session of the second day to lift the world champions to 423-6 in their first innings by lunch at the Chinnaswamy stadium.
Manchester United, the world’s richest football club, has launched a roadshow in Southeast Asia to find new corporate sponsors, officials said on Thursday. The club’s commercial director, Andy Anson, met executives from electronics companies, airlines and a telecommunications firm founded by the Thai prime minister during the show’s stop in Bangkok.
Bafana Bafana are confident of tearing lesser-known Uganda to pieces during their World Cup qualifying match at Mandela Stadium in Kampala on Sunday. Speaking after Wednesday’s training session at Johannesburg Stadium, South African captain Aaron Mokoena said they were ready to embarrass The Cranes in their own backyard.
Sasol announced on Wednesday that it has increased production at the Etame oil field off the southern coast of Gabon and has discovered two new oil fields nearby. The company said it has increased production in the Etame field from 15 000 to 22 000 barrels a day by completing a new well and finding the two nearby oil fields.
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Talks between the Nigerian government and trade unions broke down on Wednesday, leaving the country on the brink of a fuel-price strike which could force up already soaring world oil prices. The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned that its members will stage a general strike from Monday in protest at recent petrol price increases.
The blogging community, some call it the ”blogosphere”, is at the heart of the latest US news scandal involving 60 Minutes, a CBS News show well respected for its journalism and Dan Rather, the 60 Minutes anchor. The growing argument between traditional media (radio, TV and print) and the ”We Media” (bloggers and wiki users) has never before been so clearly laid out for the public to see, but it worries me that most are missing the point.
A man accused of killing a woman and cooking her body parts has died from possible gastroenteritis although a case of murder has been opened, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Wednesday. Superintendent Jay Naicker said Elvis Matenjwa died in the Ngwelezan hospital on September 27. He was apparently admitted on September 22 suffering from gastroenteritis.
The South African Cabinet has urged members of the media to respect the dignity of the office of Deputy President Jacob Zuma ”and not (to) impugn his integrity on the basis of allegations not proven in a court of law”. Government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe noted the Cabinet as saying: ”With regard to matters relating to the deputy president in particular, government has noted his public response to the allegations, and takes him at his word.”