Harry Potter author JK Rowling said on Friday that one of her characters will not survive the next book in her series about the young wizard — but refused to say who would die. Asked on her official web site whether she planned to kill off any more characters, Rowling replied, ”Yes, sorry.”
The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa moved further into uncharted territory on Friday as money continued to follow into local equities. A turnaround in European markets added to the positivity. By 11.55am, the all share and all share industrial indices were up 0.74% and 0.86% respectively. Resources rose 1.05%, the platinum mining index jumped 1.83% and the gold mining index gained 0.48%.
The board of Absa has accepted UK group Barclays’ bid for a greater than 50% stake in the South African bank, according to South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni. He made the disclosure while addressing Parliament’s Finance Committee on Friday, where he also attempted to dampen press speculation that the possible purchase by Barclays would result in a substantial inflow of foreign currency-denominated investment into the country.
Remembered most, perhaps, for her stormy affair with the artist Modigliani, Beatrice Hastings is "A treasure house … researched with true scholarly passion." Shirley Kossick looks at an analysis of a distinctive literary talent.
The last of his books to be published in his lifetime, the late Edward Said’s last offering makes striking non-psychoanalytic use of psychoanalytic writing. Derek Hook gets some cerebral stimulation.
It’s not often that you are approached by your government and dispatched to a former colony to celebrate its 10th year of democracy. It sure beats the hell out of being sent to Iraq. Basement Jaxx will be in SA this month as part of the British Council’s D+10 celebrations, writes Andy Davis.
<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> The lastest comic-book adaption for the screen, Hellboy blows its contemporaries Spider-Man and Catwoman right out of the water. It’s a huge orangey-red amount of fun, with a great deal of energy, style, intelligence and wit, writes Shaun de Waal.
The British High Commissioner to South Africa, Ann Grant, will on Sunday take part in a symbolic ”releasing ceremony” of amaHlubi king Langalibalele who died in captivity in 1889. The king’s great-grandson Prince Bekithemba Langalibalele said the ceremony in Estcourt would be significant because the king died while under house arrest and was still regarded as a prisoner.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court has found a 14-year-old girl guilty of murder and theft following the death of her grandmother two years ago. Judgement was given in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday, and the case adjourned for sentencing on December 13.
Thousands of frightened Israeli tourists were rushing back home from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Friday, after car bombs ripped through two Egyptian beach resorts crowded with Israeli visitors. At least 19 people were killed and more than 120 wounded in the blasts at the Taba Hilton, a luxury hotel just south of the Israeli border, and at the Ras Shitan resort of beach huts.