ABSA’S headline earnings rose by 22,8% to R1309-million compared to R1066-million for the same period in the previous financial year, the banking group said in a statement on Monday. Chairman Danie Cronje said the group was extremely pleased with the ”very satisfying results” , especially given fairly difficult trading conditions. The return on average shareholder […]

Khanabad | Wednesday ANTI-Taliban forces have given the Islamic militia’s soldiers holding out in the northern city of Kunduz until Thursday morning to surrender, an alliance commander said Wednesday. ”The Taliban have until Thursday morning to give themselves up. After that, they will have to take responsibility for what happens to them,” said General Nazir […]

San Francisco | Tuesday DESPITE the record industry’s legal battles with Napster and other online music distributors, the practice of selling music online will top $1,6-billion dollars by 2005, a consultancy said this week. ”There’s a growing population of music enthusiasts that are ready to embrace paid downloads, streaming on demand, and online radio,” said […]

Islamabad | Thursday PROVINCES have fallen like dominoes against Afghanistan’s former Taliban rulers, cornering the Islamic militia into a small southern corner from where their future looks decidedly uncertain. Routed in northern Afghanistan, chased out of the capital Kabul, the Taliban may now only have control of three or four of the war-stricken country’s 31 […]

Harare | Thursday RIOT police were deployed in force in the Zimbabwe capital on Wednesday to prevent pro-democracy demonstrators staging a protest march against proposed changes to Zimbabwe’s electoral laws. The armed police fanned out across the city centre to disperse all persons gathered in groups, thus preventing demonstrators from mobilising. Despite the crackdown, a […]

JAN HENNOP, Pretoria | Thursday THE trial of four men convicted of setting their police dogs on illegal immigrants in a 1998 “training exercise”, continues in the Pretoria High Court on Thursday with evidence in mitigation of sentence. On Wednesday, defence witness Hannes Brits testified it was not unusual for police dogs that were reluctant […]

ANGELA QUINTAL, Cape Town | Thursday WHEN the NNP’s provincial head council meets next Thursday, former Cape Town mayor Peter Marais is expected to be elected provincial leader, but it is not yet clear where he will slot in to the new co-operation deal with the ANC. NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk told reporters after […]

Mafeking | Thursday NINE rape cases in a week in the Molopo area have been reported with the victims including girls aged seven and eight, North West police said on Thursday. Inspector Lesego Metsi said one of the victims was a seven-year-old girl, another was aged eight, and three other minors — one a 14-year-old […]

Johannesburg | Thursday THE Constitutional Court will hear argument on Thursday that a section of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Act is unconstitutional because it infringes the right to freedom of speech. The Islamic Unity Convention (ICU) is seeking leave to appeal to have clause 2(a) of the IBA Code of Conduct declared unconstitutional. The […]