OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 11.20am. THE rand backtracked on some of its gains on Thursday, slipping briefly above the R7 to a dollar mark. By late afternoon it was trading just short of the mark at R6,99 to the US currency. Analysts said its rally, which began on Monday, has been buoyed by gains […]

ETHIOPIA said it was ready to end its war with Eritrea ”today” but that it would keep troops on Eritrean soil until it received guarantees over redeployment. ”As far as Ethiopia is concerned, the war is over today,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told a meeting with diplomats in the Ethiopian capital. ”Our troops will […]

SOKOTO state in northern Nigeria has introduced the Sharia, the Islamic legal code, becoming the second state in the country to introduce the controversial law. Unlike in Zamfara State, which blazed the trail in introducing Sharia with many fanfares earlier in the year, there was no ceremony to mark the one in the predominantly-Muslim Sokoto […]

SOUTH Africa’s rugby talent is leaking through to Wellington, New Zealand with Stormers prop Morne van der Merwe staking a claim to play in the National Provincial Championships. Wellington already have eight props in their ranks, including England prop Kevin Yates, Hurricane Mike Edwards, Samoa test players Kepi Faivaii, Kas Lealamanua and Malaga Leota, ex-Chief […]

THE Tanzanian government has sold a 51% stake in its airport services company to Swissport, a subsidiary of Swissair, for $4,8-million dollars. The state privatization agency said Swissport signed the sale agreement on Tuesday with the Tanzanian government and former foreign shareholders of the Dar es Salaam Airport Handling Company.

BRITISH soldiers backing the government in conflict-ridden Sierra Leone handed out leaflets in Freetown on Wednesday warning they would soon leave. “As UNAMSIL reinforces and assumes the role of defending Lungi airport (near Freetown) there will be a withdrawal of British troops,” the leaflet said, without giving any dates. The British government has said on […]

THE US government has pledged R7-million to boost law enforcement in South Africa. The announcement follows a 10-day visit to the United States by Justice Minister Penuell Maduna and Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete to coincide with the state visit by President Thabo Mbeki. The US officials have pledged to help their South African […]

AUSSIE Test leg-spinner Shane Warne, whose debut season in English county cricket was marked by four consecutive ducks at one stage, bounced back by hitting the top score of 34 for Hampshire on Tuesday. However, Warne’s effort could not prevent his county losing by seven wickets to Surrey Lions in a National League 45 overs […]