EGYPTIAN President Hosni Mubabrak has welcomed the Israeli cabinet’s decision to transfer full control of three villages near Jerusalem to the Palestinians. “The decision to return the three villages to the Palestinian Authority is a step in the right direction,” Mubarak said in a statement published by the state-owned MENA news agency. One of the […]

STEVEN MANN, Cape Town | Tuesday 3.30pm. A TOP prison official has described convicted fraudster Allan Boesak as a “highly principled man” who would neither want nor receive special privileges while he is in jail. Stephen Korabie, the Western Cape correctional services commissioner, said it had been decided to transfer Boesak from Pollsmoor prison to […]

THE 139 UN peacekeeepers freed by Sierra Leone rebels are expected to arrive in Freetown Tuesday, as international frustration rises over the situation in the country. Liberian President Charles Taylor called on Monday for a ceasefire in Sierra Leone after securing the release of 139 UN hostages being held by the rebel Revolutionary United Front. […]

THE US Agency for International Development pledged on Tuesday $250-million in development aid to South Africa for the next five years. The money will be used to stimulate job creation, strengthen the country’s justice system, improve access to health, education and housing for its people and fight the spread of HIV/Aids, the US embassy and […]

ZIMBABWEAN leg-spinner Brian Murphy has had to cut short his final-year law studies to strengthen the depleted Zimbabwe bowling attack in the two-test series against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday. Murphy, 23, made his debut in the West Indies this year, and will play in the place of senior leg spinner Paul Strang, who […]

CôTE d’Ivoire’s military junta said it will stamp down on any unrest caused by politicians who disagree with eligibility criteria drawn up for candidates in a presidential election to be held later this year. In a statement read out on state media late on Saturday, the junta said certain political leaders, whom it does not […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 4.30pm. ALL local counters were up on Tuesday ahead of a key meeting of the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate-setting committee. There is widespread speculation the US committee will become more aggressive in the fight against inflation and boost rates by half a percentage point, making it more costly to […]

MALAWI President Bakili Muluzi has called for fast track debt relief so he can spare funds to improve the lives of his 10-million mainly poor people. Opening the annual Consultative Group meeting between this impoverished southern African country and its mainly Western lenders late on Monday, Muluzi pledged to intensify a fight against graft, which […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday 12.30pm. SOFT drink giant Coca-Cola is to invest $200-million in South Africa. Chairman Douglas Daft announced in Pretoria on Tuesday that this will form part of a billion dollars the company is investing in Africa as a whole over the next three years. “We are very optimistic about this company’s […]

MINING giant Anglo American Corporation said on Tuesday that Tony Trahar, currently an executive director, will become chief executive of the company from July. Trahar takes over the helm from Julian Ogilvie Thompson, who was previously chairman and chief executive and who will remain in a non-executive capacity, the company said in a statement. The […]