A post template

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

How to choose a property website

There are currently more than 50 property websites available to South African internet users and they can be an invaluable tool when looking for a new home. But, with that many property portals to choose from, how do you pick a suitable site? There are a few key aspects to keep in mind.

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

‘House of plastic bottles’ rises in Serbia

A retired Serbian physics professor has built a house with plastic bottles in the place of bricks, a local newspaper reported on Monday. Tomislav Radovanovic, who came up with the idea before becoming a pensioner, built the dwelling from about 14 000 bottles in the central town of Kragujevac, 130km south of the capital, Belgrade.

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

Bad attitudes lead to job losses in SA

Jobs are being lost in South Africa because of bad attitudes to customers, training company BizTech said on Monday. ”Whether it’s slow delivery of infrastructure to people in poor areas, overcharging tourists or rude call-centre agents, South Africa’s poor customer service is developing a reputation that is stymying business.”

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

Cops, guards to patrol crime-hit Table Mountain

Table Mountain will be patrolled by police and guards from South African National Parks after a spate of muggings at the popular tourist spot, the Western Cape’s community safety department said on Monday. On Thursday a meeting will be held to discuss further security measures after at least 18 muggings were reported between January and August 2007.

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

Harmony says it is not selling SA gold assets

South African gold-mining group Harmony said on Monday it would not be selling any of its South African gold assets. The world’s fifth largest gold producer told those attending a presentation of its June quarter and annual results that "vultures" were circling its South African operations but that the businesses were not for sale.

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

JSE remains strong on overseas markets

The JSE retained its strong tone at noon on Monday, riding on the back of calmer overseas markets — but traders refrained from pushing too high ahead of Wall Street opening. At 12.01pm, the all-share index was up 1,59%. Resources gained 1,87% and the gold- and platinum-mining indices climbed 2,05% and 2,45% respectively.

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

Venice tourists must stay respectable or face fines

Watching thousands of tourists stroll through Venice’s Saint Mark’s Square, steward Giovanna is ready to step in at the first sign of unacceptable behaviour — picnics, bare torsos or discarded food wrappers. Speaking languages ranging from Chinese to Polish, Giovanna and six other women have been deployed by the lagoon city to improve decorum and cleanliness in the square Napoleon called ”the drawing room of Europe”.

No image available
/ 27 August 2007

Egypt’s Alexandria seeks second revival

Alexandria, the Egyptian coastal city where Cleopatra had love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, is trying to regain some of its old glory as a tourism destination for European and Arab elites. This summer, a new luxury hotel opened on the site of a grand old establishment where Austrian archdukes and Egyptian khedives would gather for Viennese pastries or tennis a century ago.