South Africa’s Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Monday that the overall International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment report on South Africa was optimistic about robust growth, rising employment and further improvement of the fiscal position. "There is agreement between South African authorities and the IMF about these economic prospects," stated Manuel.
Striking fuel industry workers would decide on Monday whether to accept a pay offer which might end a week of industrial action and fuel shortages. ”We are meeting our constituencies today to get a fresh mandate,” said Keith Jacobs, spokesperson for the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers’ Union.
The anticipated head-to-head between Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods never materialised in Sunday’s final round at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Sabbatini, one ahead going into a rain-sodden day at Firestone Country Club, struggled with his swing and slipped back into a tie for second place after closing with a four-over-par 74.
By the time the Wallabies get to France for next month’s Rugby World Cup, training and match days will look easy after their commando-style ”boot camp”. On their first night on Sunday, the players were woken at 10pm, forced to leave camp and taken on a 3km march before swimming 300m across a lake.
Answering the call of nature over a pit of manure with no flush water in sight and learning how to churn butter may not be everyone’s idea of a great holiday. But in India’s "Little Tibet", the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh, a pioneering scheme to offer tourists the authentic tastes of mountain life is taking off — and could hold the key to preserving a fragile ecosystem.
The South African Rugby Union and the South African Rugby Players’ Association will meet early this week to discuss the decision last week by the President’s Council to ban overseas-based players from playing for the Springboks. The meeting could result in the President’s Council decision being ”rescinded”.
Millions of people who have been left marooned by torrential monsoon rains south of the Himalayas face an uncertain future cut off from their submerged villages amid fears that epidemics would spread unchecked in the waterlogged region, say relief agencies.
Premier League champions Manchester United beat FA Cup winners Chelsea 3-0 on penalties to win the Community Shield in a shoot-out on Sunday. Stalwart Ryan Giggs gave United a 35th minute lead with a sweetly-struck shot but Chelsea’s new France winger Florent Malouda levelled with a fine solo goal on the stroke of halftime.
A trip to Spain by the Deputy Minister of Health without the president’s approval was a ”mistake” and partly due to ”miscommunication”, a media report said on Monday. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge and her party were already in Spain when her office informed her of President Thabo Mbeki’s decision to disallow the trip.
Fraud and theft claims against South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande were an attempt to discredit the organisation. The campaign was being conducted by ”elements, including agent provocateurs” who were ”hell-bent” on destroying the party because they were opposed to the direction it was taking.