The 2007 Africa Competitiveness Report — a joint effort of the World Economic Forum, the World Bank and the African Development Bank — identifies low overall competitiveness as one of the main obstacles to maintaining high growth levels across the African continent. Key to encouraging sustained growth is the development of sound business policies.
Paul Lee got his liver from an executed Chinese prisoner; Karam in Egypt bought a kidney for his sister for  300; in Istanbul, Hakan is holding out for  700 for one of his kidneys. They are not so unusual: a dire shortage of donated organs in rich countries is sending foreigners with end-stage illnesses to poorer places like China, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Colombia and the Philippines to buy a new lease of life.
The trade and industry department has unveiled its new industrial policy at last — it is the most ambitious state-driven job-creation initiative since the Reconstruction and Development Programme. The policy centrally involves the targeting of selected industrial sectors for state support, including financing.
Afghan forces have killed 21 Taliban insurgents in the southern province of Zabul, a provincial official said on Monday. ”We received intelligence that a sizeable group of Taliban militants were gathered in the Shah Joy district of Zabul in an attempt to block the Kabul-Kandahar highway, and to launch attacks on Afghan and foreign forces,” said provincial deputy governor Gulab Shah Alikhil.
The political tale of South Africa is one of noble leadership. It is a story scripted by powerful and humane beings from the times of Langalibalele Dube, Tshekiso Plaatjie, Pixley ka Isaka Seme and Mvumbi Luthuli. They are part of a long list of men and women from different political persuasions who crafted the story and lived their lives in a way that did not clash with the script.
McLaren team chief Ron Dennis was downcast and sad on Sunday despite seeing his brilliant young rookie driver Briton Lewis Hamilton claim a superb victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was 22-year-old Hamilton’s third win of the season in his first year in Formula One and increased his lead in the title race to seven points
Rory Sabbatini settled after an early double bogey to salvage a two-over 72 and build a one-shot lead over Tiger Woods in the Bridgestone Invitational. Woods dropped out of a share for the lead with a bogey from the trees on the final hole, but still managed a 69 and left himself a good chance to win this World Golf Championship for the third straight year.
The South African Rugby Players Association will challenge the decision of the rugby administration in South Africa that no overseas-based players will in future be eligible for national selection. The union claims that the players were never informed about the decision and that they were never consulted about it.
Fuel shortages will continue on Sunday as talks to resolve a pay strike deadlocked on Saturday night. The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu) and the National Petroleum Employers’ Association resumed talks with the bargaining council at the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg at 10am on Sunday.
It took two days of trekking through the bush, before navigating a crocodile-infested river and then scrambling underneath a barbed wire fence for Peter Nkomo and his family to make good their great escape from the meltdown of Zimbabwe to South Africa.