A Russian submersible reached the bottom of the Arctic Ocean on Thursday in a mission to symbolically claim the resource-rich region by planting a flag on the seabed under the North Pole, Russian media reported. Two Russian submersibles started their dive from an ice hole near the North Pole and dived about 4Â 261m, Itar-Tass news agency reported.
The JSE was in positive territory at midday on Thursday, but off its best levels reached earlier in the morning. The all-share was last up 60 points after having been up 304 points at one stage. At 12pm, the JSE all-share index gained 0,22%, with the resources and platinum indices flat (up 0,03% and -0,04% respectively), and the gold-mining index slipping 0,84%.
England coach Peter Moores has revealed he is considering asking for the volume on stump microphones to be turned down so his side’s sledging of India batsmen is no longer heard by television viewers. During the ongoing Test series fans tuning in to host broadcaster Sky’s commentary have been able to hear players trying to unsettle opposition batsmen.
Tiger Woods usually does not like playing a tournament the week before a Major championship, but United States PGA scheduling changes have the world number one making back-to-back title defences. Woods will defend his crown at the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational this week, then try for his second victory in a row at the PGA Championship.
The Formula One circus arrives in Budapest this weekend as the ”espionage” case between Ferrari and McLaren drags on and the title race really begins to hot up. Two weeks ago in Germany Fernando Alonso stole a dramatic victory for McLaren, executing a daring overtaking move on Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in the closing stages of the race.
International ratings agency Fitch reported on Thursday it had changed South African power utility Eskom’s outlook for its long-term local currency issuer default rating and national long-term rating to negative from stable. "The change in outlook to negative reflects challenges related to capacity and security of supply issues," explained Fitch Ratings.
Renewed bickering among Zimbabwe’s opposition only months after a vow to bury their differences looks set to wreck prospects of a united challenge to President Robert Mugabe at elections next year. Analysts believe the only winner is Mugabe, seeking a seventh term in office next year.
Trade-union leaders in Swaziland have threatened more strikes to force Africa’s last absolute monarchy to reform, arguing that the lack of democracy is crippling the economy. A two-day strike, the biggest in a decade, brought the tiny landlocked country to a standstill last week, and union leaders are threatening further stoppages.
Dow Jones’s head office was buzzing with chatter and speculation on Wednesday about life under the company’s imminent new owner. Rupert Murdoch’s ,6-billion takeover of the Wall Street Journal‘s publisher prompted a mixture of resignation and angst, with frustration that so many members of the Bancroft family had accepted News Corporation’s money.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Wednesday denied assertions that it had blacklisted commentators on the Middle East. This was after the South African Jewish Board of Deputies met the broadcaster to discuss their concerns of a perceived anti-Semitic bias on the part of SABC.