A post template

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Somali Islamists: We will bring in foreign help

Somalia’s powerful Islamist movement said on Tuesday it would summon Muslim fighters from around the world to join its fight if the United Nations authorises a proposed peacekeeping mission. The warning came as the United States repares to introduce a UN Security Council resolution that would approve the force and ease a 1992 arms embargo.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Nearly 1,4m South Africans test for Aids

More South Africans are voluntarily getting counselled and tested for HIV with figures rising annually, the Department of Health said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said 1 715 588 people utilised the free voluntary counselling and testing services between April 2005 and March 2006. ”The trend is that it seems to be doubling every year,” he said.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Pope follows conciliatory path

Pope Benedict XVI began a delicate mission to Turkey on Tuesday, trading conciliatory gestures with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as both sought to calm the storm unleashed when the pontiff appeared to link Islam to violence. The pope, in a striking reversal of opinion, said he backed Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Naspers ‘seriously investigating’ Russia

Koos Bekker, outgoing CEO of JSE-listed media group Naspers, said on Tuesday afternoon that the group is "seriously investigating" business opportunities in Russia. Presenting the group’s interim results from Cape Town during a conference call, Bekker told investors and analysts that the group is in talks with potential partners to tap into the Russian market.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Metrorail launches safety campaign

Raising consumer safety and maximising crime prevention are the targets of a national rail-safety campaign launched on Tuesday, said Metrorail. The campaign focuses on staff riding, train surfing, cable theft and standing behind the yellow safety line, said CEO Lucky Tshepo Montana.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Ganga in lone battle for Windies

West Indies opener Daren Ganga played a lone hand of 77 to keep his team alive in the third and final Test against Pakistan on Tuesday. Ganga steered West Indies to 191-6 at the close on day two with a defiant and unbeaten knock on a slow, low bouncing pitch on which Umar Gul and Danish Kaneria took six wickets.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

Skills shortage a threat to growth, warns auditing body

The Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) has warned that a looming financial-skills shortage could severely undermine South Africa’s 6% growth ambitions. Kariem Hoosain, CEO of the IRBA, says that, similar to the much-talked about shortage of medical and engineering skills, the financial needs of South Africa’s economy are rapidly outstripping supply.

No image available
/ 28 November 2006

SA company to produce biodiesel from algae

South African fuels firm De Beers Fuel plans to produce 16 to 24-billion litres of biodiesel a year from algae within five years with an initial investment of R3,5-billion. The company has bought licenses for 40 000 hectares to be developed into algae farms and within five years the intention is to increase that land area to 320 000 hectares.