A sidewalk observer who rescued a baby dramatically in Johannesburg’s CBD on Wednesday deserves every bit of praise and an award, Democratic Alliance inner-city councillor Ann Barnes said on Thursday. The passer-by caught the baby after it was thrust from the fifth floor of a burning block of flats.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is ready for "immediate negotiations" with Israel and urges its new government to abstain from any unilateral action in the West Bank, a spokesperson said on Thursday. "President Abbas has expressed the readiness of the Palestinian Authority to resume immediate negotiations with Ehud Olmert’s new Israeli government," Nabil Abu Rudeina told Agence France-Presse.
International advertising giant Saatchi and Saatchi has secured the marketing rights for Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for -million, officials and media said on Thursday. Iconix, the newly formed marketing branch of Saatchi, signed Tendulkar, one of the sport’s leading batsmen, after his 10-year contract with the US-based WorldTel expired last year.
Non-diet sodas will be yanked from United States schools, and other drinks will be downsized under a deal announced by former president Bill Clinton and the nation’s largest beverage distributors. ”This is a truly bold step forward in the struggle to help 35-million young people lead healthier lives,” said Clinton.
Striking security guards and employers have been called back to the negotiating table, the guards’ trade union said on Wednesday. ”A letter from the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) was received by both parties late this [Wednesday] afternoon,” the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said.
Hearts caretaker coach Valdas Ivanauskas paid tribute to his predecessors George Burley and Graham Rix after the Tynecastle club clinched second place in the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and their first-ever spot in the Champions League. A 1-0 win at home to Aberdeen on Wednesday evening meant the Edinburgh side cannot be caught by Rangers, despite the two sides meeting in the final game of the season at Ibrox on Sunday.
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has agreed to a new contract that will keep him at the northern English Premiership club until at least 2009. Hughes has worked wonders at Ewood Park, steering the club away from relegation last season after accepting the job in September 2004 and taking them into the Uefa Cup this time around.
The South African Chamber of Business’ (Sacob) business confidence index (BCI) increased by 2,2 index points to 103,1 in April this year, Sacob said on Thursday. "South Africa is fortunate that the higher gold price partly offsets immediate difficulties with the high crude oil price," Sacob said.
According to the latest Absa house-price index, nominal house price growth of 12,8% year-on-year was recorded in April this year compared with a growth rate of 13,7% in March, Absa said in a report on Thursday. This was the lowest year-on-year growth since January 2000 when it was 11,8%.
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez paid a last-minute visit of support to Bolivian President Evo Morales ahead of a hastily-arranged summit to avert a regional crisis over the Andean nation’s nationalisation of its natural gas sector. The socialist Chavez said he came to Bolivia late on Wednesday not to give advice but to offer ”congratulations and learn from Bolivia’s wisdom”.