IMPALA Platinum Holdings has taken a 15% stake in Aquarius Platinum, the Australian firm said on Thursday. “Aquarius will use the funds to boost working capital for a major push to develop its 100% held Marikana Platinum Project near Rustenburg in South Africa,” Aquarius said. Aquarius will raise A$1,86-million through the share placement, which is […]

A LIBYAN Airlines plane carrying 125 pilgrims for the hajj to Mecca left Tripoli on Thursday for Saudi Arabia, once again in violation of a United Nation flight embargo. The aircraft, dubbed the “Plane of Defiance” by the Libyan authorities, took off from Tripoli airport.Libya has been under UN sanctions since 1992 for its refusal […]

WESTERN Cape political leaders on Wednesday signed a peace pledge committing their parties to a path of non-violence ahead of the general elections scheduled for May. This comes after five political leaders — four members of the United Democratic Movement and an African National Congress councillor — were murdered last week in Nyanga and KTC […]

SOUTH Africa donated R940000 to the United Nations Development Programme on Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday. It said the money will be used to help cover the programme’s operational costs in South Africa. Acting Foreign Affairs Director-General Abdul Minty presented a cheque to the programme’s resident representative David Whaley as South […]

NIGERIAN-led Ecomog intervention force troops repelled a rebel attack against the northern Sierra Leonean town of Kambia earlier this week, Ecomog officials said on Thursday. They said rebels entered the town of Pamalap, close to Kambia and about 80km north of the capital, Freetown, on Monday. An Ecomog contingent of Guinean troops “opened up with […]

PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela will address a rally in Tripoli on Friday after meeting Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi about the Lockerbie case. His spokesperson Parks Mankahlana said on Thursday that Mandela has been given an exemption from the United Nations to fly directly to the Tripoli despite an air embargo. Mandela leaves Stockholm for Libya late […]

A TRADITIONAL Nigerian rainmaker was killed by lightning this week as he climbed on to a building and attempted to divert a storm. The man, known as Rasaq, was employed by a family in Abeokuta, south-western Nigeria, to hold off the rain threatening a burial wake. Wearing only a pair of red shorts, Rasaq had […]

FREE STATE African National Congress chairman Pat Matosa has lost his High Court appeal against a 1997 conviction for attempted murder, and is likely to serve a five-and-a-half year sentence. Matosa plans yet another appeal however. The Court’s decision threatens Matosa’s political career — the Constitution prohibits anyone sentenced to more than a year in […]

AUSTRIAN journalist Peter Cvetko was shot dead after his car broke down in Houghton Drive, Johannesburg on Wednesday morning. Cvetko (39) was a temporary resident in South Africa. Police spokesperson Inspector Mark Reynolds said he was on his way home from visiting friends in Hillbrow when the car broke down. He called the Automobile Association […]

NIGERIA’S Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd. on Wednesday confirmed that it has signed a multi-million dollar contract with four western oil groups to build a third liquefied natural gas train. The company said the four companies concerned are Technip of France, Snamprogetti of Italy, MW Kellogg of the United States and Japan Gasoline Corp. It did […]