THE first commercial Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA) flight landed at Amman’s international airport following the suspension of a seven-year air and arms embargo on Tripoli, Jordanian officials said Thursday. The plane, carrying 43 Libyan aviation and airline officials, touched down Wednesday to a welcome by ministry of transport officials and the director of Jordan’s national […]
WEDNESDAY, 6.30PM: SRI Lanka beat Pakistan by a mammoth 115 runs in their Standard Bank Triangular cricket match at Willowmore Park on Wednesday. Chasing a score of 288 set by the Lankans, the Pakistanis were bundled out for a paltry 173 runs in 39,2 overs. Saeed Anwar top-scored for the Pakistanis, making 59 runs. Lankan […]
JAPANESE Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi Thursday told Nigeria’s incoming president he will “fully consider” resuming financial and other assistance including debt relief, a Japanese foreign affairs official said. “I have to improve the living standards of Nigerian people from the dictatorship era,” Nigeria’s president-elect Olusegun Obasanjo told the premier in a meeting in Tokyo. “I […]
A PUBLIC sector strike launched in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states was picking up support as it entered its third day, union officials said Thursday. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ordered the strike to begin Tuesday to press state governments to start paying all workers a monthly minimum wage agreed last month of 3000 naira […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 10.30am. COMMUTERS queued for alternative travel arrangements on Thursday as bus services were hit by a strike involving 18000 transport workers. Negotiations between the Transport Workers’ General Union (TGWU), three affiliated unions and the South African Bus Employers’ Association came to a standstill at midnight Wednesday over wages and rest […]
TOP military brass from Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo rebels inspected their allied troops on Tuesday ahead of an apparent offensive against southeastern provincial capitals. Wearing unmarked fatigues, generals Kayumba Nyamwansa of Rwanda, Jeje Odongo of Uganda and Celestin Ilunga of the military wing of the Congolese Rally for Democracy — the main […]
NORTHERN Province’s provincial government sacked seven board members on its cash-strapped Agricultural Rural Development Corporation (ARDC) on Wednesday after accusing them of being incompetent. Provincial agriculture MEC, Dean Simon Farisani, said on Wednesday that the board members had been axed for failing to implement cost cutting policies and for repeatedly failing to submit audited financial […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 2.00pm. THE New National Party and the Federal Alliance on Wednesday vowed to press ahead with their court actions, despite IEC rulings that registered South Africans living abroad can vote in the June 2 elections. The IEC regulations — which have yet to be officially made public — are expected […]
ALL commissions paid on arms transfers will in future as a matter of routine be disclosed to the Cabinet committee overseeing arms deals, Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal, who heads the committee, announced on Wednesday. Commission amounts will now be included in normal applications to government to transfer or sell arms, according to Asmal. The […]
THE Heath Unit has issued a statement intended to clarify media reports that the Auditor-General will be “probing” the unit. Unit spokesman Guy Rich says the A-G will simply be auditing the unit’s records in a bid to resolve the dispute between the unit and the Department of Finance over the unit’s achivements in recoveries, […]
THE west African intervention force Ecomog needs another 5000 troops to enable it to “solve the problem” in Sierra Leone, the force’s new commander has told reporters in Lagos on Tuesday. Major-General Felix Mujakperuo, who was appointed commander of the 15000-strong Nigerian-led force last month, said the extra troops are needed to “flush out” the […]
SPRINGBOK and Sharks flyhalf Henry Honiball may finally be given chance to recharge his batteries. An overworked Honiball failed to impress in the Super 12 rugby match against the Stormers at Newlands last Saturday – as was the case with Andre Joubert and Gary Teichmann. Coach Ian McIntosh admitted afterwards that he made a mistake […]
AFTER leading the field on the first day of the US Masters this weekend Ernie Els crashed to 27th place. His third round on Sunday started well, with him tied for 5th. But four successive bogeys from hole 3 put paid to him, as he shot a 40 on the first nine then another 40 […]
THE Zambian government has recalled Jack Kalala, its Consul-General in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for conduct unbcoming with his diplomatic status. Zambian Foreign Affairs minister Keli Walubita confirmed in Lusaka on Tuesday that: “The Consul-General is on immediate recall and the last communication to remind him to return home was sent to […]
NIGERIAN fans and riot police clashed overnight in the commercial capital of this soccer crazy country as protests erupted following Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Paraguay in the under-20 World Youth Soccer Championship. News reports said police, many on horseback and using whips or bamboo-type canes, waded in against fans who hurled bottles and cans at […]
THERE is to be no inquiry into the circumstances of the assassination of Niger’s president Ibrahim Bare Mainassara of Niger, the junta which took over at the weekend said.”We cannot talk of an enquiry into the accidental demise of president Mainassara,” junta spokesman Captain Djibrila Hima Hamidou told a press conference Tuesday.According to numerous witnesses, […]
ANGOLAN government forces on Tuesday announced they have captured from Unita rebels the town of Kune in the central Bie province. Over the weekend, the army pushed back rebels in the area and took control of a bridge on the Kune river. Its objective is to recapture the Kunyinga area from Unita.According to a military […]
THE New National Party in Mpumalanga expects more white people to defect from its ranks after its chairman defected, the party’s provincial leader, David Malatsi, said on Tuesday. NNP chairman and leader of the opposition in the provincial legislature, Dr Lucas Nel, crossed the floor to Louis Luyt’s Federal Alliance on Tuesday, along with his […]
A SOUTH African man appeared in a London court on Monday charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft and its passengers following an incident in which he allegedly went on a rampage during a flight between Johannesburg and London in January, causing more than R300000 worth of damage. Ian Bottomley (36), allegedly flew into […]
NIGER’s new ruler, Major Daouda Mallam Wanke, has reappointed Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki and taken other steps to return the country to civilian rule, national radio announced on Tuesday. Wanke (49) who took over after President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was assassinated last Friday, “reappointed, for the transitional period, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki,” it said. The […]
DEPUTY President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday called on African police chiefs to unite against crime groups on the continent. Speaking at meeting of the African region of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), Mbeki said the international syndicates have the money to finance sophisticated and successful criminal activities. He said African police forces have to […]
AN economic watch group says the delay in tabling Namibia’s 1999-2000 budget could be an indication that policymakers found it difficult to reconcile conflicting demands and fund allocation issues. The Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (Nepru) said in a statement yesterday that this is most apparent in the announcement of a ‘Peace Project’ for ex-combatants. […]
KAIZER Chiefs took a double whammy on Monday when coach Paul Dolezar announced that strikers Doctor Khumalo and Marc Batchelor will not play in Wednesday’s table-topping Castle Premiership clash against Manning Rangers, and Saturday’s match against SuperSport United. Both games will be played at Johannesburg stadium. The star players were ruled out after both received […]
SOUTH Africa retained the African junior tennis championship title for the sixth consecutive year on Sunday after the finals of the 22nd MTN African Junior Championships at Groenkloof in Pretoria. South Africa added one more singles title to their impressive total of six titles already won when Capetonian Aniela Mojzis, seeded two, upset top seed […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 11.00am. NATAL coach Graham Ford finally confirmed on Tuesday that he will not be entering the race to become the new SA national cricket coach. Ford’s decision means that there is now a two-horse race for the national coach’s post – between Northerns coach Peter Kirsten, a former SA captain […]
ETHIOPIANS are making yet another effort to repatriate national treasures looted as war booty by victorious Europeans. The effort this time is directed at “priceless” religious manuscripts and artifacts including a 17th-century icon depicting Jesus with the crown of thorns, looted by the British more than 130 years ago. An association for the Return of […]
FOLLOWING an announcement of a 22% rise in Pick ‘n Pay’s earnings, the firm made an executive shake-up, naming Sean Summers the chief executive officer. Summers, formerly managing director, will replace Raymond Ackerman, the founder of the chain over 30 years ago. Curiously, Ackerman will remain “full-time hands-on chairman”, indicating a degree of day-to day […]
MOROCCO has appealed to several sub-Saharan African countries to help it recover two enclaves occupied by Spain. The country’s prime minister Abderrahmane el Youssoufi said on Monday that Rabat needs the diplomatic support of South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Kenya and Nigeria to win back the enclaves of Melilia and Ceuta, which remained under Spanish control […]
THE South African Tourism Board is to launch a R90-million marketing campaign this year to attract tourists from Britain, Europe, and the United States. Deputy Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Peter Mokaba, speaking after a meeting in Johannesburg of the Tourism Forum, said the campaign, to be launched later this year, will involve R50-million spent […]
ZIMBABWE’s powerful labour movement on Monday threatened mass action against employers who have failed to award staff a 20% wage increase to cushion them against rising living costs. Morgan Tsvangirai, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, told a news conference that some three-quarters of Zimbabwean companies awarded their employees the 20% adjustment […]
ELECTRICITY was restored on Monday in Pointe Noire, Congo’s main port and its economic capital, after being cut off since January, local residents report. Power supplies to the city were cut off when rebels loyal to former president Pascal Lissouba captured the Moukoukoulou dam some 350km south-west of the capital Brazzaville. Two weeks ago, government […]
A GROUP of 160 Zambian soldiers, 130 infantrymen and 30 air force members, arrived in Johannesburg on Sunday to take part in a Southern African Development Community military training programme. Speaking during a sending off ceremony at Lusaka’s International airport on Sunday, South African High Commission military adviser to Zambia Colonel Barney Links said it […]