Relics thought to be of Joan of Arc are forgeries made from the remains of an Egyptian mummy, according to scientists. After a battery of tests on the remains, rumoured to have survived the fire that killed the French saint, experts said they were astonished with the results.
Clarity in macroeconomic management underpins stable financial and currency markets and creates an environment conducive to stable economic growth. After the blow-out in 2001 — having stopped just short of hitting R14 to the United States dollar — the rand began on a steady path to recoup its value, writes Réjane Woodroffe.
The sixth major cyclone to hit Madagascar this season tore across the north-east of the impoverished Indian Ocean island this week, the most recent in a relentless succession of natural disasters that has left nearly half a million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
Laboratory tests on water samples in various sections of the Vaal River have revealed traces of cholera, the Northern Cape health department said on Tuesday. A departmental spokesperson said the traces were found "specifically at Barkly West, Spitskop, Schmidtsdrift, the Vaalharts weir in Warrenton and the Vaalharts canal system".
A Briton lost his appeal on Tuesday against extradition to the United States for allegedly hacking into US defence computers in what has been dubbed the "biggest military hack of all time". Gary McKinnon said he was searching for evidence of UFOs when he hacked into US computers and was not intending to disrupt security.
Malaysia’s deputy premier has told the country’s civil servants they need to work harder and spend more time at their desks, according to a report on Tuesday. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told a gathering of civil servants, who are frequently criticised for their seven-hour days, to condition their minds to see work as a virtue, not a punishment.
Standard Bank has finalised its acquisition of BankBoston Argentina, enabling the Standard Bank Group to further extend its footprint in the South American market. The newly merged bank opens for business under the Standard Bank brand on April 3.
Zimbabwe’s trade unions have called a two-day strike from Tuesday morning, ostensibly over the plummeting value of wages under rampant inflation that has left many people unable to afford the bus fare to work. But many Zimbabweans view the strike as a demand for an end to Robert Mugabe’s 27-year rule.
A survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers reveals that there is a serious lack of skills and knowledge among pension fund trustees and that few funds have a policy on how to manage conflict of interests among trustees. These are the issues at the heart of the Fidentia scandal. In many cases, especially with smaller pension funds, people’s retirement money is left in precarious hands.
Phew. They used to sing: "Soon one morning, death comes a-creeping in the room." Lindelani Buthelezi’s sudden death from a combined stroke and heart attack (one doesn’t know which preceded which) has taken the wind out of the sails of the rest of the week for me and for many of us.
Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Monday on South African President Thabo Mbeki to move rapidly to defuse the escalating political crisis across his northern border. "It is critical that President Mbeki act quickly and decisively to halt the suffering of millions of Zimbabweans," Tsvangirai told journalists.
Attention global shoppers: Argentina is offering first-class plastic surgery at up to 75% off United States and European Union prices, a fact that has booming numbers of tourists shelling out money for a nip or tuck. Sure, Argentina has all sorts of charm on which visitors dwell: its famous tango dancers, shopping, fabled grass-fed beef and non-stop nightlife.
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) had by midnight on March 30 collected R493-billion in revenue — R3-billion above the revised 2007 budget estimate of R489,7-billion and about R37-billion more than the original printed estimate of R456,7-billion.
Zimbabwe’s influential Roman Catholic bishops have abandoned a long-standing reticence to criticise Robert Mugabe, damning his government as "racist, corrupt and lawless" and likening the struggle against it to the country’s liberation war against white rule.
As the plane descended through tropical sky, and Caribbean surf gave way to Kingston’s rooftops, lumps formed in the passengers’ throats. After years or even decades away, they were back in Jamaica, the land of their birth. But if there were tears as the plane landed at Norman Manley airport, they were not of joy.
Millions of South Africans will take to the roads for the Easter holiday this month, but startlingly only about 40% of South African drivers have car insurance. Insurers pay out more than R7-billion a year as a result of car-related claims. About 70% of these claims are as a result of car accidents.
You are paying twice to fly SAA: once when you buy the ticket and once when you pay your taxes.The loss-making national carrier flew 7,2-million passengers last year, bringing in an average revenue of R2 234 per passenger. This year it is projecting a R650-milllion loss, or R92,85 per passenger, based on last year’s passenger numbers.
Alcohol abuse costs South Africa in the region of R10-billion a year, or 1% of GDP, but the excise tax on alcohol collects only about R7-billion. This leaves the country with a shortfall of about R4,5-billion in costs to health services, the criminal justice system, and, of course, human lives.
The Cabinet has dismissed suggestions that the government is insensitive to the plight of its employees.
Discount shoppers the world over were put on guard on Friday after retail group TJX disclosed that 45,6-million credit and debit card numbers were stolen by hackers in 2005 and 2006. The company also said on Thursday about 455Â 000 customers may have had personal information compromised.
The retail price of all grades of petrol will rise by between 68 cents and 69 cents per litre from Wednesday April 4, the Department of Minerals and Energy said on Friday. The price of 95 octane petrol was set to increase 68 cents per litre, while that of 93 and 91 octane would increase 69 cents respectively.
A New Zealand university researcher has won a government grant to study the lifestyle habits of head-banging heavy metal fans. The $68 000 grant over three years to student Dave Snell will allow him to carry out his study, entitled "The Everyday Life of Bogans: Identity and Community Among Heavy Metal Fans".
Media and entertainment group Johnnic Communications on Friday announced the appointment of acting group CEO Prakash Desai as group CEO with immediate effect. Chairperson Mashudu Ramano commented: "I congratulate Prakash on his appointment. He enjoys the full and complete support of the board."
Regulation is in the news this week, as we reflect in this edition:in steel, air travel, alcohol and, yes, toilet paper. Steel producer Mittal, part of the international steel empire owned by the fabulously wealthy Lakshmi Mittal, has been found guilty by the Competition Tribunal of excessive pricing. National carrier SAA, projecting a R650-million loss for the year.
Two months had passed since the awful flight from the rooftop of their Harare citadel and the gentle, gilded rhythms of wealth and privilege, ticking over like tumblers in a Swiss vault door, had soothed the Mugabes into something resembling normalcy. Indeed, that very morning Grace had awoken hungry for the first time in weeks.
Global Positioning System coordinates of two British boats seized with 15 sailors were changed by Iran to make it appear they were in Iranian waters, Britain’s United Nations envoy said on Thursday.The 15 Britons were captured on Friday in the northern Gulf in what Iran insists were its territorial waters but Britain says they were picked up in Iraqi waters.
Global brewing giant SABMiller’s Russian operations are to invest approximately $$170-million in the construction of a new brewery outside the city of Ulyanovsk, which is located about 1Â 000km east of Moscow. Ulyanovsk, which lies on the Volga River, enjoys good road and rail links and is home to a number of raw-material suppliers.
Iran dramatically raised the stakes in its tense diplomatic stand-off with Britain on Wednesday night, broadcasting a propaganda video of the British sailors and marines seized last week, including a "confession" that they had entered Iranian waters.
Marijuana is not kosher for Passover, a pro-cannabis advocacy group says, advising Jews who observe the week-long holiday’s dietary laws to take a break from smoking the weed. The Green Leaf Party said that products of the cannabis plant have been grouped by rabbis within a family of foods such as peas, beans and lentils.
Tuberculosis cases are rising rapidly in the Mozambican coastal town of Beira, according to local doctors.
South Africa’s CPIX inflation rate, targeted by the central bank, rose more slowly than expected at 4,9% in the year to February, increasing the chances that interest rates will stay on hold for now.
Britain’s advertising watchdog on Wednesday ordered Tourism Australia to pull down its posters promoting the country in an "irreverent" Australian fashion because they contain mild swearing. The Advertising Standards Authority told the tourism agency to remove the lot and not to use swear words again in future posters.