Global recession timeline - where are we now?

SHOOT: I've predicted a steady step down, horizontal, step down cycle. I'd say we are due for another step down, otherwise known as a collapse, crunch or collapse, followed by a period of 'recovery' etc etc.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk How did the credit crunch at the end of 2007 become a full financial meltdown by the middle of 2008, and finally turn into a global recession?

'Lucky' tortoise proves there is still good in some people

SHOOT: You're risking your life parking on the side of a heavy traffic highway and running onto the road to rescue a tortoise. It's amazing, having been ridden over, the tortoise was, apparently, unharmed. It's great to see some people making an effort to save these vulernable creatures. I know I've done it before. Heaven knows how many birds and other critters are killed by oncoming traffic. Any gesture to limit the damage is to be encouraged and congratulated.

clipped from edition.cnn.com "As I get closer to it, it's moving," Formby told CNN. "As I get closer, I recognize it as a tortoise." Formby said he pulled over onto the hard shoulder of the road and went back to grab the animal. "As I'm running back, there's a few cars coming up," he said. "About seven or eight cars had gone past it, but two cars had actually gone straight over the top of it. A white van drove over the top of it." The tortoise had by that point made it from the middle lane to the slow lane, so Formby said he "jumped out (and) grabbed it." The animal didn't seem upset, he said -- "it seemed very determined just to get where it was going." Freeway is a Hermann's tortoise, a type of small to medium tortoise originally from southern Europe, according to the California Turtle and Tortoise Club. Freeway himself is no bigger than a dessert bowl, Formby said -- about eight inches across and only three or four inches high. Elliott estimates he's about 10 years old. "He's very friendly," he said.

Judgments for debt up 12,9% y/y in July

SHOOT: I've recently received notice from a debtor I have summonsed that she intends to 'defend' the summons. Don't ask me how. Pleading poverty perhaps? Right now, Cash is King.

clipped from www.businessday.co.za FOLLOWING the trend in the number of civil summonses issued for debt, the total number of civil judgments recorded for debt in July increased by 12,9% year-on-year in July, Statistics South Africa reported today. The total number of civil judgments recorded for debt for the three months ended July 2009 increased by 7.7% compared with the three months ended July 2008. Civil judgements in respect of money lent (7.5 percentage points), and professional services (2.8 percentage points), were the main drivers behind the 7.7% increase in the number of civil judgments recorded for debt.

Altech and subsea cable operator SEACOM today announced a strategic alliance

clipped from www.businessday.co.za JSE-listed Altech and subsea cable operator SEACOM today announced a strategic alliance for the mutual acquisition of bandwidth capacity on 2 cable systems. The agreement sees Altech procuring 2 STM-16s from SEACOM (5Gbps), with the option to upgrade, within 3 years, to double this capacity, to an STM-64. SEACOM would in turn purchase 6 STM-64s throughout the East Africa region on the terrestrial backbone network owned by Kenya Data Networks, a subsidiary of Altech. "This strategic alliance with SEACOM, and Altech's investment in the construction of terrestrial networks needed to support SEACOM in bringing its capacity inland, allows us to play a leading role in radically changing the face of African connectivity. "These end-users will in turn be able to access the internet at international broadband speeds and at more affordable prices, creating a wealth of opportunities for important sectors, such as education, healthcare and government services," said Herlihy.

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“Through hard work and meticulously planned operations by the police, the threat of robberies has been dealt a blow,” Cele said last week. Yesterday, 25 men armed to the teeth stormed a shopping mall

SHOOT: Echoes of the Dark Knight...large gangs roaming the streets and effectively taking over parts of the city. Meanwhile the Police Comissioner says:

SOWETAN: “As part of proactive planning, detectives were put on high alert in provinces that had not yet been affected by mall robberies.

“There had also been more police patrols at malls that could be potential targets, and scores of suspected robbers had been caught. The police will remain vigilant for as long as the threat exists,” Cele said.

clipped from www.sowetan.co.za TWENTY five heavily armed men stormed a Johannesburg shopping mall yesterday and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Within minutes, 10 of the armed robbers had forced their way into a Spar supermarket, the Post Office and a bottle store at the Berg Mall in Bergbron, Northcliff, while 15 of their colleagues, armed to the teeth with handguns and R-5 rifles, stood guard outside. The men then drove from the mall in luxury vehicles and disappeared with an undisclosed sum of money. Gauteng police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Noxolo Kweza said the men drove several\ luxury cars including the latest BMWs and Mercedes Benzes. Not a single shot was fired, and the robbers had only held two security guards hostage while the robbery was in progress. Yesterday’s robbery, which took place just after 6pm, comes a week after national police commissioner Bheki Cele congratulated police on “containing” mall robberies.

The following areas are scheduled to have power cuts in Johannesburg THIS WEEK

SHOOT: Seems the closest to Rosebank will be cuts at Linden and Northcliff.

clipped from www.sowetan.co.za Various areas in Johannesburg will be without power this week, City Power said on Wednesday. These are the affected areas: Interruptions are planned in Boskruin, Randpark Ridge, Boschkop, Sundowner Ext 8 and 10, Kelland and Kelland Ext 1, Bushill and Northriding on Thursday from 10pm until 6am the following day. On Saturday from 10pm there will be power interruptions in Northcliff South, Northcliff, Fairland, Fairland West, Northcliff Ext 4, Berario and Linden. Also on Saturday from 11pm there will be interruptions in Industria South Watt Street, Eastern Industria — SAB Yeastpro - Anchor Yeast, Paarlshoop, Riverlea, Telford Street, Springbok Road, George Stott Street, Bunsen Street and Longdale Street. Halfway House Ext 17, 37, 41, 56, 63 and 113, Halfway House Estate, Allandale Ext 9 and 32, Glen Austin Ext 3, Rabie Ridge Ext 4 and 5 and Commercia Ext 34 will also be affected on Saturday .