From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

Bharti Airtel, India's top mobile phone firm, has bid for 51 percent of South African telecommunications group MTN, valuing the firm at 37-billion dollars, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper quoted unnamed "insiders" as saying that Bharti had tabled a bid for MTN at 165 rand a share and had secured 12-billion dollars from banks to finance the deal, which would make Bharti a top player in emerging markets telecoms.

MTN said in a statement issued on Monday that it was in talks with Bharti. It described the talks as "exploratory in nature" and advised shareholders "to exercise caution".

State-owned power producer Eskom has suspended new demand-side management, or DSM, projects because of "cash flow issues" stemming from soaring coal and diesel prices, but it is confident that it would begin signing new projects on again in June, an official said on Monday.

While it would only get a decision on its proposed 53% tariff hike from the regulator on June 6, the utility was hoping that internal cost cutting measures would improve its cash flow position before that time, DSM manager Monkwe Mpye stated.

Under its DSM programme, Eskom was hoping to trim 3 000 MW of South Africa's power consumption by 2012, and 8 000 MW by 2025, which Mpye said he was confident it would achieve.

Gold producing major AngloGold Ashanti on Tuesday reported a more than fivefold increase in adjusted headline earnings for the first quarter of 2008 to 105-million dollars, compared with 18-million dollars in the previous quarter.

This was despite significantly lower production. The company reported a 12% decrease in production, from 1,37-million ounces in the December quarter, to 1,2-million ounces for the quarter reported.

AngloGold Ashanti cited power shortages in South Africa, as well as the year-end holiday breaks as reasons for the lower output. There were also lower production volumes at the sunrise Dam operation, as well as at Cerro Vanguardia. The output was, however, still higher than the guidance given by the miner in February.

Also making headlines:

PPC says cement is not driving up building costs
South African house prices fall as rates and debt weigh on consumers
South Africa considers ways to curb the impact of food price rise
Gold Fields to resume South Deep mining on Thursday
Cash-flush Goldcorp sees 'significant opportunities' for growth
And, Harmony says problems with locals won't delay Papua New Guinea project

In political news:

Zimbabwe election body to decide poll date soon
Egypt ruling party proposes higher fuel prices
South African 'Scorpions' boss to join World Bank
And, Gordon Brown to host UN business summit on poverty

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, visit engineeringnews.co.za, miningweekly.com and polity.org.za