South Africa’s new basket of producer price inflation stood at 10,4% year-on-year in January, official data showed on Thursday. Statistics South Africa said the headline number represented domestic output which measured 9,5% in December. On a monthly basis, PPI increased by 1%.
Europe’s European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) won its share of a huge contract to build aerial tankers for the United States thanks in part to improved French-American ties, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was quoted on Thursday as saying.
South African financial-services firm Sanlam said on Thursday its full-year normalised headline earnings fell 22% due to a slowdown in equity markets in 2007 and compared with high returns in 2006. It also warned of a tough year ahead as interest rates, higher inflation, a power-supply crunch at home and volatility in international financial markets take their toll.
British humanitarian agencies on Thursday said the situation in the Gaza Strip was the worst in 40 years and urged the European Union to hold talks with Hamas. ”The situation for 1,5-million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is worse now than at any time since the beginning of the Israeli military occupation in 1967,” the eight NGOs said in a joint report.
Super 14 frontrunners the Auckland Blues are looking to complete their triumphant South African leg with maximum points against the unbeaten Sharks in Durban on Saturday. New Zealand powerhouses Auckland and the Canterbury Crusaders have shredded South African opposition to state their claims for the southern hemisphere provincial crown.
It must count among the world’s most genial rivalries. Two of the planet’s richest men regularly play epic games of online bridge and collaborate over handing out their billions. But Warren Buffett has unseated his friend, Bill Gates, to become the wealthiest individual on the globe.
An Australian man has been arrested after taking a new car on a test drive that lasted 6 200km, five days and almost took him from one side of the continent to the other. Police said the 30-year-old man walked into a car dealership in the southern city of Melbourne last Friday and asked to take a 2008 model Honda Accord for a spin.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are preparing for a long and potentially brutal struggle for the Democratic presidential nomination, with both campaign teams hinting darkly about resorting to even more negative tactics as the race progresses.
Reitz hostel, at the centre of a racist video controversy, on Wednesday apologised unconditionally to all students and other hostels. Reitz house father and head of hostel Christo Dippenaar said the whole hostel and its house committee had discussed the video and had decided to offer an unconditional apology for the video.
The Kenyan government sanctioned violence following last December’s disputed presidential elections, the BBC alleged on Wednesday, but Nairobi strongly denied the claims. The BBC quoted sources alleging that meetings were held at the official residence of President Mwai Kibaki between a banned militia group and high-ranking government figures.