Staff Reporter
No image available
/ 20 February 2008

JSE recovers off earlier lows

The JSE recovered some of its earlier losses by midday on Wednesday, as gold and resource stocks started to lift the market despite the negative global sentiment. Higher oil prices overnight spurred inflation worries among world markets, after oil closed above $100, prompting a global sell off in equities.

No image available
/ 20 February 2008

Zim police ban weapons ahead of polls

Zimbabwe police have banned the carrying of weapons in public in the capital and the southern town of Masvingo to prevent violence in the upcoming joint presidential and legislative polls. ”Police will use their discretion on any tool that people will be carrying such as walking sticks for the elderly, the blind and disabled, said Harare police commander Isaac Tayengwa.

No image available
/ 20 February 2008

Armed robber convicted of murders

An armed robber was convicted on Tuesday of the murders of a fellow gang member and a businessman who shot each other during a R20 000 robbery in Pietermaritzburg. Judge Ron McLaren convicted Cato Ridge gangster John Ndawonde (35) — who pleaded guilty to the aggravated robbery of well-known vintner De Wet Joubert (64).

No image available
/ 20 February 2008

Nobel laureates urge arms embargo on Burma

A group of Nobel laureates called on Wednesday for an arms embargo against Burma, dismissing elections planned for 2010 as flawed if pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from standing. Seven laureates, including Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said the junta should face sanctions for its crackdown on Buddhist monks.

No image available
/ 20 February 2008

The hunt for Fair Trade coffee

I kickstarted 2008 with what I believed was a noble resolution: to pay a fair price for everyday luxuries such as chocolate and coffee. These two products often have a high toll on the environment, as virgin forests are cleared away to make way for new coffee or cocoa plantations, writes Jocelyn Newmarch.