A weaker rand currency and rising international food and fuel prices continue to cloud the prospects for South African inflation, the central bank said on Wednesday. Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni added that the bank must remain vigilant on the wider impact of higher food and fuel costs.
The JSE remained in the black by noon on Wednesday, with a trader explaining that the United States Federal Reserve’s rate cut was adding buoyancy to the market. "The Fed’s rate decision, which saw rates decline from 3% to 2,25%, is still adding buoyancy to the JSE," he said.
Standard Bank has been selected as the best emerging-market bank in Africa, as well as in South Africa, in the annual <i>Global Finance</i> magazine’s <i>Best Emerging Market Banks in Africa</i> survey. In addition, Standard Bank Namibia and Stanbic Bank Uganda won top honours in their respective countries.
It’s not pure science, but it stands to reason that — exceptions granted — many journalists owe their performance to the quality of the education they received. Ergo, if you want to improve journalism, put some energy into those who train the practitioners.
The accountancy firm that looks after children’s entertainers the Wiggles is not an obvious place to search for the Holy Grail, but that’s where the trail led on Tuesday night. It started with a simple quest — what on earth is a large advertisment headlined ”The Ancient & Noble Order of The Knights Templar” doing in the Daily Telegraph?
South Africa fast bowler Charl Langeveldt withdrew on Tuesday from next month’s tour to India after his selection had caused controversy. Langeveldt, who is black, was included in the squad earlier this month ahead of the white Andre Nel in accordance with Cricket South Africa’s racial transformation policy.
Millions who fled Zimbabwe amid its economic collapse blame President Robert Mugabe, but their inability to vote in elections this month may boost his chances to stay in power. Opposition figures, who pose Mugabe’s biggest electoral challenge yet, have urged them to return to be entitled to vote in the March 29 polls, but few are likely to.
President George Bush will acknowledge on Wednesday the Iraq war has been fought at a high cost but will insist a United States troop build-up has opened the door to a ”major strategic victory” against Islamic militants. ”The successes we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable,” Bush will say in an upbeat assessment.
Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool says he has scrapped the Erasmus commission and reappointed it with expanded terms of reference. Rasool appointed the commission, headed by judge Nathan Erasmus, in December last year, to probe allegations that Cape Town mayor Helen Zille’s administration illegally spied on renegade councillor Badih Chaaban.
Lieutenant General Tommy Franks, who led the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan during his time as head of United States Central Command, once announced: ”We don’t do body counts.” This blunt response to a question about civilian casualties was an attempt to distance George Bush’s wars from the disaster of Vietnam.