No image available
/ 4 December 2007
Oil prices fell again on Monday, adding to last week’s 10% slump, on continued speculation that the producers’ cartel Opec would agree to increase output when it meets on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. United States light crude futures fell by more than a dollar a barrel in busy trading to about ,50 a barrel — almost a barrel lower than the peak of ,29 set two weeks.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
South Africa has abolished the use of border passes which were being used by Beitbridge residents to travel to Musina as part of their new immigration regulations. The use of the temporary travel document was scrapped with immediate effect from November 15 this year, a media report said.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
A British teacher jailed in Sudan for insulting Islam by naming a teddy bear Muhammad voiced relief at her release on Tuesday, as she arrived back home after a presidential pardon. ”I’m just an ordinary middle-aged primary school teacher. I went out there to have an adventure and got a lot more adventure than what I was looking for,” said Gillian Gibbons.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
Food prices may climb for years because of expansion of farming for fuel, climate changes, and demand from richer consumers in fast-growing developing nations, a report said on Tuesday. Biofuel expansions alone could push maize prices up over two-thirds by 2020 and increase oilseed costs by nearly half.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) launched a one-day national strike on Tuesday to protest against deaths in the country’s mines, disrupting operations across the world’s top producer of platinum and gold. Almost a quarter of a million NUM members are expected to down tools in the first industry-wide strike on safety.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
Next year’s Super 14 competition will trial several law changes designed to make the game faster and more exciting to watch. The decision to introduce the Experimental Law Variations was taken at a South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby Unions meeting in Sydney on Tuesday.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
African states should address the needs of local markets and of their regions before looking at what can be exported globally, and not the other way round as is currently the case. This proposal was made at a meeting of the Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy, which was held in Tanzania from November 27 to 29.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
Brad Pitt launched his own regeneration project for Katrina-ravaged New Orleans on Monday, unveiling designs for a range of eco-friendly and flood-proof homes. Pitt, who had ambitions to be an architect if he had not taken up acting, commissioned 13 architectural firms to produce houses that would incorporate solar power and other environmentally-sound designs.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
United States intelligence agencies undercut the White House on Monday by disclosing for the first time that Iran has not been pursuing a nuclear weapons development programme for the past four years. The secret report, which was declassified on Monday and published, marked a significant shift from previous estimates.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
Former South Africa opening batsman Gary Kirsten has delayed taking over as India coach, saying he wants assurances from the players over the job. ”I have heard rumours about some senior players expressing their concern about my possible appointment and I would prefer to have clarity on that before I commit myself,” Kirsten said.