A post template

No image available
/ 3 December 2007

Zimbabweans to pay more for passports

Passport fees in Zimbabwe have been increased, Zimbabwe’s government mouthpiece Herald newspaper reported on Monday. The fees were last reviewed in May this year. According to a notice at the registrar-general’s office in Harare, an ordinary passport for an adult now costs Z-million, up from Z 000, the report said.

No image available
/ 3 December 2007

Bali talks seek new climate pact

About 190 nations met in Bali on Monday seeking a breakthrough to a new global pact to fight climate change by 2009 to avert droughts, heatwaves and rising seas that will hit the poor hardest. A new treaty is meant to widen the Kyoto Protocol, which binds 36 industrial countries to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 5% below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012.

No image available
/ 3 December 2007

Development needs new agenda

A significant amount of resources has been channelled into Africa since the Millennium Development Goals were adopted in 2001. Between 2000 and 2005 an estimated $97-billion has reached the continent through official development assistance. African governments themselves have set aside various percentages of their budgets for expenditure in priority sectors to effect positive change in the lives of the poor.

No image available
/ 3 December 2007

Recession fears as US house prices drop

United States house prices have suffered their worst plunge for two decades as defaults on sub-prime mortgages have shattered homebuyers’ confidence and lenders have withdrawn cheap loan deals. According to the key Standard & Poor’s housing index, released on Tuesday, third-quarter US prices were down 4,5% on 2006.

No image available
/ 3 December 2007

Passive management: beware aggressive costs

Passive investing allows investors a low-cost route to the equity market. Because the investment usually tracks an index, there are no active management fees. However, investors still need to be astute to ensure they do not pay through the nose. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are becoming increasingly popular, with nine ETFs listed on the JSE and two more coming on to the market next week.