Political parties need money to operate. The question is how much and at what level should disclosure be required. Richard Calland draws attention to the number of left-of-centre parties that cosy up to big business and lose sight of their ideological heritage.
Tax and interest rate cuts have helped put the South African shopper in a better mood, last week’s first salvo of company results in the retail sector showed. Retail group Woolworth is smiling after a jump of 43% in headline earnings per share.
An Indian judge recently ordered an independent scientific investigation into allegations that Pepsi drinks sold in India contain dangerously high levels of pesticides. Fresh tests are to be carried out on Pepsi products across the country this month.
A senior Chinese minister warned recently that the world’s fastest growing economy is in danger of overheating as expansion outstrips power supplies, threatens production quality and raises the risk of oversupply.
Salsa music blares through the narrow streets of Gramoven, a shanty town in western Caracas. It is here that Odeinys Pereira runs a clinic. He is one of 800 Cuban doctors invited by left-wing President Hugo Chavez to live and work in the shanty towns.
Jacques Freitag of South Africa won the men’s high jump at the World Championships in Paris on Monday to fulfil a prediction he made four years ago. Freitag sneaked over with his first attempt at 2,35m to throw down the gauntlet to the two remaining jumpers and neither man could pick it up.
The South African Cycling Federation has unveiled a massive team to wave the South African flag at the forthcoming world mountain-bike championships in Lugano, Switzerland, during early September.
Despite praise for its regulatory approach to gambling, the country is about to undergo another round of introspection aimed at softening the impact of the demons of ”inner urges” that lead to addiction and ”problem gambling”.
Pete Sampras has refused to be drawn into the debate over whether or not he was the greatest player in tennis history, leaving his rivals and admirers to make the case for him on the day he retired.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has warned he will not tolerate a repeat of the debacle at the Hungarian Grand Prix where Rubens Barrichello crashed out and Michael Schumacher finished eighth.