OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 2.30pm SMOKERS and drinkers are going to be paying more on most alcohol and tobacco products and the increases are effective immediately, Finance Minister Manuel announced in his Budget. From today, smokers will pay 38 cents more on a packet of 20 cigarettes while drinkers will be charged two […]

SHARES in gambling and hotel group Sun International (South Africa) (Sisa) tumbled on Tuesday as the market reacted negatively to expected, poor interim results and a gloomy earnings outlook for the full year. The share was down almost 5% after the company said late on Monday that its interim earnings per share before exceptionals had […]

SHARES in Spicer Holdings tumbled at the start of trade on Tuesday after the technology company said that its shaky merger talks with the IQ Business Group had finally been called off. Spicer’s shares lost 22,64% or 12 cents to 41 cents in brisk early trade of nearly half a million shares, in the wake […]

ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Pretoria | Wednesday 4.30pm. SUNDOWNS moved six points clear of Kaizer Chiefs at the top of the Castle Premiership standings on Tuesday night with an unimpressive 2-1 victory over mid-table Free State Stars at Loftus Versfeld. Bennett Mnguni was the unlikely hero, slamming a quickly-taken free kick by Roger Feutmba past goalkeeper Mathew […]

CORRIE van Zyl, who has opened the bowling for South Africa and Free State, has been appointed as assistant coach to the Proteas national cricketers. Van Zyl, 39, has been Free State’s cricket manager and is en route join the Proteas in India.

DARYLL Cullinan wil only know on Wednesday morning whether he will be able to take his place in the South African team for their first Test against India on Thursday. Cullinan left the field with a groin strain in the warm-up match against an Indian Board President’s XI, and will be given a fitness test […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 12.45pm THE all-commodities producer price index rose an annualised 8,2% in January after December’s 7,2% rise, figures released by Statistics South Africa reveal. Monthly PPI rose 1,2% in January from December after rising 0,5% in December. A Reuters consensus poll of economists forecast PPI would rise a monthly 0,6% and […]

ZAMBIA have axed national soccer coach Ben Bamfuchile as the traditional post-African Nations Cup hiring and firing gets into full swing. Bamfuchile pays the penalty for the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) failing to win a match or get beyond the first round at the biennial continental showpiece in Ghana and Nigeria this month. A 2-0 loss […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abuja | Wednesday 3.30pm. NIGERIAN parliamentarians on Wednesday urged President Olusegun Obasanjo to end the religious riots over the strict Islamic Sharia code in the northern city of Kaduna, which have left at least 100 dead this week. “The (federal) government should step in as a matter of urgency to assist the Kaduna […]