Food prices increased by an average of 7,88% between December 2005 and December 2006, the National Agricultural Marketing Council said on Tuesday. The increase was more than the 3% to 6% inflation target of the South African Reserve Bank. Food items such as super maize meal increased by 36,16%, frozen chicken by 27,9% and frozen peas by 21,3%.
British police are probing whether a key aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to ”shape evidence” in a cash-for-honours investigation clouding his last months in office, a report said on Tuesday. The Guardian newspaper report came despite efforts to gag the media from reporting the contents of an alleged email thought to be central to the inquiry.
Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown and fellow director Graham Maddock appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of fraud and theft involving more than R200-million. The two men were denied bail and will appear in court again on March 15 for a bail application.
Fed up with the constant trilling from the stalls, Russia’s oldest theatre has come up with a novel solution to the ubiquitous problem of cellphones going off — jam the signal. The Alexandrinsky theatre in St Petersburg last month became the first theatre company in the world to instal jamming equipment.
Funding for subsidised housing in the Western Cape increases dramatically in the coming financial year, according to the provincial budget tabled on Tuesday. The funds the province gives to municipalities to build subsidised housing will climb by 58,4%, from R599-million in the 2006/07 budget to R949-million in 2007/08.
Afghan confidence in Western military forces was further frayed on Monday when a United States air strike on a house near Kabul killed nine people spanning four generations of the same family. US warplanes dropped two 900kg bombs on the house in Kapisa province, hours after an attack on a nearby US base.
Darren Clarke has tipped giant South African Anton Haig as a future Major winner while fellow Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and David Howell see him as a top 10 player. All three have been watching Haig’s progress and were not surprised when the 20-year-old finally broke through with victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic last week.
Lille will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky in Manchester on Wednesday when they attempt to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their acrimonious Champions League tie with Manchester United. The French club have failed in two attempts to persuade Uefa to annul the first match on the grounds that the quickly taken free-kick by Ryan Giggs should not have been allowed to stand.
Hosting a memorable Soccer World Cup might just banish Afro-pessimism, Sport Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said on Tuesday. He said the improvement of football management would go a long way in improving Africa’s image. ”For as long as we are perceived as this corrupt people who cannot manage anything … this Afro-pessimism will not go away,” he said.
The 50th British soldier to die in Afghanistan was a South African who grew up in the Western Cape. Ross Clark (25) was also a former head boy of Somerset West Private School. Lance Bombardier Clark was with the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.