Latest news and views in Brief
From the SA Press Association: SA house prices for 2013 rose by 6.8 percent over the average price for 2012, according to the FNB House Price Index released today. This was a slight slowing in growth on the revised 2012 average house price growth of 7.1 percent, FNB household and property sector strategist Johan Loos … Read more
From the Associated Press: RICHMOND – Forty-two miners in the United States died on the job in 2013, up from 36 the year before. There was a significant increase in US mine deaths towards the end of the year. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration released the preliminary data on Monday. … Read more
From DPA: LAS VEGAS: Toyota will start selling fuel cell vehicles in the US in 2015, the company announced Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show. Toyota pioneered and leads the hybrid vehicle sector with its popular Prius models. It said advances in fuel cell technology bode well for vehicles powered with it in the future. “We … Read more
From Politicsweb: In June 1984 Margaret Thatcher welcomed South Africa’s P. W. Botha to Chequers. It was the first time a British Prime Minister had received a South African leader since Hendrik Verwoerd’s visit in 1961, when he led the country out of the Commonwealth. Mrs Thatcher did so in the face of fierce opposition … Read more
From the SA Press Association-DPA: Former Romanian prime minister Adrian Nastase will return to prison for four years for corruption and extortion, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. Nastase was convicted for blackmailing officials to facilitate the illegal and customs-free import of Chinese furniture for his private home between 2002 and 2004. The goods he effectively … Read more
From the SA Press Association-DPA: Google has teamed up with some of the world’s largest carmakers to integrate its Android operating system directly into cars, the tech companies announced Monday. In addition to the web search giant, the so-called Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) also includes Audi, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, and chip-maker Nvidia. The consortium … Read more
From SAPA-DPA: Annual inflation in Germany rose to 1.4 per cent in December amid a pickup in the nation’s economy and rising wages, data released Monday showed. The December rate compared with 1.3 per cent in November, the federal statistics office said. The gain was in line with analysts’ forecasts. Still, consumer prices in Europe’s … Read more
From the SA Press Association: North West premier Thandi Modise’s excuse for buying a R1.3 million BMW 750i is a slap in the face for the people of the province, the DA said on Monday. “Premier Modise simply ignored the new policy and bought herself the most expensive car she could find,” Democratic Alliance North … Read more
From the SA Press Association: A man who has been dead since October 2012 received an sms warning that he had overdue e-toll fees of R612.21, the Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday. “I did not know whether I should laugh or cry when I received the sms [on December 30]. My father last registered a … Read more
From DPA: Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry announced Friday it had filed suit against Typo Keyboards, a California startup founded by TV star Ryan Seacrest, charging the company’s new iPhone case with an integrated keyboard copied BlackBerry’s design. “This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against … Read more