PRETORIA - With the release of the April 2007 - March 2008 crime statistics, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula says that although South Africa's recorded murder rate has reached a new post-1994 low in the past year, "the levels of crime continue to be unacceptably high." South Africa's contact crimes have decreased by 6,4% in the last year. Contact crimes include murder, attempted murder, rape, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, common assault, indecent assault, common robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Police assistant commissioner Chris de Kock says "[t]his decrease shows that something is slowly but surely changing in society."

CAPE TOWN - Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille outlines three "frightening, but all too real" possible scenarios should ANC president Jacob Zuma be found guilty of charges against him of corruption, racketeering, fraud and money laundering after next year's elections when he is likely to become president of South Africa. Zille indicates that Zuma might use the ANC's parliamentary majority to change the law or the constitution to give the president immunity from prosecution, which, she added, would be unprecedented. Secondly, Zille contends that Zuma may use his presidential powers to grant himself a pardon. She comments that the constitutionality of this move "probably matters little to a man who has consistently said that the ANC is more important than the constitution." Lastly, Zille indicates that Zuma could appoint a new head of the National Prosecuting Authority who would drop charges against him. Zille says that if any of these scenarios come to pass, then "our hard-won efforts to secure a constitutional democracy will have come to naught."

AFRICA & WORLD

LONDON - Oxfam biofuel policy advisor Rob Bailey states in his report "Biofuels: Another Inconvenient Truth" that biofuels are accountable for 30% of the increase in global food prices that has resulted in 30-million people worldwide descending into poverty. The use of biofuels made from organic matter has increased, leading to a shortage of grain and boosting commodity prices. The report says: "rich countries spent up to $15-billion last year supporting biofuels while blocking cheaper Brazilian ethanol, which is far less damaging for global food security." Bailey explains; "biofuels are taking over agricultural land and forcing farming to expand into lands that are important carbon sinks, like forests and wetlands." The report urges rich countries to give up on biofuel targets that seem to do more harm than good.

CAIRO -The increase in food prices has negatively affected Africans in particular, says Jean Ping, chairperson of the Africa Union Commission. According to the World Bank,100-million people risk joining the already huge number of starving people worldwide. Ping explains that soaring energy costs, especially in African countries relying on imported fuel, are exacerbating the food crisis. The Commission proposes "measures to regulate speculation, the sharing of public cereal stocks, strengthening the financing of imports and reliable food aid, promoting investment in social protection and increased investment to boost agricultural production." Ping went on to say that Africa's expectation in the controversial Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union are not yet satisfied.

BAGHDAD - In a controversial move, Iraq opens six of its oil fields to foreign firms, inviting bids for the development of its oil industry in the hope of increasing oil production. Awards to British and US firms could anger opponents of the 2003 Iraq invasion who have said that the war was meant to give Western companies control of Iraqi oil reserves. Iraq's move goes against the policy of its oil-producing neighbours where national firms keep a close eye on foreign investors. Iraq's Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani says the country is open to long-term development contracts in order to raise output to 4,5-million barrels per day by 2013. Iraq also hopes to sign six short-term technical support contracts soon, meant to lift output of the country's largest producing oil fields by a combined 500 000 barrels per day. Oil is Iraq's key source of income, so increasing output is vital for making the money needed for reconstruction.

GENEVA - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed a new test enabling doctors in poor countries to discover whether a patient has drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) within hours rather than months, which was the standard previously. The test was developed by Germany-based Hain Lifescience and Innogenetics and represents a breakthrough in the fight against tuberculosis, says Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO's Stop TB Department. The test can determine from a patient's saliva whether the TB bacteria can be treated with two main antibiotics, in order to determine which drug to prescribe. Lesotho will be the first to benefit from the new diagnostics with a program supported by UNITAID and the Foundation for Innovative new Diagnostics. The WHO says that the deployment of this test, along with efforts to make antibiotics more affordable, should increase the proportion of patients with multi-drug resistant TB who are diagnosed and treated to 15%, a huge improvement on the current 2%.

Compiled by Amy Witherden