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IOL News
21-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
How the Correctional Services plans to allocate R1. 2 billion for prisoner food provision
The Department of Correctional Services has placed the provision of food for prisoners as one of the top four cost drivers of its budget after compensation of employees, property payments, and public-private partnership support. Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers The Department of Correctional Services has allocated R1.2 billion for the provision of food for its more than 100,000 prisoners in the 2025/26 financial year, Minister Pieter Groenewald said. Responding to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Betty Diale, Groenewald said the department spent R1.4 billion on the provision of food on prisoners in 2023/24 financial year. The amount had increased to R1.5 billion in the last financial year that ended in March 2025. 'For the 2025/26 financial year, the department allocated R1,286,972,000 for the provision of nutrition to inmates,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In its 2025-2030 strategic plan, the department places the provision of food for prisoners as one of the top four cost drivers of its budget after compensation of employees, property payments, and public-private partnership support. The document puts the provision for food to the tune of R952,975. Groenewald also said the department planned to maximise the utilisation of the services of the prisoners to produce food for themselves, to enable the department to redirect funds to other essential programmes. He said the prisoners will participate in the production workshops in agriculture to maximise their skills utilisation for bread and agricultural production for their ration. 'The self-sufficiency and sustainability programme in the department is centred around offender development, through the provision of work opportunities to offenders in bakeries and agriculture. Expansion of bakeries and agricultural projects towards an increase in offender skills utilisation for food production,' he said. The department's strategic plan document states that the department wants to become self-sustainable through activities such as those in production workshops, bakeries, agriculture, skills development, formal education and training, as well as through arts and culture. 'The department will expand marketing of production workshops' products and services to other client departments to improve revenue generation.' Meanwhile, Groenewald revealed that the cost per capita per inmate incarcerated for the 2025/26 financial year is R462.13 per day. Asked how his department managed financial implications for imprisonment of foreign nationals, he said there were 13,181 sentenced foreign nationals in prisons as at May 4 this year. 'The total cost to accommodate 13,181 sentenced foreign nationals on 4 May 2025 was R6,091,335.53 per day.' He stated that foreign national prisoners were not a separate category of inmates. Groenewald added that there were currently no bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries to transfer sentenced foreign national prisoners to serve in their countries of origin. 'The DCS is in consultation with the South African Police Service, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and Department of International Relations and Cooperation to formalise a South African procedure to inter-state transfer of offenders.'


GMA Network
10-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
No winners of major lotto prizes as Ultra Lotto 6/58 reaches P112M on June 10, 2025
There were no winners of the Ultra Lotto 6/58, Superlotto 6/49 and Lotto 6/42 jackpot prizes drawn by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on June 10, 2025. The Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot now stands at P112,369,933.60 after no bettor guessed the winning numbers of 43-32-47-31-01-08. For Superlotto 6/49, no one selected the correct combination of 23-20-22-41-39-19 that would have yielded the jackpot prize worth P61,972,542.20. It was also better luck next time for Lotto 6/42 bettors after no one chose to play the numbers 25-09-33-10-20-30 to win P10,068,136.40. For more lotto results, check here. —RF, GMA Integrated News


Scoop
09-06-2025
- Scoop
Turning The Tide: New Zealanders Unite To Curb Harmful Drinking
'New Zealanders strongly support confiscating cars from repeat drink drivers, targeted support programmes for harmful drinkers and alcohol education programmes in schools', said NZABC Executive Director Virginia Nicholls. For the past six years the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council (NZABC) has independently surveyed 1000 Kiwis[i] and found the support for the following (net harm) reduction measures continue to have significant support: Confiscating cars from repeat drink drivers +79% (2019: 80%) Targeted support programmes for harmful drinkers +78% (2019: same) Alcohol education programmes in schools +70% (2019: 72%) Heavier fines for drunk and disorderly behaviour +59% (2019: 56%) Allow Police to issue spot fines for minor alcohol related offences +55% (2019: 36%) Use alcohol interlocks in cars to reduce drink driving +54% (2021: same) Alcohol education programmes in workplaces +44% (2022: 54%) Since 2014 the total number of New Zealanders convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs[ii] has declined by 27% from 20,972 to 15,365 (2024). Men factor in the stats considerably more than women with nearly four out of five convictions for drink driving and/or drugs are men[iii]. The recent NZ Road Safety Week showed the number of alcohol-related road deaths reduced by nearly 40%[iv] (from 2023 to 2024). Alcohol interlock court mandated orders have increased from 262 (2015) to 3,972 in 2024.[v]. From 2018, alcohol interlock orders became mandatory (with some exceptions) for repeat offences and first offences with very high breath or blood alcohol readings. 'Most of us agree that targeted education and support programmes create a better understanding of responsible drinking – a fact borne out by the fact that 70% of the New Zealanders surveyed agreed that such programmes reduce alcohol-related harm', said Virginia. Since 2019 the Tomorrow Project – a social change charity governed by Spirits NZ, NZ Winegrowers and the Brewers Association has funded the Life Education Trust to deliver 'Smashed' a theatre-in-education programme for high school students that provides practical information and advice to support better decision making. Independent research[vi] showed the programme was supporting positive changes to youth drinking culture. In NZ we are drinking less and drinking better with the move to moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle. The annual NZ Health survey[vii] provides information on New Zealander's health and wellbeing shows that 83.4% of NZ adults (five out of six of us) are drinking beer, wine and spirits responsibly. This is an increase of 4.7 percentage points over the past four years (78.7% 2019/20). Hazardous drinking[viii] or harmful alcohol consumption among adults over the past four years has declined to 16.6% (21.3% 2019/20). The Stats NZ alcohol consumption per capita has also declined by 28.3% since 1986[ix]. [i] Curia market research October 2024, 1000 adult respondents [ii] Driving under the influence: The number of finalised charges and number of people with finalised charges and convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Also includes number of people with orders for alcohol interlock devices. In 2014 there were 20,972 convicted. NZ total driving under the influence 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Convicted 16,290 16,000 16,207 16,621 16,245 13,571 13,920 15,078 15,682 15,365 alcohol interlock orders 262 345 331 1,700 3,582 3,089 3,538 3,764 3,864 3,972 Alcohol interlock orders became a sentencing option in September 2012. From July 2018 alcohol interlock orders became mandatory (with some exceptions) for repeat offences and first offences with very high breath or blood alcohol readings under section 65A of the Land Transport Act 1998. Section 65A of the Land Transport Act Ministry of Justice (NZ): driving under the influence: Data tables | New Zealand Ministry of Justice, accessed 6 May 2025 [iii] In 2024 78% of men and 22% of women were convicted of driving under the influence offences in NZ (driving under influence of alcohol and/or drug). People convicted of driving under the influence offences in New Zealand - accessed 3 June 2025 [iv] Hon Chris Bishop and Hon Mark Mitchell 2024 compared with year before: Roadside breath testing up; alcohol-related road deaths down | , accessed 3 June 25 [v] See (ii) [vi] Smashed 'showed us ways to deal with peer pressure,' NZCER, September 2022 [vii] New Zealand Health Survey | Ministry of Health NZ, accessed 19 November 2024 [viii] Hazardous drinking among the total population. Hazardous drinking refers to a score of 8 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which suggests hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. [ix] Stats NZ: Total NZ population 15 years and over alcohol available for consumption (per head of population). Year end 1986 (10.730 litres), year end March 2025 (7.690 litres): View table - Infoshare - Statistics New Zealand accessed 26 May 2025.


Express Tribune
14-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Gold dips amid sharp global correction
Listen to article Gold prices in Pakistan dropped on Wednesday, mirroring a significant decline in the international bullion market, where prices fell over 2%, hitting a more than one-month low, as rising optimism over global trade boosted investor appetite for riskier assets. According to data released by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the price of gold per tola in the local market slipped by Rs2,300 and settled at Rs341,900. Similarly, the rate for 10 grams of gold declined by Rs1,972 to Rs293,124. The decline comes a day after gold saw a sharp rise, with the per-tola rate surging by Rs3,700 on Tuesday to reach Rs344,200. Internationally, gold prices dropped more than 2% on Wednesday, hitting an over one-month low, as rising trade optimism boosted risk appetite, leading investors to shift away from bullion, according to Reuters. Spot gold slipped to its lowest since April 11, shedding 2.1% to $3,180.29 an ounce as of 1145 EST (1545 GMT). Bullion fell as low as $3,174.62 earlier in the session. US gold futures eased nearly 2% to $3,184.20. "The global relief rally sparked by the steep reduction in US-China tariffs has triggered a correction through technical levels in gold," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader. Commenting on the trend, Adnan Agar, Director at Interactive Commodities, said that gold prices turned downwards, with the metal marking a low of $3,175 and a high of $3,254 during the trading session. He noted that the key support level lay between $3,150 and $3,160. A break below this could potentially send prices down to $3,100 and possibly as low as $3,000. However, Agar also hinted at a possible short-term rebound from the $3,140-3,160 range, citing technical support. "Despite potential short-term gains, the broader outlook for gold is turning bearish," he said. Improvement in the US economy, easing inflation, resolution of Chinese tariff concerns and reduced geopolitical tensions are dampening gold's appeal. Agar suggested that while gold had already seen a correction of nearly $300 globally, a larger correction in the range of $800 to $1,000 may still be on the horizon, contingent on monthly and multi-month closing patterns turning negative. "Gold's bullish momentum will likely be challenged if the metal posts a weak monthly close. A sustained downtrend over two to three months could mark the beginning of a deeper correction," he added. Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee further declined against the US dollar on Wednesday, slipping by 0.02% in the inter-bank market. By the end of trading session, the local currency closed at 281.72, marking a modest depreciation of five paisa from Tuesday's close at 281.67. On the global front, the US dollar steadied on Wednesday after posting its sharpest drop in over three weeks a day earlier. The decline was triggered by weaker-than-expected US consumer inflation data, which strengthened expectations for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. Meanwhile, easing global trade tensions also contributed to the dollar's relative stability.


Express Tribune
14-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Gold dips in local, global markets after one-day surge — May 14, 2025
Listen to article Gold prices have declined once again in both global and local markets today, following a one-day surge. The international bullion market saw the price drop by $23 per ounce, reaching $3,235 per ounce. According to All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the global dip impacted the local market in Pakistan, where per tola gold (11.66 grams) fell by Rs2,300, bringing the price to Rs341,900. Similarly, the price of 10 grams of gold dropped by Rs1,972, now standing at Rs293,124. Meanwhile, yesterday the price of gold rose by Rs3,700 per tola, reaching Rs344,200 in the local market. Gold prices fell on Wednesday as easing US-China trade tensions soothed fears of a potential global recession, boosting investors' appetite for risk and weighing on bullion's safe-haven appeal. Spot gold fell 0.4% to $3,233.26 an ounce, as of 1010 GMT. Prices scaled a record high of $3,500.05 last month amid elevated trade war fears. US gold futures eased 0.3% to $3,236.70. The US and China agreed to a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs following discussions in Geneva over the weekend, with the US planning to reduce the "de minimus" tariff for low-value shipments from China to 30%, according to a White House executive order and industry experts. "After the tariff truce announced over the weekend, we've seen stock markets surge higher, and at least in the short term, this has removed some of the safe haven focus that has helped propel gold to record highs in recent months," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.