Latest news with #569
TimesLIVE
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Tesla to sell Model Y cars in India, starting at $69,770
Tech billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla has priced its Model Y at about $69,770 (R1,246,393) in India, the highest among major markets, its website showed, as the electric carmaker geared up to open its first showroom in Mumbai on Tuesday. With delivery estimated to start from the third quarter, Tesla will drive on to India's busy roads, targeting a niche premium EV segment that accounts for only 4% of overall sales in the world's third-largest car market. It will compete mainly with German luxury giants such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz rather than domestic mass-market EV players such as Tata Motors and Mahindra. Tesla's Model Y rear-wheel drive will set back buyers ₹6m (R1,250,569), while its Model Y long-range rear-wheel drive costs ₹6.8m (R1,415,002). That compares with a starting price from $44,990 (R803,224) in the US, ¥263,500 (R655,219) in China, and €45,970 (R958,727) in Germany. Grappling with excess capacity in global factories and declining sales, Tesla has adopted a strategy of selling imported vehicles in India, despite duties and levies running into about 70%. On Tuesday, police guarded Tesla's first showroom in India as media crowded outside the office complex where it is located and the chief minister of the western state of Maharashtra, home to the Indian commercial capital, arrived for the launch. Inside the showroom clad in Tesla's signature minimalist neutral tones, the Model Y was draped under black and grey covers, partially visible through the glass. Access was tightly regulated with no sign of fans or onlookers nearby. Tesla's website showed the Model Y available for registration in Mumbai at an on-road price of ₹6.1m (R1,268,305), with a booking deposit of ₹22,220 (R4,619). The firm's Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability is on offer at an additional cost of ₹600,000 (R124,751), with future updates promised to enable operation with minimal driver intervention. While the features require active driver supervision and are not fully autonomous, Tesla said the system will evolve through over-the-air software updates.
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
Almost 96K people in Luzon affected by Bising, Habagat — NDRRMC
A total of 95,906 people or 30,682 families in Luzon were affected by Tropical Cyclone Bising and the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Tuesday. In its report, the NDRRMC said the affected communities were reported in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The NDRRMC said that of the total affected population, nine people or two families were staying in evacuation centers while 3,026 people or 1,022 families were taking shelter in other places. Floods were reported in 53 areas, landslides in two areas, and falling debris incidents in two areas amid the bad weather, according to the NDRRMC. A total of 16 houses were damaged—12 partially and four totally. Three roads remained impassable to motorists. Classes in 247 areas and work schedules in 36 areas were suspended due to the threat of Bising and Habagat. Assistance worth P687,569 has been provided so far to the victims, the NDRRMC said. On Monday, Bising (international name: Danas) again exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR). The tropical cyclone re-entered PAR late Sunday evening after exiting Friday afternoon. — RF, GMA Integrated News
TimesLIVE
06-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
GNU ministers spent R200m of taxpayers' money on travelling since taking office
Ministers in the government of national unity (GNU) have spent more than R200m on travel expenses since July last year. This was revealed by ActionSA through its GNU performance tracker after receiving replies to parliamentary questions sent to ministers. This week, the party said Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his staff splurged more than R2m on travel expenses for transport and accommodation since last year. In a written reply, Mashatile said he has been on four international trips - to Ireland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and, recently, Japan. A total of R613,214 was spent on flights, R1,235,569 on accommodation and R410,926 for ground transport for all trips. Other costs included laundry services at R8,033 and R51,393 for restaurant services. ActionSA MP Alan Beesley criticised the spending, calling it 'executive indulgence' and 'wasteful expenditure'. 'This sort of wasteful expenditure, an extension of ANC excess now rebranded under the GNU, has become business as usual for the world's most bloated executive,' Beesley said. 'South Africans deserve leadership that puts people before perks and not a R200m travel spree by the world's largest cabinet.' The sport, arts and culture department's travel expenses have also raised concern. Minister Gayton McKenzie said he and his staff undertook 11 international trips costing more than R2m. R164,556 was paid for a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place. 'Not only is this spending exorbitant, but it is riddled with red flags, gaps and inconsistencies. The public paid for flights and accommodation for an event that was abandoned, a textbook case of wasteful expenditure, as defined by the Public Finance Management Act. 'Unless the minister can demonstrate that this loss was unavoidable and efforts were made to recover the funds, this reflects a serious failure of financial oversight and internal control.' ActionSA has introduced the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill to address unchecked government spending. 'This bill seeks to slash ministerial perks and restore much-needed fiscal discipline.'
Gulf Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Bayt Al Khair spent Dhs10,504,184 on humanitarian initiatives last month
Bayt Al Khair revealed that its total expenditure for April 2025 amounted to Dhs10,504,184, bringing the cumulative spending for the first four months of 2025 to Dhs85,954,842. Humanitarian support programmes topped the list, with expenditures totaling Dhs39,698,079 during the same period. These programmes aim to alleviate the hardships faced by individuals struggling with their livelihoods, addressing deficiencies beyond their financial capabilities. This expenditure is in addition to the monthly cash assistance projects targeting low-income Emirati families, which amounted to Dhs5,569,620 during the same period. The emergency assistance project falls under the "Fazaa" community solidarity programme, dedicated to relieving the burdens of modest families and those facing sudden crises or disabilities, enabling them to overcome their challenges and resume their normal lives. Through this initiative, "Bayt Al Khair" also provides humanitarian support to patients, both citizens and residents, via the "Treatment" project, which spent Dhs13,192,508 by the end of April. Additionally, the programme assists individuals burdened by debts they cannot repay through "Al Gharimin" project, which has expended Dhs3,118,087 so far.
Zawya
05-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
New report warns of a looming sugar shortage in Kenya
The United States Department of Agriculture warns of a looming sugar shortage in Kenya blamed on shrinking farms and declining processing, opening a window for increased imports that will stabilise retail prices. The agency, through its Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) division, says the country faces a 19.8 percent drop in sugar production to 650,000 metric tonnes in the 2025/2026 marketing year (MY), from 810,000 metric tonnes in the 2024/2025 marketing year. A marketing year is a period designated for reporting and analysis of production, marketing and disposition of a commodity. The agency, in its latest Sugar Annual report for Kenya dated April 18, 2025, forecasts that Kenya's sugar retail prices will increase as supply tightens due to closure of local mills for annual maintenance, but will stabilise when imports start coming in. In January this year, the local sugar market saw pressure on prices, as ex-factory prices increased by five percent, rising to Ksh6,569 ($50.92) per 50kg bag from Ksh6,233 ($48.31) in December 2024. Wholesale prices rose nine percent to Ksh7,177 ($55.63) per 50kg bag while retail prices climbed to an average of Ksh157 ($1.21) per kilogramme, from Ksh149 ($1.15) per kilogramme in December. Currently, cane price is set at Ksh 5,300 ($41.08) per metric tonne. According to the US agency, Kenya's area under cane harvesting is expected to drop to 150,000 hectares in the 2025/2026 marketing year, from 190,000 ha, due to a lower proportion of mature plantations, which resulted from overly aggressive harvesting in the 2024/25 year. Kenya's main cane-growing regions are in the Western and Lake Victoria Basin region, with about 93 percent of the cane produced by some 320,000 small-scale farmers, on less than one-hectare individual holdings, while large plantations that are owned by millers produce the remaining seven percent. According to the Kenya's Sugar Research Institute, cane yields range between 50 metric tonnes to 70 metric tonnes per hectare, due to regional variability, including weather conditions, crop husbandry practices, and cane varieties. But, in the 2024/2025 period, the average cane yield decreased substantially to 51 metric tonnes per hectare from 56 metric tonnes per hectare in the previous year, due to dry weather conditions that preceded harvesting in some of the cane growing regions. The agency says this year (2025/2025) millers would have to scramble for cane to utilise their installed capacity amidst increasing cane shortages. In 2024, Kenya's retail sugar prices averaged Ksh138 ($1.06) per kilogramme, down from Ksh197 ($1.52) in 2023, prompting the government to ban sugar imports from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and East African Community (EAC) trading blocs. Read: Kenya bans sugar imports from outside Comesa, EAC trade blocsNow sugar imports are expected to increase 37.93 percent to 600,000 metric tonnes in the current marketing year (2025/2026), from 435,000 metric tonnes in the 2024/25 period to offset the supply deficit.'Sugar consumption is anticipated to increase 1.6 percent to 1.25 million, due to rise use in households and in the hospitality sector, driven by higher disposable incomes, and the growth in the hospitality sector,' the report says.'Sugar imports are also expected to surge by 38 percent, to offset the anticipated local supply deficit. Imports are expected to come from the Comesa and EAC countries because of tariff advantages.'Duty-free imports from the Comesa countries are however subject to a limit of 350,000 metric tonnes per year, due to a safeguard that has been granted to Kenya. The safeguard, which has been in force since 2002, was extended by two years in November 2023 and expected to expire in November this year. Sugar imports from non-Comesa and EAC countries face a 100 percent tariff, unless a specific waiver is granted by the government of Kenya. In September 2024, Kenya imposed a ban on sugar imports from outside Comesa and EAC, citing an increase in local production, with the country expected to produce more than 800,000 metric tonnes in the year. The 2023 had been an unusual year, beginning with a severe drought that led to reduced sugar output, necessitating significant imports to bridge the supply gap. The average annual consumption of table sugar in Kenya is about 950,000 metric tonnes, with the shortfall covered by imports from Comesa and EAC under existing trade protocols. Under the EAC revised four band Common External Tariff structure that came into force on July 1, 2022, sugar is among items considered to be 'sensitive' and which attract higher duty of above 35 percent to protect local industries from competition. Kenya's cane marketing is currently undertaken through 17 operational mills, four of which are government-owned, with total installed capacity of about 1.7 million tonnes. State-owned mills' market share, estimated at eight percent, has been dwindling due to technological and operational inefficiencies, including obsolete milling technology, mismanagement, high debt portfolios, and the collapse of cane development programmes. Private millers have been expanding their market share by investing in modern cane processing equipment and prompt pay to farmers. Some of the private millers have also invested in cane development programmes that include input supply and extension services to their contracted farmers. Average sugar extraction rates are also higher in private mills at 10 percent, compared to 5.6 percent in government-owned mills. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
