The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced that all grades of fuel will increase by at least R1 from today. The following are the increases have been announced: Petrol (93 ULP and LRP): R1.21 increase. Petrol (95 ULP and LRP): R1.21 increase. Diesel (0.05% sulphur): R1.05 increase. Diesel (0.005% sulphur): R1.18 increase. Illuminating paraffin (wholesale): 64 cents increase. Single Maximum National Retail Price for illuminating paraffin: 85 cents increase. Maximum LP Gas retail price: 41 cents increase The increases mean that a litre of 95, which used to cost R23.24 in Gauteng, now costs R24.45 a litre. The DMRE said a number of factors influenced the increases, including: The average Brent Crude oil price increased from 82.03 US Dollars (USD) to 82.50 USD during the period under review. The average international product prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin increased in line with the higher crude oil prices. The Rand depreciated slightly on average, against the US Dollar from 18.77 to 19.20 Rand per USD during the period under review. This led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin. The DMRE Minister, Gwede Mantashe with the concurrence Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana approved an increase from 0.1 c/l to 1.0 c/l in the IP Tracer Dye Levy that is applicable to Diesel with effect from the 6 March 2024. This increase is temporary until the 5th of March 2025. 'South Africa's fuel prices are adjusted monthly, informed by international and local factors. International factors include the fact that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs,' the department explained. Source: South African Government News Agency Health Minister Ali Mrabet took part in the first international conference on universal health coverage and family health held in Tehran (Iran) on March 5 and 6, with the participation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and several health ministers and senior officials from 18 countries. The aim of this international conference is to discuss a range of issues, including health systems in the context of universal health coverage and mechanisms to protect the health of citizens, as well as mother and child health programmes, digitalisation in the health sector and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, Mrabet recalled that the Palestinian people have been deprived of their right to health as a result of the aggressions perpetrated by the Zionist entity against civilians and health professionals and the bombing of hospitals in the Gaza Strip. He described the aggressions as a flagrant violation of international treaties and conventions and the right to health, which is closely linked to human rights, as advocated by the World Health Organisation. The Health Minister on Tuesday held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Bahram Einollahi, Minister of Health and Medical Education. The talks focused on ways to strengthen health cooperation between the two countries in a number of areas, such as cardiovascular surgery, cancer treatment and the pharmaceutical industry, in line with the guidelines set out by the Presidents of the two countries. President Kais Saied and his Iranian counterpart expressed their desire to develop cooperation between the two countries during a meeting held in Algiers on March 2. The Minister of Health stressed the importance of further strengthening cooperation and exchanges of experience between the two countries, particularly in the field of vaccine and pharmaceutical production and consolidating links between the Pasteur Institute in Tunis and the Pasteur Institute in Iran. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse